Chapter 5
Nora
I swallowed hard but held my ground. Dante liked hurting me; he would do it whether I earned a punishment or not. By challenging him, I could at least spare Luca’s friends from pain.
And even though Dante would undoubtedly devise something terrible for me, I believed that he wouldn’t do anything that truly harmed me. My body would remain whole, even if he ravaged my psyche.
I was strong enough to endure another one of his sick games. I had to be.
Because whatever he would do to Gabriele and Lorenzo would damage them permanently. He’d already casually threatened to cut off one of Gabriele’s fingers. Luca’s friends would be taken apart piece by piece. He was already suffering in Dante’s trap. I would do what I could to protect him from more pain, and seeing his men tortured would wound him deeply.
“Don’t hurt her,” Luca growled, knuckles white from his grip on the bars. “If you want to hurt someone, take it out on me, you sick fuck.”
Dante sneered at him. “Oh, but I am. You’re going to watch me torment my wife. You’ll see how she suffers so beautifully for me. Then she’ll scream in pleasure while I make her forget all about you.”
I pursed my lips, holding in venomous words. I wanted to rail at him that I’d never forget about Luca, no matter what he did to me. But that wouldn’t save me from whatever he planned, and it wouldn’t help Luca.
The monster’s attention returned to me, his full lips tilting in an arrogant smirk. “You were so eager to be punished, little bird.” He dropped a doting kiss to my forehead. “I knew you would enjoy our games. We’re an excellent match.”
Something like a growl rose in the back of my throat, and I quickly choked it down. Challenging his delusion that he was my true husband would only rile him, and I didn’t want to suffer anything worse than the pain that was to come.
Dante grasped the satin tie on my indecently short black lace robe and tugged it free. His hands skimmed down my arms in a parody of a tender caress as he slowly stripped me. He shook his head with a rueful smile at the matching bra and panties I’d chosen in an effort to maintain a shred of modesty.
“I think we’ll have to dispose of your underwear, pet. I want access to your body at all times.”
He began to remove the offending garments, and I bit my lip against a tirade that he was a sick bastard for depriving me of the small scraps of control I had left. I couldn’t fight him. I couldn’t regulate my diet. I couldn’t even cover my body.
He’d ripped everything away from me, stripping my soul bare. Righteous rage clawed at my insides, shredding me. My composed mask was long since shattered, and all I had now was the willpower to remain silent when he goaded me.
Once I was completely naked, he wrapped the silken tie from my robe around my wrists, binding them together. He used the ends of the tie like a leash, tugging me forward so that I was forced to approach Luca’s cell.
His ochre eyes blazed with fury, and his fists flexed around the bars.
“Don’t do this.” He was begging. On my behalf. My strong, powerful husband was reduced to pleading with his worst enemy in an attempt to save me from pain.
I knew the blow to his pride must ache more deeply than the wounds around his wrists.
My hatred for Dante was incandescent, burning through my veins.
The monster shot him a sharp smile. “Step back,” he commanded, almost lazily. “Brace your hands against the wall behind you, and don’t say another word. Don’t talk to my wife, or your friends will suffer for your defiance.”
A snarl ripped from Luca, and his muscles bulged and flexed with the need to attack our tormenter.
Dante simply waited, a single dark brow arched expectantly.
My husband bellowed a wordless sound of pain and rage as he wrenched his hands free from the bars and backed away. Obeying Dante’s humiliating command, he pressed his palms to the wall at his back. His square jaw was sharp enough to cut as he clenched his teeth, resolving not to speak.
My captor tugged on the silken tie again, lifting my hands above my head and quickly lashing it around one of the bars. His hand wrapped around mine, urging me to grip the cold metal.
“Hold on tight, darling. You asked for a punishment. You’re going to suffer for me.”
I shuddered, and he brushed a kiss over my chilled cheek. His affection turned my stomach. He was enjoying this, getting off on my fear and Luca’s shame.
I stiffened at the sound of his belt unbuckling. I closed my eyes and took a breath, reminding myself that he’d promised he wouldn’t force himself on me.
He gripped my chin firmly. “Open your eyes. I want you to look at Luca while I punish you. This was his choice. You might’ve come down here to help him, but he should’ve known better than to kiss you. But he’s weak and gives in to his selfish impulses. He takes what he wants and doesn’t truly care about you. Just like how he raped you on your wedding night.”
Luca growled in enraged protest, but his cheeks were red with shame.
