Indebted

by Piper Stone

  “I read the portion of my father’s will, but I don’t believe it. Those things are easily forged. He wouldn’t do that to me. If he knew you at all, this isn’t what he would want for his daughter. Do you know that? Do you even care?”

  There was no sound.

  “Let me guess. Should I say, pretty please? Or do I just need to salute you before calling you sir?”

  The silence was too much, the rapid beating of my heart creating echoes in my ears. I couldn’t fathom the horrors I’d be forced to face, the judgments that Gabriel would impose.

  Turning quickly, I slapped my hand hard enough against the glass it vibrated beneath my fingers. “I know you’re there. I feel you. I can almost hear you breathing. Why don’t you show yourself? What are you afraid of? Me? My father?”

  Endless seconds ticked by.

  “You should be terrified of me, you fucking asshole! I didn’t do anything wrong. You left me here alone for two days. Was that meant as punishment for challenging you? Damn you! I’m a victim just as much as the creep who was knifed, but I didn’t do it. Maybe I should have. Then you could punish me. Then I’d accept your rules. Instead, there will be a day that you face my wrath. Trust me.”

  I smashed my hand against the glass several more times. Maybe hoping I’d break it. Maybe praying he’d fly into the room, chastising the bad little girl. Something.

  Anything.

  Instead of the darkness. The emptiness.

  If he reacted, I was unable to tell. Laughing, I pressed my face against the cool glass, sliding my fingers up and down the surface aimlessly. I held my breath, trying to fight away the tears, the dizziness created forcing my body to sway. I turned around once again, slowly sliding down the wall. As I held my knees, lowering my head, I willed myself into a distant land.

  I was such a fool. I was the biggest sucker in the entire world.

  I wanted my life back. I needed my little world, the room I’d grown up in as a child, the comfort of my father’s arms. I wanted days spent studying, preparing myself for an amazing life.

  Instead, I would live a lie.

  My mouth opened in a silent scream, my throat constricting. I clawed at my neck, allowing my body to drift onto my side, all the fight ripped away, exhaustion settling in. As I folded myself into a tight ball, I was finally able to slip into a moment of peace, shutting down the rest of the world.

  The quiet was no longer terrifying. I closed my eyes, able to take deep breaths. I was okay. Everything was going to be just fine. I’d wake up and everything would be back to the way it was.

  Except it wouldn’t.

  There would be no rescue.

  There would be no hero.

  Just emptiness.

  I sensed his presence again, only this time closer. So much closer. Had he been standing in the shadows the entire time, waiting to pounce on me?

  I wouldn’t react. I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction.

  I refused to open my eyes, to play his sick game.

  No. No. No. No.

  Even as the scent of him fueled me, so damn intoxicating and entirely different than before. Everything about him was commanding, including his musky cologne, the exotic spices scintillating.

  As his strong arms gathered me, pulling me tightly against his chest, I was unable to lock down my resolve. He cradled me as if he’d found a babe in the woods, pressing kisses against my head as he carried me toward the bed.

  Very gingerly he eased me down, sliding his arms under my legs and lifting until they were tucked neatly under the covers. He was so silent. Gone were the demanding actions and the rigorous enforcement of rules. After adjusting the covers, he brushed his fingers across my cheek, taking his time to shift hair from my eyes.

  His footsteps were light, but I heard them, only they weren’t heading in the direction of the door. Gabriel had moved toward the window.

  I opened my eyes, daring to glance at him. His stance was entirely different, not exactly relaxed but also not stiff as it had been before. He didn’t need to issue comments regarding his power in order to make certain I knew my place. While he wasn’t looking at me, I was keenly aware he would hear even the slightest sound.

  When he fisted his hands, I was surprised, especially as he pressed his knuckles against his mouth. What kind of pain had he gone through?

  Then again, why should I care? Why should I give a damn on any level? He’d basically kidnapped me, tossing me into another cage.

  Only you agreed to it.

  Whatever slight sound that must have pushed past my lips he heard, his reaction was to be expected. A slow turn of his head, eyes burning into mine. They were his best feature, the deep blue shimmering from any angle.

  Except when he was furious.

  He wore no expression, remaining silent as he stood in the darkness. I wanted to lash out, to scream at him in order to get some kind of reaction, but I had no energy to fight him any longer. I gave him a defiant glare then rolled over, fighting the urge to ask any additional questions.

  No answers would matter, if they would even be the truth.

  His heavy sigh was one of exasperation. I’d won a point for myself in my own mind.

  I heard the slight shift of the papers I’d folded and placed on the small dresser. I’d been forced to resist the urge to shred them into little more than scraps. One day they’d come in handy as I fought the situation. One day.

  As if that day would come.

  Right now, my life was at a standstill.

  After a few minutes, he walked toward the door, stopping after only a few steps.

  “I’m sorry I left you alone. I had business to attend to.”

  I held my breath, trying to calm my nerves. “That wasn’t fair.”

  “No, it wasn’t. For that I apologize. I’ve done things in my life I’m not proud of.” His words were clipped, stated under his breath. “There are many people who would call me evil, but I’ve been forced to be practical and I’ve worked diligently to build everything I have. This house. My business. My world. No one is going to take it away from me.”

  I could hear the worry in his tone. How could my father have taken away anything from him? Gabriel had more money than God.

  “Why are you here in this country?” I asked, still clinging to the blanket as if the thin material was going to protect me from his wrath. I didn’t expect him to answer.

  But he did.

  “I came to this country because...”

  When he hesitated, I knew the pain had come from his past.

  “I came to honor my family and I intend on continuing to do so. There have been many who attempted to stop me. Unfortunately, they learned the hard way that crossing me wasn’t in their best interest.”

  “Does that mean you killed them? If anyone crosses your path, do you simply annihilate them?”

  He sucked in his breath. “That is not necessary. There are other methods of keeping people in line.”

  The soft drawl of his accent was even more stimulating tonight, no longer fueled by the contempt he’d shown me earlier.

  The crack in his armor was growing.

  I chuckled, risking another round of his fury. “You mean by imprisoning them?”

  He sighed again, taking his time to respond. “To answer your question, Alessandra, I am doing this because believe it or not your father wanted me to take care of you. He knew I was the only man who could keep you out of harm’s way.”

  “Harm’s way?” I snapped, jerking up from the bed. What the hell was he talking about?

  “I believe your father was working with some unscrupulous men who would stop at nothing to potentially harm you because they didn’t get what they wanted.”

  I laughed, my entire body shaking. “You mean like yourself?” I wasn’t certain I wanted an honest answer.

  “I have no intentions of harming you, Alessandra, but you will be punished. You will also show me complete respect and that does include calling me sir. I thought I made that c
lear.”

  “You can remind me how often I’ll be punished, but I will not call you sir. Never.” I was drained from the rhetoric as well as the bullshit.

  “Then you will be punished again and again.”

  “What do you call what you’re doing to me? I might have signed a contract, but I certainly didn’t expect to be forced into a cage, reduced to an inmate in an entirely different manner.”

  “What did you expect?” he asked, shifting his head just enough I was able to see his scars crawling up the side of his face. “This is my home. I don’t know you and I certainly can’t trust you. I have no doubt you are innocent of the crime, but it is not a widely held opinion. Plus, you have every reason to be enraged about what happened to you, including the murder of your father.”

  Hearing him say the words so coldly was almost too much to bear. A sob pushed into my throat, strangling me. I couldn’t believe someone had taken my father’s life. “I wasn’t told anything about his death.”

  “He was executed,” he whispered, hissing afterwards.

  Executed. What in God’s name had my father been involved with? What?

  “You think I’m going to seek revenge for my father’s death. Don’t you? That’s why you have me locked away like an animal. Does that mean you killed my father, a man you considered your enemy? It’s funny that he never talked about you or his job. Maybe he hated it because you’re such a nasty person.”

  “Did your father tell you that he was an extortionist?” he countered as he gazed down the length of me as if I’d been marked by my father’s sins, soiled by decisions made and enemies created.

  I moved closer, my anger increasing. I hadn’t even contemplated my father was likely murdered by the same son of a bitch who believed he could capture me, keeping me as his hostage. “Tell me, Gabriel. Did you fucking kill him?”

  “As I said, I’m not a good man, but I am no murderer. However, if your father were alive, you’d need to ask him the same question.”

  “How fucking dare you!” I screamed out the words, prepared to scratch out his eyes. I no longer cared what happened to me. I refused to have my father’s name taken in vain.

  “How dare I?” he snarled. “I know things that a pretty little girl like you should never hear, the kind of stories that would make your skin crawl. I’ve been around death and destruction my entire life, but there are some people who enjoy the annihilation of life. Do you really want to hear the messy details about why I’m the only man who can follow through with your father’s wishes?”

  I was shaken to my core, the ugliness of the words stunning. I had no idea what to say as a cold chill trickled its way down the back of my neck, snaking out like tiny ribbons with razor edges. I planted my hands over my ears, feeling even more helpless than before. The pain was too significant, the reality not one I wanted to face. I slowly dropped my hands by my sides, praying that he’d fucking leave me alone in my misery.

  “Just let me go home. I will find a way to repay you,” I managed to whisper, the sound disgustingly imploring.

  “That’s not going to happen. The sooner you accept your fate, the easier it will be for you.”

  “You’re a horrible monster.”

  He laughed, the sound washing over me in an insane way, forcing my nipples into hard peaks. “So be it, Alessandra. I suggest you try and get some sleep.”

  “Don’t you dare do that to me. You watch me through a two-way mirror, an animal in a cage. You leave me alone for two days, but I knew you were there at night watching me. What do you want from me? I already read that my father believes you and I should be married.” I laughed hysterically, my body swaying back and forth. “That’s bullshit. That’s a damn lie. Whatever you think you have on my father I will never believe. Never.”

  “Have it your way, Alessandra, but the will was presented to me by a judge. That is easy to check.” He huffed, his eyes never leaving me.

  “No. No way. There was no personal note to me, explaining his reasons and that definitely isn’t like my father. I refuse to be your possession, Gabriel Masters or whoever you are. I will not enter into any relationship with you.”

  “Yes, we will be married as requested by your father, and do you want to know why? Because of what he owed me. He believed you to be his greatest commodity, just another possession that he could bargain with.”

  The hard slap I issued stunned the hell out of him.

  He stated the words as if I truly had no choice. I reacted, unable to stop the building fury, pummeling him with my fists. I didn’t care what he did to me, the punishment he’d inflict. I needed to release the rage that had been buried inside for weeks. Fucking weeks.

  The craziness of the arrest.

  The lies the little fucker’s friend had told the cops.

  The way the entire police department refused to listen to me.

  The stupidity of an attorney... that my father hired. That he’d allowed to represent me. Why hadn’t my father come to see me? He’d been alive when I was arrested, or so I’d been led to believe. Wait. Everything seemed off. I hadn’t talked to my father in weeks. Then I’d heard from him out of the blue. He’d called me, wanting me to come to see him and I’d said no. I’d missed the last opportunity to see my own father.

  Oh, God. Oh, God...

  What if all this was wrong, a terrible setup that I’d fallen smack in the middle of?

  Gabriel grabbed my wrists, yanking me onto my toes as he dug his nails into my skin. “I suggest you learn your place, Alessandra. I do not take kindly to being attacked. I can see you’ve yet to learn a single lesson.” With one brutal yank, he bent me over, jerking the ugly gown above my waist, the sound of the material ripping floating between us.

  “No. No!” His hold was powerful, keeping me in position as he brought his hand down from side to side.

  “I am your master and you will be punished until you learn,” he stated, every word oozing with lust.

  Until I’m broken.

  The stinging sensations quickly morphed into actual pain rolling into my legs. I would never stop fighting him. My mind was exploding from the information, the coldness of his delivery as he tried to disparage my father. Gabriel was wrong. He was a liar. He was...

  The spanking continued, his fingers digging into me as I threw jab after jab against his massive body until I was left exhausted and entangled in the wretched web of deceit. Who could I trust any longer? Where would I find the truths?

  “Respect, sweet girl. You will soon learn.” His words continued to shift into my mind, pulling me further into the nightmare.

  Over my dead body.

  The heat on my bottom became oppressive, riding along the small of my back, tickling every muscle. But I refused to stop fighting, to give in.

  He smacked me long and hard, the crack of his palm hitting my naked skin dulling the echoes of my heart.

  Only when the pain became blinding did I lower my arms. “Please stop. Please. I’ll be good. I won’t fight you.”

  He swatted me harder, peppering my bottom until the pain washed down my legs.

  “Please, sir. Stop. Please. Sir.”

  Exhaling, he caressed my heated skin. “Better. You can learn.”

  Fuck you. Fuck you. “Yes. Sir,” I said between gritted teeth.

  When he lifted me into a standing position, brushing hair from my face, he let out a strangled sigh. “Stop fighting me. This is not only what you need, I can tell it’s what you want.”

  Was he crazy? Was he out of his mind? I couldn’t breathe or think clearly. His words were warped, sickening.

  “Fuck you. That’s not true. It will never be true.” The eruption from my mouth was by instinct. He was trying to break me down with every touch, every action. I shoved him hard, but he was too strong, dragging me even closer. There was such fury in his eyes, the kind held by a predator the moment the hunt was successful.

  He issued a low growl, the rumble in his chest husky, igniting another wave of f
lames. “That’s exactly what’s going to happen. You are mine. Mine to take and taste as often as I please.” He crushed his mouth over mine, tangling his fingers in my hair as he ground his hips against me, every action brutal and in defiance of my aggression.

  I didn’t want him.

  I couldn’t.

  I...

  He was rock hard, his body tense, his demand all powerful. There was no way I was getting out of his hold. As he shifted his hand down my back, cupping my buttocks, I shoved my palms against his chest, even as I drank in his heady scent. As he lifted me off my feet, I shifted my hips, savoring the feel of his throbbing cock pushing against my tummy. I was lightheaded, my body shaking, my heart skipping several beats. I could no longer focus, my mind reeling from the information.

  The lies.

  The innuendos.

  The accusations.

  What was I supposed to believe any longer?

  You want him. You hunger. You need.

  No. No. I was exhausted, nothing more.

  Master. Master. Master.

  Gabriel bunched the gown up with his hand, the heated touch of his fingers driving me wild. He thrust his tongue past my lips, dominating me in every way. There was no way the man was going to take no for an answer. The revelation of how much I craved him was gut-wrenching, but almost impossible to avoid as I gathered a whiff of our combined scents.

  I continued to pound my fists as the passion exploded, the chemistry off the charts, my pussy clenching then releasing. This was crazy. This was horrible. This was...

  As he sucked on my tongue, he rolled his fingers up and down the crack of my ass. The sensations continued to explode, every cell in my body alive and electrified. He slipped a single finger to my darkened hole, forcing me to tense as he slipped it inside. A moan slipped past the heated passion. I wiggled back and forth, my hunger off the charts.

  When he finally broke the kiss, he cupped my face, staring down at me in an entirely different manner than before.

  He was going to devour me.

  Ravage every inch of my body.

  “I will teach you about passion and pain, agony and ecstasy. There will moments of sheer joy even through the act of punishment.”