by Raven Dark
Fuck, this just kept getting worse.
It was an odd thing. Of his nine children, I was the only legitimate heir. Typical of the Davros line, my father had taken a different woman to bed for every one of his sons, except me. His relationship with my mother was as cold and distant as the Tundra, and unfortunately, my mother was every bit as hard and unyielding as him. She had to be, to survive him. Everything in me wanted to find a way out of putting Anika near either of my parents, but I knew I couldn’t. An evening dinner would be the perfect way to make my father believe the ruse. Besides, if I didn’t care about her, what did it matter if my parents ripped her to shreds?
“Sure thing, Dad.” I left then, shutting the door behind me. “Shit,” I muttered. “Nice going, Kane.”
It was Monday now. That left me three and a half days to prepare. Never had taking a woman to dinner felt so much like feeding her to the lions.
5
The distant sound of a coffee maker working pulled me from sleep. I groaned, rolling onto my back. My ass stung, chafing against the mattress. “Ow, Jesus.” I rolled back over and opened my eyes, staring at the other side of the bed. Empty. Light stabbed at my eyes from the window, sunlight too bright without Kane’s broad back to block it out. Another moan and I covered my eyes with my arm. Damn if the pain stinging my ass cheeks and his riling me to near explosion last night didn’t send the most delicious, annoying heat licking at my neglected sex.
Fucking bastard.
I didn’t need to listen to know I was alone in the room, and if not for the coffee being made, I might have thought, the hotel suite. Disappointment wiped away my tiredness, knowing Kane had already left. His absence shouldn’t have stung when I knew his rules about morning afters, but it did, and especially after the way he’d just pushed me aside last night. Damn it, I didn’t need him, and I certainly didn’t need any mollycoddling over his punishment. He hadn’t even whipped me that hard.
“Next time I’ll have to push harder.” But as soon as I sat up, my ass felt like it was on fire and I winced. “Okay, maybe not.”
I glanced at the clock on the bedside table. Just after nine. Then I caught sight of a folded piece of paper standing upright beside the clock. I picked it up and unfolded it, an unwilling hope swirling through me. Kane wasn’t the type to leave sappy notes. Still…
The words were in his messy scrawl. Apparently his OCD with neatness didn’t extend to his penmanship. I read the note and my brows rose with every word.
Anika,
Choose whatever clothing you’d like to wear today. Enjoy it, because this is the last time you’ll choose. Tomorrow, training begins.
Kane.
I let out a pissed off noise and got out of bed, stomping to the closet, where I’d hung what little clothes he’d let me bring to the hotel. “He’s demented.” I shoved articles aside, choosing the most garish jeans I had, faded ones with ripped knees, the back pocket patched with a lopsided red swath. “I’ll show him. Bastard.”
Quickly, I paired the pants with a worn, grey shirt with my favorite band on it, The Killers. Kane was such a clothing snob, with his perfect suits and his world of finery, it would serve him right to see me looking like this. I picked out a pair of dark, high cut boots. Perfect. And he couldn’t tan my ass, because he’d said I could wear what I wanted.
A soft knock on the door caught my attention. “Miss Anika?”
David. “Yeah?” I called back.
“I’ll be taking you to the hospital to see your father at eleven. We’ll be leaving in an hour. Please start getting ready.”
New disappointment stabbed at me. I kept my voice casual. “Isn’t Kane taking me?”
“He’ll meet us there. Would you like some coffee?”
I sighed. Awareness of Kane’s distance gnawed at me and I shoved it down. “Sure. I’ll be there in a few minutes.”
Coffee called to me, but I needed a shower. I wished I could say it was to wash him away, to wash away the memory of the way he owned me, but I knew better. He was a devil, a Davros through and through, and therefore I should hate him, yet I loved the way he possessed me. I wanted him to debase me, to use me up.
No, I just want him to be the monster, because it’s easier to hate him. Yes. That was definitely it.
Fuck.
In the shower, my pussy burned for attention and I leaned against the wall, nipples beading under the water that beat down on them. Just one stroke was all it would take to bring me over that sweet edge. Yeah, and that one stroke would get me tied to Davros’ fabled whipping post. His fucking contract said it loud and clear; I even remembered the line in vivid detail.
The sub’s (Anika) pleasure are the property of the Dominant (Kane). Failur to acknowledge this fact is grounds for punishment at the discretion of the Dom.
Hell, I even remembered the spelling error; it had jumped out at me, knowing how OCD he was.
I groaned, head back, and forced my hands to my sides. Squeezed my eyes shut at the thought of him in the shower with me. Spinning me so that my back was to him, fucking my ass good and hard the way he promised to do whenever he finally took me.
God, I loved the way Kane fucked. I imagined him putting his hand over my mouth and shoving into my ass. Would he prepare me? I’d heard anal could hurt, and without proper stretching it could cause real pain. Part of me hoped he wouldn’t prepare me at all, just take me hard and cruel. Like the slave I knew damn well I was, as if I had no emotions to consider, and exactly the way I knew he liked.
Desire flared in me, white hot, and I almost wept with need of him. I nearly made myself come, just to see what he would do to me. Fear and excitement swirled high in me at the thought. If he found out, he’d no doubt make that whipping on my ass last night look like child’s play. What was wrong with me? I washed hastily and switched off the water, got out before temptation could override whatever sense I had.
After I dressed, I found David in the small kitchenette, whipping up an omelet. I yawned, sat on the stool at the island in the middle of the room, and tried to hide my wince before David could notice.
The first time Kane had punished me with a spanking, he’d done it in his car with David only a few feet away, arranging it so that I was aware his driver knew everything I went through. It still pissed me off that he’d done that, and even more so that David’s presence, even with his back turned outside the car, had only made me hotter. David apparently knew about Kane’s kink, so it would hardly faze him to know my ass had Kane’s belt marks on it.
“You’re kind of all purpose, aren’t you, David?” I leaned over the counter on my elbows, watching him, cataloguing his skills. He looked over his shoulder at me with a lopsided smile.
“I’m just a driver, Miss Anika.” He raised a brow at my attire, and his eyes sparkled. He knew I was deliberately rattling Kane’s cage, dressing like this.
“Yeah, right. And I’m Santa Clause. So far I’ve seen you patch up my dad’s bullet wound, wield a gun like a trained soldier, and drive like…”
“Like a trained chauffeur?” He smirked.
“Funny.”
“Don’t forget, I make a mean cup of Java.” He winked and set a mug down for me. Then he put half the omelet in the pan on a plate and set it in front of me, the other half he plated for himself.
“What, no cook to do this for him?”
“Mr. Davros gives her Fridays and Sundays off.”
I put a piece of omelet in my mouth, groaned at the delicious blend of garlic, onion and cheese. “Seriously, who are you?”
“Seriously, I’m just a driver.”
“Okay, fine.” I put up my hands. “Keep your secrets. I’ll figure it out eventually.”
He said nothing, only wolfed down his own breakfast.
Before I could say anything more, my phone rang and I pulled it out of my jeans pocket. “Shit.” Fran’s name flashed on the screen.
Ordinarily, I’d have jumped at the chance to talk to my best friend, the only per
son I’d allowed to get close to me other than Kane. But I’d been ducking her since Kane had offered to pay my dad’s debt, unwilling, and unsure how, to explain the situation to her when I knew how she’d react. The problem was, the longer I avoided her, the harder it would be to deal with her questions when we did talk.
“Hi, Fran.”
“Hey, girl. You okay? I haven’t spoken to you since you went out with that Kane Davros.”
I gave a silent wince. What the hell would I say? “I’m fine, Fran. Just really busy.”
“Bull. You’ve been off at the hospital since you covered for me the other day. What’s going on? Did you let Davros take you away on some wicked weekend?”
Something like that. Except I didn’t let him, so much as he blackmailed me into it, and it’s not a weekend. It’s six months. Obviously she was joking, since she’d made it clear she thought my having gotten involved with him for one night was a huge mistake.
David got my attention and tapped his watch, reminding me of the time. Fifty minutes until we had to leave. I nodded and he left.
So badly, I wanted to tell Fran everything. About Kane, about his deal, about my dad being shot, about the Gavinis, but I didn’t dare. Not only did Kane’s contract stipulate I not tell anyone about what was happening between us without his permission, but Fran would panic. She was over protective of me, and she’d probably do something wonderfully stupid to try and save me. Something that, with the Gavinis in the mix, might get her killed. The need to confide in her made my heart squeeze, overwhelmed.
“Listen, I can’t talk right now. I’ll see you at work later, okay?”
“Okay, now I know there’s something’s up. I can hear it. Anika, what’s wrong? Are you in trouble again?”
I closed my eyes. “Fran, please don’t make a fuss out of this. Just leave it, okay? I’ll see you later?” Fuck, how would I keep her from getting it out of me at work?
But she heaved a sigh. “All right. I’ll leave it for now. But, promise me, if you need to talk, you’ll come to me. If you need help, tell me.”
I looked at the ceiling. God, I loved her. I made my voice cheery, but I knew it sounded shrill. “Yeah, of course. I gotta go. Love you.”
“Love you, too. Bye.”
I hung up and blew out a breath, feeling like I’d narrowly averted a disaster.
* * * * *
David pulled into Mount Sinai Hospital just before eleven and shut off the car. He got out, opened my door, and helped me out onto the pavement. Then he shut the door and held out his arm for me, expectant.
“You don’t have to come with me, David, I work here, I know where to go.” Not to mention, I’d been to where my dad was when he’d come out of surgery.
“Mr. Davros insists you be escorted at all times when he isn’t with you, Miss Anika.”
“What?” I put my hands on my hips, frustration eating at me. “Why?” I had a feeling it wasn’t do with the mob, not when Kane’s paying the debt to Gavini off meant, as long as Kane followed through on killing my father in two weeks, the mob boss had no rights to come after us.
“It’s what he wishes, Miss Anika.” Arm still out, face as unreadable as ever. “If you have an issue with his stipulations, you’ll have to take it up with him.”
“Ugh. Believe me, I will.” I grabbed his arm and let him lead me across the lot to the doors. “Am I going to have you watching over me like a hawk at work, too?”
“No.”
Some of the tension left me. At least I wouldn’t be forced to explain to my superiors why I had a guy following me around like some sort of secret service agent.
When we went through the doors, it occurred to me to be thankful Fran wouldn’t be working until after my shift started. I wouldn’t have to explain to her who David was.
Up on my dad’s floor, we got off the elevator and found Kane waiting for us in the hall by my dad’s room. Everything in me wanted to hate him, wanted to feel nothing but anger over his control over me. Instead, under that simmering annoyance, I couldn’t help but feel my heart speed up at the look of him.
Fuck, he was gorgeous. That night-black hair had the usual naturally tussled look, and a long leather coat draped his huge frame, left open to reveal his usual immaculate black suit and silk tie. He stood against the wall, head back, almost looking like he might be asleep standing up, and I envied his calm. Then he lifted his head and pushed off the wall when he saw us. The corners of his mouth turned up and when David released me, he slid his arm around me.
“You okay, angel?” he whispered, and kissed my ear.
“I’m fine.” When I tried to pull away, he crushed me to him.
“Don’t think I don’t know what you’re doing, dressing like this.” One of his palms slid down to my ass, fingers playing with the patch over the pocket. “You look adorable.”
I scoffed and twisted in his grip, resenting his intimacy after his smug reminder about his control over me that morning. Damn it, I couldn’t even piss him off properly today. Worse, his compliment sent wild heat racing across my cheeks and down my neck.
“Not here, Kane.” I pushed at his chest.
“Why? I need to touch you.”
I’d been about to say because the hospital staff knew me and I didn’t want to have to explain to them, but then I looked around, realizing where we were. This wasn’t the second floor recovery area where my dad had been taken after surgery. This was a different wing on the third floor. Most of the hospital halls looked so much alike, only the signs for the floors and departments distinguished them. I widened my eyes.
“Kane, why is my dad in the private care wing? Why is he isolated? Isn’t this just for the rich, or celebrities or something?”
He scowled. “Not everything I do is out of some nefarious motive, Anika. I figured you wouldn’t want to have to explain to your coworkers why your dad is here, or why I am here to see him. Would you rather I hadn’t bothered?”
My cheeks flamed and I lowered my eyes. “Sorry. I thought…I don’t know what I thought. But, thank you.”
“Of course.” He continued to hold me close and I stiffened.
I wasn’t normally the type to mind public affection, but he was a Davros. Kane wasn’t based in New York, only came here often on business, but still, anyone who saw us could recognize him. I caught a smirk flickering across his mouth, but when I gave him a questioning look, he took my hand and led me toward the door to my dad’s room. I looked back and saw David take up a protective position at the door. Just a driver my ass.
As I followed Kane into the room, nervousness twisted prickled along my skin. This was the first time my father would have seen Kane and I together since I’d signed the contract. Since I officially became his. True, my dad already knew about the deal, and that made things easier, but I wasn’t sure how to face him now, knowing Kane owned me. That the man whose father had ruined our lives had bought the right to do with me whatever he wanted. Half of me was terrified Kane would rub it in, finding a way to humiliate us both with his victory. It would be just like a Davros.
And there was another thing, too. Did Kane plan on telling my dad about what Ganvini had done, changing the deal? That Kane had agreed to kill him? He won’t kill him. It was an act, to protect us.
The moment I saw my dad, at least for an instant, those worries fell away and relief flooded me. He looked a lot better than he had when I’d seen him after the surgery. The color was back in his cheeks, scruffy though they were, and he didn’t look like he was on death’s door. His one leg was wrapped heavily with gauze, bandaged just below the knee where one of Gavini’s men had shot him.
“Anika?” His voice was hoarse, but he smiled weakly when he saw me. His eyes flickered to Kane at my side and went cold. “Davros.”
“Montrose.” Kane smirked. He slid his hand into mine, and when I tried to pull it away, he squeezed tighter, a warning. My dad’s gaze fixated on that grip and his eyes burned with anger. He looked at the ceiling as if he w
ere trying to ignore what was between us. Kane loosened his grip and I could feel the triumph, the possession in him. Ugh, I wanted to scream.
“Well, I suppose it’s preferable you behave like the doting boyfriend instead of the slave master, Davros.”
I stared at my dad, unsure whether to throttle him or grin.
Kane took up a casual stance beside his bed, hand on the table near his head, his other hand still in mine. “You know, this is going to get old, you slinging potshots at me every time I see you, Montrose.”
“I’ve accepted the deal you made with her because it’s keeping her alive, but that’s all you get. Give me the contract so I can sign it and then leave me alone with my daughter.”
“Suit yourself.” He pulled the folded contract out of his blazer and handed it to my dad, along with a pen.
“I hope you don’t expect me to actually work the farm for a while. Doc says I need a few weeks off the leg.”
“Damn. I was planning on having someone stand over you with a whip.” His eyes danced.
“Kane, knock it off,” I snapped.
His teeth flashed. Dad clicked the pen angrily and scrawled his name on the papers. Ones I knew he’d likely have read a dozen times over the morning Kane came for me. He held the contract out for Kane without looking at him.
“Get out.”
Kane snorted, but shrugged. He pulled me to him and kissed the top of my head, deliberately sweet. “Don’t be long.” He left and I growled softly, knowing what he was doing. He was playing up the boyfriend act just to piss my dad off.
As soon as the door closed behind Kane, I shook my head. “Sorry, daddy.”
Privately, relief filled me that Kane hadn’t told him about Gavini. Half of me wanted to tell him now, but the other half knew he had enough to deal with.
“I don’t suppose they’d let me sneak a gun in here? That way next time he comes in here, I can shoot him.”
“ ‘Fraid not.” I smiled, my love for him skyrocketing. He’ll always be my father.
He slipped his hand in mine. Thankfully it felt much stronger than the last time I’d seen him. His eyes searched my face, and I got the feeling he was looking for scars that went deeper than flesh.
