“I did. I know all about yourinvestigation.You don’t really think you conned your way onto that ship all by yourself, did you?”
One sleeve rolled to my elbow, I glance up, and nearly laugh out loud at how insulted she looks.
“I did a very thorough job with that, thank you very much.”
“You certainly did a better job than I would have expected of someone without the proper… connections. I was impressed.”
Her face lights up, replacing the pout with a smile that takes my breath away. “Yeah?”
“Yes. You owe Lucas an apology, though. Poor man hasn’t worked that hard in nearly a decade. He only took the job on as a favor to me, to keep watch over you.”
“Why?”
“Because, my curious little kitten.” With the second sleeve out of the way, I reach for her, capturing her face in my hand. “I knew from the moment I laid eyes on you, that you were meant to bemine. And I always protect what’s mine.”
Her eyes have gone even wider, and her breathing is ragged. “You can’t just decide that you own a person. There are laws against that kind of thing.”
“As your Uncle Jasper is fond of saying, the only law here is my word. There is no government here, no police. You answer only to me, Natalie. And when I am not around, you answer to whichever adult has been given the responsibility of caring for you. I should warn you, if another adult has reason to punish you, then you will receive a second punishment from me as well. I expect you to be a well-behaved little kitten, even when I am not around.”
“Adults.” She says the word slowly, rolling it over her tongue like it’s foreign to her. “Because here, I’m just a child.”
Clever Little girl. “Yes.”
“And if I don’t want to play your twisted games? If I want to go back home to New York? To my life?”
“I’m afraid the time to make that choice was before you got on that boat, kitten. The moment you stepped on that ship, you sealed your own fate.”
“Well that hardly seems fair since I didn’t know that’s what I was doing.”
“You knew you were snooping somewhere you shouldn’t be. You knew you were treading dangerous waters with dangerous men. Honestly, you should consider yourself lucky that I don’t take a strap to your bottom for putting yourself in that kind of danger.”
“But I didn’tknow?—”
“Enough.” I hold a hand up, cutting her off as Lucas tries to hide a smile. “Whether you knew the full extent of what you were doing or not is neither here nor there. You came to me, whether you meant to or not. Now you are mine, and you will follow my rules or you will be punished. Those are the only options left available to you any longer. Do you understand, little one?”
“I understand that’s howyouthink it should work.”
Oh, I am going to have fun taming my feisty little kitten. “The first order of business is to clean up that filthy mouth of yours. Come.”
Trusting Lucas to follow, I head for the bathroom, where I open a small package of soap. “Put her on her knees, Lucas.”
“Don’t fight, little one. That will only make it worse,” he whispers encouragingly as he lowers her to the floor.
“Makewhatworse?”
As the water runs, I reach for the buckle on my dress pants, pulling it free and wrapping the thin leather around her throat like a leash.
“Your lesson, kitten. Open that pretty mouth so Daddy can show you what happens to naughty Little girls who don’t know how to keep a civil tongue.”
Chapter Five
Natalie
Oh, shit. Oh, shit. Oh, shit.
This has suddenly gone from a curious, if somewhat worrisome situation to a terrifying one. Evander hands the belt off to Lucas, who tugs so that it tightens around my neck. Not enough to cut off my air supply, but enough for me to remain still. Compliant.
Panic grips me, seizing my lungs and sending my heart racing as I watch Evander move, those tattoo-covered hands flicking open his pants and pulling free the largest cock I have ever seen in my life. Granted, I’ve only seen two, butstill.
