Chapter Two-Hundred Ninety-Six: Juggernaut Josie

Chapter 296

Juggernaut Josie

Jordi braced his feet apart, his furious Byzantine eyes locked on Josie and her chainsaw.

Juggernaut Josie let out a booming laugh and charged wildly at Jordi, hefting her screaming chainsaw in a vicious, sweeping arc. Jordi shifted his weight and sidestepped at the last split second to dodge the oncoming blade. However, the chainsaw’s spinning teeth scraped across his left shoulder, tearing through his suit jacket and grazing his skin. Sparks showered off the concrete wall as the saw whirred past, leaving a torn, bloodied mark on his shoulder as Jordi snarled through the pain.

Demetrio: “JORDI!!’

He bellowed. Jordi turned to Demetrio.

Before Jordi could respond, Josie shifted her focus and charged wildly after Demetrio, her screaming chainsaw held high. Seeing Demetrio in immediate peril, Jordi leaped in without hesitation to push Demetrio out of harm’s way. As Jordi shielded Demetrio and shoved him clear, Juggernaut Josie’s roaring chainsaw teeth sliced through the air, shredding the back of Jordi’s suit jacket.

Jordi: “Demetrio, please go!”

He panted.

Jordi: “I got this!”

Demetrio hesitated.

Demetrio: “I CAN’T LOSE SOMEONE ELSE CLOSE TO ME!”

He shouted through tears. Without missing a beat, Jordi grabbed Demetrio and shoved him out the door to safety. As he pushed Demetrio clear, Juggernaut Josie’s roaring chainsaw grazed across Jordi's back. Before he could recover, Josie viciously swung her whirring chainsaw at him again, but Jordi backflipped to dodge the incoming blade.

Demetrio pounded desperately on the other side of the heavy door. His breath came in ragged, shallow gasps as he clutched his aching chest, sinking slowly to the floor against the frame as a sharp pain radiated through him.

With Demetrio safe on the other side of the door, Juggernaut Josie turned her furious focus back to Jordi. Screaming and revving her chainsaw, Josie charged wildly after Jordi. Jordi sidestepped to dodge her oncoming attack, then thrust out his hand and released a crackling bolt of purple lightning aimed directly at her. Josie reacted quickly and dodged the purple lightning bolt as it blasted into the concrete wall behind her.

Closing the distance, Juggernaut Josie pressed up close to Jordi and swung her screaming chainsaw in a dangerous horizontal sweep. Jordi ducked low beneath the roaring blade, feeling the wind of its motion above him, and immediately executed a swift backflip just as Josie slammed her chainsaw down into the ground where he had been standing.

Extending his palm again, Jordi discharged a violent surge of crackling purple electricity aimed directly at Juggernaut Josie. Rather than evading the strike, Josie met the arc head-on, swinging her roaring chainsaw straight into the beam to cleave through the bolt and scatter shimmering violet sparks across the stone. Jordi’s wide, Byzantine eyes filled with sudden terror.

Before he could recover, she drove a devastating kick deep into his chest, throwing him violently onto the unforgiving concrete floor below.

Taking advantage of Jordi being grounded, Juggernaut Josie hefted her screaming chainsaw high and brought the whirring blade crashing downward. Reacting instantly, Jordi pushed off the concrete floor and executed a swift backflip to evade the strike, just as the saw slammed into the spot he had occupied moments before. Upon landing, Josie delivered another vicious horizontal sweep, the spinning teeth of her roaring saw grazing his right shoulder and drawing fresh blood.

Jordi hissed through his teeth as agony shot through him, his back slamming violently into the unforgiving concrete wall behind him. Juggernaut Josie lunged forward and swung her screaming chainsaw in another vicious arc, but Jordi dropped beneath the roaring blade and rolled across the floor to safety. Screaming with raw fury, Josie brought her whirring saw down hard where he had just been, the furious spinning teeth missing his cheek by a fraction of an inch.

Surges of raw, crackling purple electricity pulsed through Jordi, flowing rapidly down his arms as he discharged a relentless barrage of violent purple bolts that blasted all around the chamber. Juggernaut Josie lunged forward through the chaotic onslaught, the whirring teeth of her spinning chainsaw grazing his forehead before he could scramble clear. Jordi leaped backward, striking the ground heavily on one knee before tumbling onto the unforgiving concrete, crimson blood trickling slowly down his forehead.

Jordi lay sprawled on the cold stone, chest heaving in ragged, desperate gasps as blood dripped down his face and blurred his vision. Juggernaut Josie stood over him, her lips curving into a twisted, triumphant smile as she licked a streak of his fresh blood across her cheek, savoring the visceral thrill of the battle. Her eyes gleamed with sadistic delight, the screaming rev of her chainsaw echoing off the concrete as she watched him struggle to breathe.

Juggernaut Josie: “Look at you go, pretty boy! I never had so much fun in years! I didn’t think a pretty boy executive assistant could put up this much of a fight!”

Jordi didn’t reply, his mind racing as dull, throbbing pressure built behind his temples. At first, he tried to brush it off, rationalizing that the pounding sensation in his skull was just the start of a massive headache brought on by the sheer stress and high-pitched scream of the chainsaw. But as he blinked against the mounting dizziness, a heavy, sickening warmth pooled around the side of his head and dripped down his throat. Crimson blood streamed down his face, soaking into his torn collar and spreading in a dark, rapidly widening puddle across the cold concrete floor beneath him. A cold sweat broke out across his skin as the lightheadedness intensified, the faintness taking hold as he realized with growing dread that the pounding wasn’t just a headache—he was losing far too much blood, far too fast.

The roaring rev of the chainsaw echoed deafeningly in the enclosed space as Juggernaut Josie raised the whirring blade and charged wildly toward Jordi to finish him off once and for all. But before the saw could strike, a violent blast of sub-zero ice shot through the entryway with overwhelming force, slamming squarely into Juggernaut Josie. The sudden, freezing kinetic impact lifted her off her feet and sent her crashing heavily into the solid concrete wall, shattering stone and sending debris flying across the floor.

Tristan stood poised in the shattered doorway, frost radiating in shimmering waves off his coat and creeping across the stone floor beneath his boots. His sharp glare locked onto Juggernaut Josie with terrifying, icy intensity, his breath visible in the room’s rapidly plummeting temperature. Groaning as she pushed herself up from the rubble, Josie wiped a dusty streak from her brow and fixed her gaze on her next opponent. She froze for a split second, her eyes widening in stunned amazement as she took in his striking features.

Juggernaut Josie: “Hellooooooooooo, Attorney!”

She wolf-whistled. Tristan glared at her.

With a sharp laugh, Juggernaut Josie revved her screaming chainsaw and charged wildly at Tristan, swinging the whirring blade in a series of violent, aggressive strikes. Unfazed by her onslaught, Tristan raised his hands and summoned dense, solid blocks of ice out of thin air. The roaring teeth of the chainsaw slammed into the frozen barriers with deafening force, sending ice shards and sparks showering across the stone floor, but the ice shields stood firm against every single attack.

Juggernaut Josie: “Holy shit, you move quite well there, Counselor! I bet you’re even more amazing in bed…”

She purred as she swung her chainsaw toward him. Tristan formed a sheet of ice beneath her feet and sent an ice blast slamming directly into her chest. The freezing force hit Juggernaut Josie full-on, knocking her off her feet on the slick surface and sending her skidding wildly backward across the ice-covered floor until she crashed hard against the shattered concrete wall.

Tristan’s stern gaze locked onto her with absolute disgust and unflinching authority.

Tristan: “Restrain your tongue. I’m not one of your crude playthings.”

Juggernaut Josie’s right eye twitched violently as a manic grin spread across her face.

Juggernaut Josie: “Ooh, playing hard to get, are we? I love a challenge! There’s nothin’ I want more than to decorate my chainsaw with your blood!”

Screaming with wild intensity, she revved her whirring saw and charged headlong after Tristan once again.

Tristan swiftly raised his hands, summoning a thick, solid wall of ice to block Juggernaut Josie’s furious charge. Expecting the frozen barrier to halt her momentum, Tristan prepared his next countermeasure. But with a manic yell, Josie launched herself into the air and leaped cleanly over the ice wall.

Tristan’s eyes widened in brief surprise as she cleared the barrier, and he immediately tried to dodge out of the way. Coming down fast, Josie swung her screaming chainsaw in a violent horizontal sweep. The whirring teeth grazed across Tristan’s left arm, slicing through his suit jacket sleeve and drawing fresh blood. Tristan screamed and gasped through gritted teeth, swiftly stepping back as blood trickled down his forearm and onto the floor.

Before Josie could press her advantage on Tristan, the heavy doors burst open as Celeste charged into the chamber with terrifying speed. Shock registered instantly across Juggernaut Josie’s face, her manic expression wavering as she registered Celeste’s furious approach. Reacting on pure instinct, Josie pivoted and slashed her roaring chainsaw in a violent upward arc aimed directly at her chest. Celeste launched herself into the air, leaping completely over the trajectory of the spinning teeth. However, the whirring blade caught the fabric of her outfit as she cleared the attack, slicing through her jacket and top with a shower of torn cloth.

Juggernaut Josie: “I don’t remember askin’ you to come!”

She barked and charged after her.

Screaming with fury, Juggernaut Josie jabbed her screaming chainsaw directly toward Celeste’s heart. Celeste reacted instantly, leaping high over the thrusting blade and landing lightly behind her. Josie spun around and swung the whirring saw in a lethal horizontal arc, but Celeste executed a seamless backflip to dodge the incoming weapon. As the roaring teeth sliced harmlessly through thin air, Josie’s face contorted with rage, her manic grin turning into an angry scowl as her frustration boiled over.

Celeste delivered a powerful kick directly to the whirring chainsaw. The impact shattered the weapon into jagged metal fragments and flying sparks, leaving Juggernaut Josie staring in shock at the broken remnants in her hands.

Juggernaut Josie: “WH-WHAT THE FUCK?!”

Before Josie could recover from her disbelief, Celeste stepped in and unleashed a devastating uppercut straight into her jaw. Blood sprayed from Josie’s mouth and nose as a few teeth flew into the air, the sheer momentum of the blow launching her upward to crash hard into the concrete ceiling above.

The door slammed open, and Deimos burst into the room. Assessing the carnage in a single glance, his eyes widened as he spotted Tristan and Celeste standing amidst the shattered concrete and ice debris.

Deimos: “TRISTAN!!!”

He screamed. Without a moment’s hesitation, Deimos rushed across the blood-stained floor to their side.

Positioning himself between Tristan and Celeste, Deimos raised his hands and focused his energy. A warm, vibrant purple glow flared from his palms, enveloping both of them in a soothing surge of vitakinesis. As the radiant light washed over their bodies, the stinging cuts on Tristan’s forearm and the lacerations on Celeste closed up, the flesh knitting back together seamlessly until no trace of their injuries remained.

Tristan: “Thank you, Deimos…”

He sighed and turned to Jordi.

Tristan: “Deimos, you forgot to heal Jordi.”

He reminded him. Celeste knelt beside Jordi.

Celeste: “He’s losing a lot of blood.”

She observed. Crossing his arms, Deimos pouted. Tristan fixed Deimos with a stern, narrowed glare.

Tristan: “Deimos…”

Deimos shrank from Tristan’s tone and his glare.

With an exaggerated sigh, Deimos grumbled under his breath and reluctantly stepped over to where Jordi lay bleeding on the cold concrete. He knelt beside Jordi and raised his palms. A vibrant, warm purple glow flared from his hands, washing over Jordi’s wounded body. As the radiant light enveloped him, the deep, bloody cuts across Jordi’s shoulders, chest, and forehead began to knit together and seal up. The heavy bleeding ceased entirely, and Jordi’s shallow, ragged breathing smoothed into a calm, steady rhythm as healthy color returned to his face.

Jordi: “Thank you…”

He sighed.

Deimos: “Shut up. Tristan made me do it.”

He growled. Jordi shot him a glare, and his head leaned back against the cool concrete.

The heavy door swung open once more, and Fabien stepped into the room, his eyes scanning the aftermath of the battle before fixing on the group. He caught his breath for a moment.

Fabien: “The old man has been admitted to Pink Top General Hospital. They’re taking care of him.”

Jordi scrambled to his feet.

Jordi: “And where’s Jiro?!”

He rasped. Fabien shrugged.

Fabien: “In Hell? How should I know?”

He huffed and threw his arms up.

Tristan: “Fabien, please.”

He chided him gently.

Jordi panted and ran his hand over his hair.

Jordi: “The power went out in the tower because of thousands of rats…”

He began. Tristan cupped his chin.

Tristan: “I see.”

He whispered.

Jordi: “And… Narcisse had Jaxon! He broke into our home and took him! WHERE IS HE?!”

He bellowed. Deimos crossed his arms and rolled his eyes.

Tristan: “Jordi, we’re going to find him. If Narcisse has taken him anywhere, my guess is that abandoned circus. I’m unsure of how those teleportation devices work, but if it’s anything close to how Trevor’s work, he can’t teleport back to Clerteaux… if he just arrived to implant mind control devices on those rats.”

He explained coolly.

Before Tristan could say another word, Jordi let out a thunderous bellow of pure fury and desperation that echoed off the shattered walls.

Jordi: “I’M GETTING JIRO AWAY FROM THAT PSYCHO!”

Without waiting for the others, Jordi bolted past Fabien and stormed out the door, his boots pounding against the stone as he rushed blindly into the corridor to save Jaxon.

~

At the Grand Pavilion of Wonders, at its dead center stood the Grand Pavilion Hotel, its once-glamorous facade boarded up and choked with creeping ivy.

On the third floor, inside what had been the bridal suite, the air was heavy with imported bergamot cologne and the sharp sting of vintage leather.

Jaxon stirred against the mattress, the friction of heavy nautical cord biting into his wrists. His hands were bound overhead to the ornate, peeling headboard; his ankles were pulled taut and secured to the footposts. He wore only his crimson silk dragon robe. His massive mane of black hair was fanned wildly across the faded damask pillows.

From the shadows near the balcony doors came the soft, rhythmic tap of loafers against rotted parquet floorboards.

Narcisse: “How do you feel, mon trésor?”

He purred and stepped into the shaft of pale light. He raised his hand to push his round spectacles up the bridge of his nose, his green eyes gleaming with possessive delight.

Jaxon: “L-Let me go! Let me go before Jordi shocks you to death!”

Narcisse chuckled—a low, quiet vibration of pure indulgence. He strolled toward the bedside, taking in the sight with lingering, theatrical satisfaction.

Narcisse: “Such ferocity. It’s intoxicating. For months I’ve sat in the dim velvet booths of Darker Desires, watching dozens of crude, undeserving fools toss pocket change at the stage while you moved like pure fire. A masterpiece thrown before swine.”

Narcisse reached down, his fingertips hovering just an inch over the silk lapel of Jaxon’s robe before smoothing the fabric flat against his chest. Jaxon recoiled, straining against the ropes with a furious jerk of his shoulders.

Jaxon: “Don’t touch me!”

He hissed.

Jaxon: “Jordi is tearing apart Pink Top City to rescue me!”

At the mention of Jordi, Narcisse’s subtle smirk tightened, a flicker of aristocratic venom breaking his composed facade.

Narcisse: “The power company’s little errand boy that I left that chainsaw-wielding hillbilly to deal with?”

He murmured dismissively, leaning closer until his cold breath brushed Jaxon’s ear.

Narcisse: “He’s nothing more than a glorified secretary in a cheap tailored blazer. He doesn’t have the vision to appreciate what he holds. He thinks you are something to share an address with. A quaint domestic novelty.”

He pulled back, spreading his hands to encompass the decaying grand room.

Narcisse: “I know what you are, Jiro. A rare creature meant to be kept apart from the world. Guarded. Adored in secret.”

Jaxon: “I am not your possession!”

He hissed through clenched teeth.

Narcisse: “I don’t believe for one second your little boy toy is aware of the power you hold… Neither he nor my naughty little nephew, for that matter.”

Narcisse reached into the breast pocket of his tailored jacket and withdrew a ribbon of midnight-black silk. With measured, unhurried movements, he stepped around to the head of the bed.

Jaxon: “Hey! Don't you dare—”

His warning was cut short as Narcisse leaned down and swept the cool fabric across Jaxon’s eyes.

Working with meticulous care so as not to tangle Jaxon’s thick mane of black hair, Narcisse knotted the blindfold firmly at the back of his head. The faint moonlight vanished completely, plunging Jaxon into total darkness. His breath hitched in irritation, his senses immediately sharpening to the rustle of Narcisse's clothes and the distinct scent of his gardenia cologne hovering inches away.

Narcisse: “There…”

He murmured, his voice dripping with smooth satisfaction.

Jaxon: “GET THIS OFF ME!”

He strained against the ropes, twisting his wrists against the coarse hemp at the headboard. Jaxon: “You’re a pathetic clown! A perverted, pathetic clown!”

He cried.

Narcisse didn't answer with words. Instead, his fingertips lightly touched the hollow of Jaxon’s throat. Jaxon flinched, his muscles instantly locking rigid. Slowly, almost deliberately, Narcisse traced the curve of Jaxon’s jawline down to the base of his neck, drifting over the collar of the crimson dragon robe before brushing against the warm skin of his exposed upper chest, right along the inked contours of his dragon insignia.

Narcisse: “Such beautiful defiance…”

He whispered, hovering close enough that Jaxon could feel the chill radiating off the man.

Narcisse shifted his touch. His fingers loosened their light stroke, dancing feather-light over the sensitive dip just beneath Jaxon’s ear and along the side of his neck.

The light, teasing flutter of Narcisse's fingertips against the sensitive skin caught Jaxon completely off-guard. An involuntary jolt ran through his frame, a sharp, choked gasp escaping his lips as he reflexively tucked his chin toward his shoulder to protect the spot.

Jaxon: “AAhahahahahaahahAHAHAHAHA! STOP!!”

He snapped, thrashing his head sideways against the pillows to shake off the wandering hands. A sudden, tense twitch rattled his shoulders, his jaw trembling as he fought hard to suppress the breathless, ticklish flutter rising in his chest.

Narcisse offered a low, amused hum, clearly savoring the way Jaxon’s bravado cracked under the lightest brush of his fingers.

Narcisse took in the frantic twitch of Jaxon’s jaw, a small, knowing smirk curling the edges of his lips. With Jaxon’s wrists bound securely overhead to the high posts of the headboard, the motion pulled his arms taut, leaving his sides completely bare and unprotected beneath the open, flowing sleeves of the silk dragon robe.

Stepping closer until his knees pressed into the edge of the mattress, Narcisse reached out with both hands. His fingers slipped past the slick crimson fabric, curving right into the hollow of Jaxon’s exposed underarms.

The moment his fingertips began a quick, fluttering scribble against the sensitive, guarded hollows, Jaxon’s whole body seized.

Jaxon: “ARGH! NO! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAA!!”

He whipped his head furiously against the pillows, the midnight-black blindfold hiding his wild, darting eyes. He tried violently to clamp his elbows down to shield himself, but the taut ropes held his arms spread wide, leaving him completely open.

Jaxon: “WAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAA!! STOP!!”

He screamed out, his chest heaving as the unbearable tingling rippled through his ribs. His hips arched off the mattress, legs kicking against the cords binding his ankles as he bucked and twisted to shake Narcisse away.

Jaxon: “STAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAP!! YOU BAHAHAHAHAHAHAASTARD!!”

Narcisse’s fingers danced relentlessly into the hollows, digging into the most ticklish contours. Jaxon: “AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!”

He was completely breathless now, thrashing wildly against the headboard.

Narcisse withdrew his hands from Jaxon’s heaving sides, stepping back just enough to let him draw a ragged, shuddering breath. Jaxon’s chest rose and fell sharply against the mattress, his head turned sideways, black strands plastered to his damp forehead beneath the blindfold.

From the ornate bedside table, Narcisse picked up a slender chrome instrument. The round, spiked spur of a Wartenberg wheel caught a sliver of pale moonlight slicing through the rotted shutters, glinting with cold surgical precision.

Narcisse: “Let us move from the blunt to the exquisite…”

He whispered, his voice smooth and measured. He pulled the sash on Jaxon’s waist and parted the silk robe to expose his bare, slender body. Jaxon’s heart hammered against his chest as his fear soared.

Jaxon: “N-NO!”

The dull click of the metal rotating was the only warning Jaxon had before the icy, prickly teeth made contact with the hollow of his throat. He gasped, his throat flexing involuntarily as a sharp electric jolt radiated through his skin.

Jaxon: “Ngh—what the hell is that?!”

Without answering, Narcisse let the wheel glide downward. The spiked teeth rolled in a slow, continuous line down the sensitive column of Jaxon’s neck, tracing the edge of his collarbone before parting the smooth crimson silk of the robe and drifting across his chest.

Narcisse carefully maneuvered the rolling points over the curves of the dragon tattoo, letting each delicate metal tooth press just firmly enough to stimulate every nerve ending without piercing the flesh.

Jaxon’s back arched off the bed, his teeth gritted against the sensory onslaught. Blindfolded, he couldn’t predict where the wheel was traveling next; the phantom chill of the metal was everywhere and nowhere at once, leaving a blazing trail of goosebumps in its wake.

Jaxon: “N-No... stop—ahhahahahahaa!”

He groaned, his hips twisting against the footposts as Narcisse trailed the wheel smoothly down over his sternum, meandering down the tight ridges of his torso toward his navel.

The contrast between the freezing chrome and the prickly prick of the wheel was agonizingly ticklish and intensely hypersensitive. A wild shudder tore through Jaxon’s midsection, his stomach muscles clenching hard in a desperate reflex to pull away from the delicate rolling wheel.

Narcisse: “Fascinating, isn’t it?”

He murmured, watching Jaxon squirm against the taut ropes with cool, aristocratic fascination. He wheeled the instrument back up in a serpentine curve over Jaxon’s ribs, lingering over the most ticklish contours of his flanks.

Jaxon: “HahahahahahahahaHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!”

Narcisse: “Without your eyes, every prick of the wheel is an eternity of anticipation.”

Jaxon lay trembling as helpless laughter erupted from him.

Jaxon: “WAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!! STAHAHAHAHAHP!”

Narcisse stepped closer, the hem of his jacket brushing against the edge of the mattress as he leaned down over Jaxon. The scent of heavy gardenia cologne enveloped Jaxon, thick and suffocating in the suite’s stagnant air.

Before Jaxon could twist away, Narcisse pressed his lips against the warm, exposed curve of Jaxon’s neck.

The contrast was immediate and jarring—the soft, deliberate heat of Narcisse’s mouth against his skin, combined with the sharp, freezing prickle of the Wartenberg wheel simultaneously rolling a slow line down Jaxon’s sternum. His entire frame locked tight, a sharp, choked hiss escaping through his teeth.

Jaxon: “AH! STAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAP! GET OFF ME!!”

Narcisse trailed open-mouthed, lingering kisses along the sensitive line between Jaxon’s jaw and the hollow of his collarbone. At the exact same tempo, his hand guided the chrome wheel smoothly over Jaxon’s chest, tracing the black dragon tattoo before descending into the dips and ridges of his torso. The little metal teeth spun effortlessly, prickling every exposed nerve ending down toward his navel.

Blindfolded, Jaxon was utterly overwhelmed by the dual sensory assault. His abdomen seized, clenching hard in a desperate reflex to pull away from the freezing steel, while his neck arched violently against the pillows to evade the intimate, possessive kisses.

Jaxon: “DON’T! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHA!!”

A helpless, breathless gasp broke through Jaxon’s laughter, his hips bucking uselessly against the heavy cords at his ankles. Every brush of Narcisse’s lips sent a shiver down his spine, amplified tenfold by the prickly, rolling wheel teasing his hypersensitive stomach.

Narcisse pulled back just enough to whisper against the damp skin of Jaxon’s throat, his voice low and vibrating with quiet triumph.

Narcisse: “You fight so hard, mon trésor… Yet your skin answers every touch with such exquisite honesty.”

Narcisse’s cool, measured gaze tracked the Wartenberg wheel’s slow path as he guided it down past Jaxon’s trembling abdomen. Without breaking the rhythm, he maneuvered the slender chrome instrument lower, letting the freezing, spiked teeth trail lingeringly along Jaxon’s cock.

A sharp, violent jolt shot through Jaxon’s member the instant the rolling steel teeth made contact. His breath hitched in a strangled gasp before breaking into a fresh wave of helpless, breathless laughter. The ticklish, prickly sting was unbearable against his hypersensitive skin, sending intense shockwaves radiating straight up his spine.

Jaxon: “AH! N-NO! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!”

He thrashed against his bonds, his hips twisting desperately from side to side in a furious attempt to shake off the prickly wheel. Instinctively, he tried to snap his legs shut to shield his member from the icy chrome, but the heavy nautical cords pulled taut around his ankles, holding his legs firmly apart and leaving him completely defenseless.

Jaxon: “STAHAHAHAHAHP! GET IT AWAHAHAHAAY FROM ME! YOU ASSHOHOHOHOHOLE!!”

Narcisse chuckled softly, a low sound of aristocratic indulgence as he applied just enough pressure to keep the small metal spur rotating in slow, agonizing circles over the tender skin.

Narcisse: “Look at how exquisitely you react, mon trésor… Every delicate nerve in your body sings beneath my hand. No matter how fiercely you spit venom, your flesh cannot hide the truth from me.”

Jaxon’s head tossed frantically against the damp pillows, black strands of hair clinging to his brow beneath the dark silk blindfold. His chest heaved violently as he strained against the ropes at the headboard, his fists clenched tight as laughter tore relentlessly from his throat.

Jaxon: “JORDI WILL... AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA... JORDI IS GOING TO KILL YOU FOR THIS! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!”

Narcisse chuckled smoothly, guiding the cold, spinning teeth right up toward the crease of Jaxon’s hip.

Narcisse: “Submitting to me is only a matter of time.”

Narcisse straightened up from him, the small, cold smirk returning to his lips as he took in the ragged, uneven rhythm of Jaxon’s breathing. He smoothly stepped away from the headboard, the soft scrape of his white loafers carrying over the creak of the rotted floorboards until he reached the foot of the bed.

Jaxon strained against the ropes at his wrists, his blindfolded face turning sharply toward the footposts as he heard the quiet rustle of fabric down below.

Narcisse tilted his head, his green eyes gleaming with wicked anticipation. He rested his free hand gently on Jaxon's ankle to steady it, then brought the slender chrome handle down.

The icy, spiked teeth of the Wartenberg wheel made direct contact with the sensitive arch of Jaxon’s right sole. The reaction was instantaneous and explosive.

Jaxon: “AHHHHHHHH!!!!”

His entire body violently jackknifed against the mattress. A wild, choked shriek ripped from his throat, transforming instantly into an uncontrollable burst of high-pitched, breathless laughter. He thrashed frantically against the footposts, his toes curling hard in a desperate attempt to shield his arches, but the ropes held his feet completely rigid, bare and defenseless.

Jaxon: “WAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAH!! NOOHOHOHOHOHOHO!!! N-NOT THERE—AHAHAHAHA! STOP! STOP IT!"

He shrieked, his hips bucking furiously off the bed, his bound wrists wrenching at the headboard so hard the old wood groaned. Tears immediately pricked behind the black silk blindfold as a tidal wave of agonizing, hypersensitive tickles surged straight up his spine.

Narcisse’s smirk widened into pure, indulgent triumph. Without a trace of mercy, he began rolling the wheel in slow, deliberate serpentine sweeps. The sharp, freezing little teeth rolled across the tender flesh beneath Jaxon's toes, danced down the hollow of his arch, and circled the sensitive edges of his heel.

Narcisse: “Oh my…”

He murmured smoothly, his voice practically purring over the sound of Jaxon's wild, echoing laughter.

Jaxon: “WAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAA!!”

He wept into the pillows, his head whipping violently from side to side. He kicked and yanked against the ankle cords, but every tiny twitch only seemed to drag his skin more firmly against the rotating metal teeth.

Jaxon: “ARGH!! NO!! WAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAA!! JORDI! HEHEHEHHEHELP ME!!”

Hearing Jordi's name torn from Jaxon’s trembling lips only made Narcisse's expression darken with cold, possessive delight. He shifted the wheel over to the other foot, tracing the spiky teeth right down the absolute center of Jaxon’s left sole.

Narcisse: “Call for him all you like, mon trésor…”

He whispered, letting the wheel spin effortlessly across the hypersensitive skin.

Narcisse: “No one is coming to save you from me. I believe that hick already dismembered him. I will be sure to send you the parts.”

Narcisse finally lifted the chrome wheel away from Jaxon’s soles, letting the instrument clatter onto the bedside table.

Jaxon collapsed back against the mattress, trembling from head to toe. His toes twitched involuntarily against the footposts, his chest heaving. Harsh, shuddering sobs of laughter still hitched in his throat, leaving him breathless, his face slick with sweat beneath the silk blindfold.

Jaxon: “No… No… Jordi… Don’t you fucking hurt him!”

He sobbed, his voice raw, struggling to drag air into his burning lungs.

The soft tap of Narcisse’s loafers moved swiftly back up along the side of the bed. Before Jaxon could gather his defenses or utter another threat, Narcisse leaned in close and captured Jaxon’s parted, gasping lips in a deep, forceful kiss.

Jaxon stiffened instantly, a muffled wail vibrating against Narcisse’s mouth. He jerked his head violently to break contact, pulling against the ropes overhead until the headboard rattled. But Narcisse pressed his weight down, his hand reaching up to grip Jaxon’s jaw firmly, tilting his face to hold him in place.

Narcisse deepened the kiss with cold, possessive hunger, smothering Jaxon with every ounce of it. The sharp scent of gardenia was all-consuming, trapping Jaxon entirely in the dark. Every attempt Jaxon made to twist his head away was matched by Narcisse’s unyielding grip, claiming his mouth with an intoxicating, aristocratic dominance that offered neither apology nor escape.

~

Outside the entrance of the Grand Pavilion of Wonders, Jordi’s purple Ferrari came to a violent, screeching halt, its tires smoking furiously against the asphalt.

Jordi flung the car door open and vaulted out, still visibly disheveled and marked from his brutal battle with Juggernaut Josie, but powered by pure adrenaline and desperation.

He rushed headlong into the decaying carnival.

Jordi: “JIRO!!! NARCISSE, I’M GOING TO FUCKING KILL YOU!!!”

His voice echoed violently off the rotted, crumbling structures as he bellowed in raw panic and fury.