>>122 Make us trust you. Find some subtle way, inside your story, to communicate to your readers that you, the author, are aware of and understand the ethical issues at hand. That's probably the root of the problem here. I for one can certainly enjoy stories about awful people doing awful things--even if there isn't justice in the end--but I don't enjoy wondering if the author realises that the behaviours she is portraying are bad. It's teetering on the brink of horror, thinking any minute this is going to turn into a rape-as-love fic. Which, by the way, is not the kind of suspense that makes me want to keep reading. I'm not saying that you have to be extremely dogmatic, preaching against Heavy's actions every step of the way, or even that you have to boldly confirm your personal opinions in the story. Actually the fashion these days is that you avoid such anvilicious approaches. But little details, like the words you choose to describe his thoughts and his actions, attention paid to harmful consequences to himself and others, and the quite acknowledgement of healthier options can serve as that meaningful glance across the dinner table that says "Yes, I smell it, too." It would be very reassuring.