Master (MxB) novel Chapter 19

Hayden's POV

Corey cuddled further into my body and I could feel the tension in his body as we sat down and waited for Greg to tell us what he has managed to find out. The grim look on his face didn't bode well, so I held my baby tightly against me.

I knew he was exhausted after the panic attack he had and all I wanted to do was go to the room and lay down with him so he could get some rest. But that was not an option right now, unfortunately, so I just held Corey close and tried to comfort him as much as possible.

Greg eyed Corey in sympathy, before shaking his head and muttering something under his breath about assholes for fathers, before pulling a file out of his briefcase and dropping it on the desk between us. "It's not looking too good Hayden. This man is pure scum. He's involved in so many illegal activities, made to look like normal transactions. I had to dig deep for all of this, and I have to give it to the fucker, he knows how to cover his tracks."

I nodded my thanks as he finished talking and picked up the folder. Corey turned around so he could look at the folder and I left him to do so, even though I was worried about what we would find in those pages. He had a right to know though, so with that in mind, I opened the folder and my stomach dropped as I read through the information on the first page and I felt Corey tense up and suddenly turn towards me again, hiding his face into my neck.

The first page was a report on an incident that happened at Mark Reylan's company. Apparently a female employee was viciously attacked during the company's annual Christmas party. She specifically identified Mark and a few other male executives, but before anything could actually be done with the charges, she had withdrawn them, stating she was drunk and she had made a mistake. The strange part was that barely a few days later, she had left the company and moved to the other side of the continent. She left behind all her friends and family and dropped all contact with them.

At the bottom of the page were pictures of the woman's face and body, and it was these images that caused my baby to turn away in disgust. She was covered in cuts and bruises. The left side of her face almost unrecognizable with how swollen and bruised it was. Her lips had multiple cuts. Her make-up was smudged across her face and her eyes looked blank as she just stared into the camera, completely numb from her trauma. The rest of her body was pretty much the same as her face, more cuts and bruises everywhere.

Something about the bruise just above her jaw line caught my eye, so I leaned closer for a better look. "Does anyone have a magnifying glass for me?" I asked and Randy pulled open a drawer. He rummaged through it for a few seconds, before pulling out what I was looking for.

I took it and held it over the picture that had caught my attention and there it was. What looked like a distinct print of a ring, was clear as daylight on the girl's face. I really didn't want to do what I did next, but I didn't have much of a choice. We needed answers and Corey was the only one who could give us those answers.

"Baby, I know you don't want to, but can you maybe look at this picture and tell me if you recognize it?" I asked and I felt him sigh against my neck before he moved, lifting his head. He looked into my eyes and I could see the tears he was holding at bay and my heart broke for him. I really wish this wasn't necessary. I kissed him on his forehead and felt him relax against me, before he pulled away completely and looked down at the picture I was inspecting.

I indicated the spot that I wanted him to look at and held the magnifying glass for him. I watched as a deep frown appeared on his forehead and his mouth opened in shock. He started shaking his head in denial, while his breathing started picking up pace again. I threw the folder and magnifying glass down and pulled him up against me.

I have absolutely no idea how long we sat like that, in complete silence, while I comforted him, but I was glad that Greg and Randy weren't trying to rush Corey or pressure him. This was hard for him. My heart hurt and I wished with all my heart that I could protect him from this, but I couldn't. He had a right to know the truth about his father.

I felt him move and push back slightly. I looked into his beautiful face, once again completely dumbstruck that this beautiful creature was mine. I cupped the side of his face and smiled when he leaned into my touch. There will never be a day where I would not love his reactions to my touch.

"Are you okay, sweetheart?" I asked softly. He took a deep breath, before exhaling and looking down at the file, now lying on the floor.

"Yes, I think so. The pictures are just horrible to look at and as I'm sure you guessed, I recognized the mark on that lady's jaw." His bottom lip trembled as he held back the tears threatening to fall. "Father's ring left that mark. I would know, because I've had that exact same bruise more times than I can count. Besides, it's one of a kind, made specifically for him. Mother got it for him for their anniversary one year when I was about seven or eight." I tried not to show how angry I was getting with every word leaving his mouth, but I could feel my hands shaking as I stroked them over his back.

A grunt and a chair hitting the wall brought us out of our own little world we had been in and I quickly looked up, automatically pulling Corey closer in a protective hold. Randy was pacing up and down behind his desk, muttering under his breath.

He was always really quick to anger, but that is where the lifestyle had suited him. He was in a controlled environment where he was able to get his sadistic urges out of the way, with men who needed what he gave. Then he could do what he loved even more than causing the pain, taking care of the Sub afterwards. We were all pretty thorough when it came to aftercare, but none of us could beat Randy at that. He would literally spend hours taking care of a Sub afterwards, if they allowed it.

I kissed Corey's cheek, before setting him down on the chair next to mine, as I got up to help my friend. I knew what he was thinking of and I knew the memories this would all be bringing back.

Something that wasn't a very well known fact, was that Randy was actually adopted. Before he was adopted by Ryan and Candice Sanders, he was a neglected and severely abused little boy. His biological parents, who looked like everyone's idea of the perfect family, was as evil as they come, and if it wasn't for a random stranger passing by one night, no one would have been made aware of what was going on the that house. His story was harsh and heartbreaking, but I will leave it to him to tell. All I will say, is that his past left lasting scars, both physically and mentally.

I went to him and pulled him out into the hallway, so he could calm down in privacy. He hated not being in control, but he hated it even more when it was in front of other people. "Are you okay Randy?"I asked as he slid down the wall to sit down. His hands were clenching and unclenching as the tension gripped his body.

He took a deep breath as he closed his eyes and blew it out slowly, before he opened them again and looked up at me. It always saddened me to see the vulnerability in his eyes.

He gave this impression of being strong and nothing can touch him so it's a shock when he does show this side of him. He smiled at me sadly, before leaning his head back against the wall. "I'm fine Hayden, I'm sorry for losing my cool like that in front of Corey. I know he..." I cut him off before he could talk any further.

"Bullshit Randy. Yes, Corey has been through a lot, especially the last few weeks, but he's fine. He's a lot stronger than you think. As for you losing your cool, don't worry about it. I know why you did and I understand. Now answer my question. Are you okay?" He grumbled at my tone of voice, not liking the command in it, which made me smile.