My arms are dead weight, so I push my face closer to him as I mumble, “You did.”
“I know,” he whispers back, stroking my back. His hand moves further up, brushing my nape, causing me to whimper with the reminder. He doesn’t touch my raw scalp though. He gently lifts the collar of the jacket to cover my neck before rubbing down my back.
The welts on my legs make me hiss as he traces the edge of my reddened skin. Each mark is catalogued as his breathing becomes harsher. I don’t know if my body and mind are overwhelmed with pain or if I’m too dehydrated to cry, but my tears stop as I look at him. “Aren’t you going to ask me why she did it?”
“There isn’t a reason. Nothing you do will ever fucking mean you deserve the shit we’ve all put you through.” Kane gently tips up my chin. “You deserve more. Never forget that, okay?”
“She killed my baby,” I whisper.
I don’t know why I’m telling him when I thought I’d keep it to myself, but I need this pain to leave. He doesn’t point out I’m not a mother as he kisses my forehead. “I’m sorry.” In the next breath, his anger comes back. “Fuck this. You’re not fucking staying here.” His touch remains gentle as he sits me on the bed while cursing. “I’m not losing anyone fucking else.”
I’m more comfortable with his violence than when he’s caring so I watch him as he grabs the bag Lennox left during his last visit. The few items of clothing I have are inside. Before Helene restrained me, I would fold and refold them to keep myself occupied. Kane fucks my system up as he pulls out a hoodie, a pair of sweats, and three pairs of socks.
My arms are still numb so I can’t grab them out of his hand as he kneels in front of me. “We’re going to play one more game, koukla mou. Remember it’s pretend.”
A pained groan leaves me as he lifts my hand to kiss my knuckles. Everything hurts. Even my teeth and the small amount of hair left on my head. But he gently gets me dressed without applying any extra pressure to my aching body.
I know what he needs to do so I drag my broken body to the other side of the bed and pull the collar out of the gap between the mattress and the bed frame. The key for the chastity belt is wrapped in the chain, but it’s useless since Helene cut the belt off me. I like what it represents though so I pull it over my head, tucking it under my hoodie.
“Did…” Kane starts, then clears his throat.
“It doesn’t matter now that I’m leaving.” I sound stronger because I’m a hopeful idiot.
I can’t lift my arms high enough to put the collar on, so I place it in his hand as he stops beside me. He kisses my neck before wrapping the cold metal around it, then loosely holds the leash with my bag in his other hand. This might not be the vision of freedom, but it’s the closest I’m going to get to it as Kane walks me out of the room.
The leash remains lax until we walk through the kitchen, where Helene’s standing in the doorway, looking from the bag in his hand to me. “Where do you think you are taking her?”
Kane tightens his hold on the chain, dragging me forward as he drops the bag, stepping closer to her. “You put your hands on what belongs to me,” he grits, taking another step. “How do you expect her to get pregnant when you reverse my training?”
She meets his steps with her own, herding us backwards so I’m pushed in the corner of the kitchen. There’s a faint bloodstain on the bottom of the fridge door, which I focus on—I wasn’t weak then.
“This is not a discussion,” she snaps while Kane gets bigger.
“She is shackled to me, not you. So move the fuck out of my way.” He reaches for something on the counter as he pulls me in front of him. “Or I’ll kill her to stop you from having a bond.”
The links of the chain push into my jaw as he roughly grabs my face, pulls until I’m looking at the ceiling, and fits something cold above the collar. I can’t make out what it is with his fist blocking the view as the sharp point digs into my skin.
This crazy fuck is holding a knife to my neck.
“Do you think I won’t do it?” he dares, pressing the knife deeper into my skin. “I made her life fucking hell. Tortured this pathetic cunt. By the end, she didn’t even know her own name. Then I left her in one of our guard’s beds for them to do whatever the fuck they wanted to her. After that, she was meant to die in a burning building, butyousaved her. So if you think there is anything stopping me slitting her fucking throat, it’s the bond she promises, not my emotions. Move the fuck out of my way.”
When he says it like that, I really am stupid.
48
KANE
Delilah’s head resembles one of the dolls she ruined when she was a child. All the strands are cut at different lengths, some close to her scalp, others falling around her ears as she sits opposite me on the jet. Lennox checks on the masked pilot.
He exits the cabin with his phone in his hand, waiting until the door is closed to ask, “Would you like to clean yourself, little doe?”
Delilah stops staring at the covered window to smile at him. “Not with your recycled pee water, Lenny.”
Why the fuck is she smiling at him?
They’re too comfortable with each other as he takes the seat next to her. Without addressing the nickname, he teases, “Now you have an unfortunate haircut to match your unfortunate name.”
She laughs as she nudges him with her shoulder.
