Did he?His dad owned my entire digital landscape. But there was no way…
“Trust me, I’ve already watched this play out once before,” he continued. “You either deal with your shit like an adult, or you let yourtraumaburn your life to the ground.”
The way he saidtrauma,with a heavy dose of mocking condescension, stoked my growing anger.
“You’re wet now, aren’t you?” he asked.
My fists clenched in my lap. I refused to shift, to feel the tiny spot of wetness that had formed in my panties. Not from Roman himself, but from his declaration I wanted to beowned.
He laughed. “Yes, I’m sure your redneck town and its backwoods church was very cruel to sensitive little dreamer Nova.” He jutted out his bottom lip. “But you’re not there anymore. You’re here, in the greatest city in the world—where you could be anything and anyone—yet instead you’re still wearing chains you should’ve removed from yourselfyearsago.” He leaned forward. “And they’re not the chains you’d rather be wearing, are they, angel?”
I knew he was manipulating me, and yet, a familiar exhaustion took hold. Like the denial that had once fit me so snugly now only weighed me down, clunky and ill-fitting.
They all made it sound easy. Wes, Jayne, Archer, and Roman. And maybe it could be, if I just letgo.
But not with Roman. Not with a man whose eyes held no empathy, no light. Only bottomless hunger—the kind that could never be satisfied, exactly as Wes had warned me.
“Such an expressive face you have,” he said. “I have an idea.”
He was cut off by a low buzzing noise, which I realized was a cell phone. Because of course that rule didn’t apply to him either.
“Hello, father dearest,” he answered.
My stomach turned over.
“Working, of course,” Roman said, answering a question I couldn’t hear with an obvious lie. “On something of extreme interest to you, rest assured.” Roman’s eyes flashed with excitement, though his lips had formed a small frown. “I’d rather keep it a surprise.”
After another pause, the frown grew.
“I am aware. It will be worth it, I assure you. I—” He cut off. A drop of anger colored his light brown eyes. “Okay.” He swallowed. “Byyye.”
He slipped his phone back inside his pocket, releasing a long breath and shaking his head slightly, as if he were a robot in need of a reboot.
“Right, where were we?” He steepled his fingers at his lips. “Oh yes, we were going to do a bit of show and tell.”
He stood and walked back to the door. “I’ll be back shortly. Stay.”
At the command that resembled how one would speak to a dog, my teeth ground together. I glanced at the clock. I estimated that fifteen minutes had passed, which meant at 1 a.m., I was free to go.
When Roman reentered the room, he wasn’t alone. He’d brought in another brunette with dark eyes and curly hair, though her skin was a few shades darker than mine.
I gasped when Roman twisted my chair around with me still in it, forcing me to face them where they stood in the center of the room, just before the bed.
“Kneel,” he commanded.
The girl knelt immediately.
“Good girl,” Roman praised, stroking her hair while he stared atme.
I could leave. I didn’t have to watch this.
“Kiss the floor in front of my feet,” Roman said.
The girl immediately lowered her face to the ground, kissing the carpet. I didn’t move, a confusing mix of shame and lust burning through my core.
“Good. Enough.”
She straightened back up.
