Kayne yanks at my collar, flipping me over, and then crawls on top of me. My tiny frame nothing more than a weightless rag doll to him. He pins my sore wrists to the mattress with a tight grip, bringing his face an inch from mine. His eyes are wild and scary as hell. My tender butt screaming in agony, pressed against the bed.
“Don’t try that shit again,” he snaps. “There are monsters way worse than me on the other side of that door. The next time you think about escaping, do it at your own risk.”
I stare back at him with choppy breaths, tear-soaked cheeks, and a stinging behind. I have no response. He made his point. I broke the rules; he showed me who’s boss.
“You’re mine now, Ellie. Just accept it.” He lingers over me for a few long beats, our eyes locked, our breathing labored. A zap of something rousing passes between us in that moment. My heart flutters and so does my pussy. Traitorous body.
I hate him. I hate him. I hate him, I remind myself.
“Have you learned your lesson?” he asks still restraining me.
I nod.
“Answer correctly.”
My lip quivers. “Yes, Kayne.” The words barely leave my mouth.
“Good girl. If I let you up will you behave?”
I nod again, silently. My eyes still locked on his.
Kayne pushes himself off me with a huff.
You’re mine now, Ellie. Just accept it.
I’ll never accept I belong to him. I belong to no one. Do what you want to this body, hold it captive, beat it, pleasure it. But my mind he can never have. It’s the one thing I can still control. The one place he can’t penetrate.
“Time for bed.” He jerks my leash, forcing me higher on the luxurious bed. I look down and catch a glimpse of what he used to beat me. The wooden paddle with the heart shape cut out. Kayne locks the end of the chain to the white vining iron in the center of the headboard with the padlock. The click pierces through me. It’s my reminder I’ll never be free.
“Lay down,” he orders.
I stretch my body out, placing my head on one of the golden pillows. The satin sheets are a welcoming cold against my heated skin. I’m so tired, completely drained, and totally defeated.
“Listen to me, Ellie, you need to behave,” Kayne reiterates. “I’d much rather shower you with pleasure than torture you with pain.” He runs his thumb across my bottom lip. “But I’ll do what I have to do to make you submit.”
He bends and kisses my naked shoulder. The gesture is almost sweet. It makes no sense to me at all. A minute ago he was pummeling my ass. This man is a walking enigma. “Get some sleep.”
All I can do is watch as he turns and heads for the door.
“Till tomorrow.” He looks back at me with infiltrating blue eyes. Eyes that promise, eyes that threaten. My emotions feel like they’re about to capsize.
When the door clicks, I let it all loose. The frustration, the sadness, the emptiness, the rage; sobbing inconsolably in the dark, desperate for slumber to take me.
I BEAT THE CRAP OUTof the punching bag.
My frustration level has reached max capacity. All I keep picturing are Ellie’s sad eyes and abused behind. Over and over, I hear the sounds of the strikes ring out.
Smack!
Smack!
Smack!
Foreign sensations swim through my veins, like a straight shot of adrenalin. A euphoric high and a debilitating low.
“A little late to be training?” I hear Jett’s voice behind me.
I slam the bag. “Never a bad time to train.”
