Her bare ass laying over my lap red and swollen from a spanking, is an image I’ve already had playing on a loop in my mind. It’s getting more vivid, because now I can image peeling those jeans over her ass, down her thighs.
I tense my jaw.
“Oh, something’s upset him.” She laughs but catches herself before the smile reaches her eyes.
“This can be easy between us. You do as you’re told. Stay out of my way, and it will be fine.”
“And children?” She swallows hard after she asks the question. “If you’re not going to use protection, there’s going tobe children. Will they also need to just do whatever you say and when you say?”
“Are you trying to start a fight? You haven’t even had your breakfast.”
She sighs. “I’m not fighting with you, Kaz.”
“Good. Then you’ll tell me where you’re going.”
“I’m not going anywhere.” She lifts a shoulder. “You’re right. I don’t have friends here. I don’t even have family here—anymore.” She adds the last part with narrowed eyes.
“Happy to discuss the why of that.” I shoot at her.
“Kaz—oh, sorry.” Mikhail enters the kitchen, twirling a set of keys on his middle finger.
“I’ll be a minute,” I say without looking away from her. “Tell Sergei he’s on babysitting duty today. He needs to stick around in case my wife here needs a ride anywhere.”
“You got it. I’ll let him know.”
“Guess you have to go. Big meeting with big people over big, bad things,” she says.
“Mikhail, I’ll meet you outside.”
His heavy footsteps fade toward the front of the townhouse.
“Let me make things very clear for you. You’ll keep me informed of your whereabouts. You’ll be sure I know who you’re socializing with. And you won’t step one foot out of line, because if you do, you’ll regret it.” I pause. “If this marriage falls apart because of you, what little your family has left will be forfeit. I don’t think your uncle would appreciate that.”
“You don’t know the first thing about my family.” Her eyes darken, anger swirls in them.
“I know your brothers fucked more than just us with the war they started. I know the men pulling your uncle’s strings aren’t happy with him. I know that’s why you were presented like a lamb to the slaughter, trying to make amends. Trying to tie myfamily to yours, in the hope that your uncle won’t lose what tiny bit of power he has left.”
“And you did, right? You stepped up to the altar, just as much of a sacrifice as me.”
“No.” I raise my brows. “I’m not sacrificing anything. I’m as free today as I was two days ago and will continue to be. You’re the little bird in a cage, now. Not me.”
She looks away, her nostrils flaring.
“I should get going.” I roll my shoulders back. “I put my phone number in your phone already. I expect a text from you if you leave this house.”
I grab her mug of coffee and take a large gulp. It’s too sweet, too full of cream, but doesn’t matter. I chug down most of the drink before putting it back down.
As I reach the door, her words strike me.
“You’re no better than my brothers. I survived them. I’ll survive you, too.”
When I turn around, wanting to know what the hell that meant, she’s gone, disappeared through the second door of the kitchen.
Survived them?
What the fuck did that mean?
Kaz’s presence lingers in every room of the townhouse. As I make my way through, getting the lay of the land, I can sense him.
