He kisses her matted hair before releasing her neck and stepping away.
Drool runs down her chin, and her nostrils flare once she’s able to breathe while a mix of snot and blood drips from her nose.
“I’ll leave you to think about your future.” With that, he exits the room with her hanging there, and the camera shuts off.
“Fuck.” I stand and throw her phone across the room. My pulse is racing, my hands are clenched, and my heart hurts for Eve.
All I can think is that was five minutes of her life out of a year. He left her there for three hours? Three fucking hours unable to breathe properly and in pain.
My father allowed this to happen to her. Garrett might have been the one to drop her off, but he knew what Dollhouse was about. That she’d spend day and night in agony. Being trained so men can what, get off on hurting her?
Picking up the phone, I delete the video and then toss it on the coffee table. I rush back into the bedroom to find her asleep, just how I left her. I can’t do it. See her in such a vulnerable position. What if I fall asleep and she has a nightmare? Dreams she’s back there, and I don’t wake up to free her? Or worse, she dreams I’m the one hurting her and then wakes to being tied up and sees me lying next to her.
I won’t do that to her.
Ripping the comforter off the bed, my hands shake as I untie the rope from around her ankles, then quickly undo her wrists. I push her onto her back and rip the tape from her lips.
She moans, arching her back, and I jump into the bed, yanking the comforter over us and pulling her into me. “Kash?” she mumbles.
“It’s me, Eve. It’s me,” I assure, clinging to her. I need to feel her heartbeat against my body. To know she’s here. Alive. In my arms. Where she belongs. I kiss her forehead, and she sighs, her body slack in my arms.
“You’ve got one more week of orgasm training.”Now her getting sick after I would get her off makes more sense. She was forced to come over and over. Eve hated that her body would betray her. That she couldn’t fight the drugs. And then to turn around and make her go without. Orgasm denial can be just as brutal mentally and physically. It’s a very thin line. Her emotions were already running wild and then add the drugs—the poor thing never stood a chance.
“I promise, angel, he’ll pay for what he did to you.”
I can’t torture a dead guy, but I will make sure Evan takes all of our fathers’ punishments. He wanted to make an example out of Eve; well, I’ll make one out of him.
FIFTY-SIX
EVERETT
Iwake up and stretch out in bed, quickly realizing that how I fell asleep and how I woke up are not the same. My arms and legs are free, and I don’t have tape over my mouth.
I’m immediately disappointed.
Why did he free me? Did he fuck me, and I don’t remember? No. Kashton would never do that. He always demands my presence when he’s playing with me.
Rolling over, I see him next to me, lying on his back. One arm is tucked underneath his pillow, the other on his chest. I reach out and run a hand down his chiseled abs and to his cock. My mouth starts to water.
I’m so hungry for him. Like an animal that was once chained out back, left to starve. He let me off the leash. Wanted to give me a chance to look for food.
It’s not fair. I was able to go for so long with no sex, and then I met him, and I crave it. It’s like an alcoholic falling off the wagon. But I knew this would happen. It’s why I tried to deny it.
I push the covers off and get out of bed, needing to use the restroom. After washing my hands, I make my way to the kitchen for a drink. I’m thirsty. Whatever they gave me at Dollhouse still has me feeling a little fuzzy.
People always seem to think about the psychological toll the Lords take on your mind, but what about your body? Everything hurts, and I have marks from restraints, so I know they had me tied down to something. The Advil I took has long worn off.
Entering the kitchen, I flip on the light and think about getting a water but see a bottle of whiskey on the counter, so I grab a glass out of the cabinet and pour enough for a shot. I’ll buy Tyson a new one to replace it.
I throw it back, hissing in a breath when I spot Kashton’s bag on the coffee table next to my phone.
He said that Sin met him at Dollhouse to bring him a few things, and I bet they’re in there. I pour another drink and walk over tothe couch, sitting down. I pick up my cell and go through it to see if I’ve missed anything in the past few days.
I had an incoming call from Adam for a minute and thirty seconds about two hours ago, which tells me that Kashton answered. But I don’t see anything else that looks new. Not like I have a long list of people who contact me on a daily basis.
Setting it down, I open up the bag and look into it. My heart leaps with excitement when I see rope, handcuffs, and zip ties. The tape he used on my mouth must still be in the bedroom.
Tossing back the last of the drink, I pick up the handcuffs and head back to bed.
