Sila dropped into a crouch before him and stared at him for a moment. The house he’d purchased was in an expensive part of town, a far cry from the garbage place Bay lived in. There were two large casement windows set in the same wall he’d placed the bed against, and moonlight trickled in through the blinds of one now, painting swaths of pale light across the rise of Bay’s cheeks.
Reaching out, Sila traced the plump outline of Bay’s full bottom lip, then moved up to do the same with the straight bridge of his nose. He’d removed the man’s glasses earlier when he’d tossed him into his car and they were probably still sitting on the floor of the backseat since he hadn’t even thought to grab them when he’d carried Bay inside.
When his finger ghosted over the arch of Bay’s brow, the professor stirred, but that didn’t deter Sila. He continued his explorations, mapping the older man’s face by touch and sight, committing it all to memory.
“What…?” Bay came awake slowly, groaning and shifting in the chair. It was obvious he struggled with opening his eyes, but eventually he got there, blinking and frowning all at once. He cleared his throat and winced, no doubt at the slight pain that would have caused after how Sila had so thoroughly choked him.
He’d almost killed him actually. It was honestly a miracle he hadn’t, that he’d stopped after Bay had passed out and not just tossed him over the edge of the bridge and into the sea out of sheer anger alone.
Sex and control, he reminded himself, grappling with that twist of fury now, refusing to allow it to get hold of him again.
Sila slipped a second knife from his back pocket, the flick of the blade springing free causing Bay to still. He brought it to the rope fastened around Bay’s left ankle, then the right, cutting him loose with a casualness he wasn’t feeling in the slightest.
Appearances were important. Presentation was just another form of control.
Sila would get it back, even if he had to fight with himself for it.
“What are you doing?” Bay asked when Sila stood and made swift work of the bindings holding down his wrists. There was obvious fear in his tone, but there was also a thread of something else.
Anticipation.
“You tried to go for a swim without me,” Sila said, leaning down so his face hovered in front of Bay’s. In the partial darkness of the room, he doubted his kitten could make out much of him however. “Pity you didn’t make it.”
“What?”
“For you,” Sila elaborated. Quick as a whip, his hand shot out and he grabbed Bay by the scruff of the neck, hauling him out of the chair. He dragged him across the room, the professor stumbling over his own feet, unable to get his footing with how fast Sila kept them moving.
The master bathroom was attached and he led them through the door and over to the massive clawed tub. It was one of the reasons Sila had chosen this place, because his affinity for water. It was twice the size of the one in Bay’s home, more than big enough to comfortably fit them both. With a flick of his wrist he had it filling, but he wasn’t patient enough to wait for it.
Wordlessly, he shoved Bay to his knees and then forced his head under the faucet, the heavy flow of water battering down on him as he struggled. Bay’s arms flailed and he tried pushing off the edge of the tub, fighting Sila’s hold.
Like he had back on the bridge.
Sila dug his nails into the sides of his neck, hard enough to draw blood, then he yanked Bay back, practically bending him backward so he was forced to stare up at him.
Bay gasped and coughed, his hands going to Sila’s wrist. His eyes stared up at him wildly, the fear swirling in that golden gaze potent and raw.
“What?” Sila asked. “Wasn’t this what you wanted? Didn’t you plan on filling your lungs with water? I’m merely helping you out, Kitten.”
“No.” Bay shook his head, grimacing when that had Sila’s nails digging even deeper into his flesh. “No, that’s not what I want.”
“Could have fooled me.” He growled. “Actually, you did fool me, isn’t that right?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. Sila, you’re hurting me.”
“I’m helping you feel,” he corrected. “Or are you going to say that’s not something you wanted either?”
“Sila. Please.”
The tub was mostly full now and Sila shoved him back in, this time submerging him up to the shoulders. Water sloshed over the edge and splattered over Sila as Bay fought, but he hardly noticed, too focused on the feel of keeping him steady beneath the surface, of the control he had over Bay, a full-grown man in his own right.
One who’d thought to leave Sila behind.
With a roar he pulled him out and practically tossed him away, that seething sensation burning through his lungs as he turned his back on the tub to keep Bay in his sights.
Bay slammed into a small wooden shelf hard, yelping as the drawers snapped behind his weight. He shook his head, trying to clear water from his eyes and panted. When he looked up at Sila, there was a desperation in his gaze, but it was impossible to tell what for.
Sila didn’t really care anyway. He didn’t care whether or not the professor was getting a sick thrill out of this type of treatment or not. This wasn’t for him. This was for Sila. This was so he could get back to that calm and collected place he liked being in. The place he was fucking furious he’d been taken from.
