by K. I. Lynn
I’d used ecstasy once before and understood what I’d been given. Understood the sex that I’d had with Domenico had been chemically heightened. I could deny the truth all I wanted, but it didn’t change the fact that sex with him was the best I’d ever had—chemically induced or not.
Still, questions whirled through my mind, and I wondered if it was a mercy. Why had he drugged me? So that I wouldn’t remember? But then he should have just given me ketamine or one of the other multiple date-rape concoctions out there if he was going to drug me. Did he want my struggles as much as my surrender? He wanted me desperate for his touch, but why? To feed his own ego, to make what was happening easier on me, or simply to entertain the men watching?
He took me. Held my thighs open.
And I wanted it.
I was practically begging him.
To scratch the itch that consumed me, all because I’d been drugged.
I sat up, a groan leaving me, and pulled the blanket tighter around me.
Where were my clothes?
I looked around and located my jeans, sweater, tank top, and bra—and then the memory of Domenico ripping my thong from me answered where that was.
“Grab your clothes,” Domenico said from the door.
I scrambled to pick them up, making sure my blanket was secure around my body. Not that everyone in the room hadn’t already seen me naked, but it was also cold. The second I was at the door, his fingers were wrapped around my arm.
“Don’t try anything,” he warned.
“Or what?”
He didn’t answer me. Instead, he pulled me away from the cage toward a door I’d seen him go into from time to time in the opposite corner of his beloved dark alcove.
My bare feet stung with each unprotected step.
The room was large, barren, but held as much trepidation as the main room. Shackles hung, bolted to the wall. A mattress lay in the center. It was at least covered in clean sheets.
A stool and a lamp were all that remained, except for a large steel tub that sat near the small window.
“What’s this?”
“A shower.” He took my clothes, then ripped the blanket from me.
I expected him to peruse my body, but that cold detachment I’d so often seen was at the forefront. What he was doing was simply another task.
“Get in,” he commanded.
I stepped forward, my eyes surveying the tub and everything connected to it—a hose at the bottom for drainage and a second hose that connected to a pipe with a pull chain and a showerhead.
An ice bath was very much not wanted, and I hesitated to pull the chain. There was a spritz of cold that made me jump before it quickly changed over to warm. The water burned my cool skin, and a loud gasp left me. I didn’t know how they were heating it, but there was only one temperature level, and it was hot.
I let it soak in before picking up the tiny bit of soap that he handed me.
“Am I leaving now?” I asked as I spread the small sliver of soap around my body.
“Why would you ask that?”
“Because this is better than a sponge bath.” I let the water rain down again, loving the scorching burn. “You tasted the goods, so I figured that was it.”
“You’re staying right where you are.” His presence was imposing, and I flinched when he stepped to stand in front of me. “Clean pussy is more enjoyable.” His hand slipped between my legs, and my eyes went wide as I slapped and pushed against him.
“What the hell do you—”
His fingers pressed deeper, and I drew in a hard breath. My fingers clenched against his chest, and I drew in a ragged breath, hating myself each second that I didn’t hate his touch.
“Make sure you clean out here real good.” He leaned down, his lips inches from mine. “I came hard and deep. Wouldn’t want you to get fucked up with my kid, huh?”
I shook my head, my eyes never leaving his. “Wouldn’t happen.”
“Why not?”
“IUD.” Before I’d left my father’s, I’d gotten a birth control implant. I didn’t want to take the risk of getting pregnant.
“Smart stripper.”
I narrowed my eyes at him. “You know nothing.”
“Mi sorprendi.”
I’d surprised him? “What?”
“Non molte puttane sono bilingui.”
My eyes widened, and I wanted to reach out and slap him. Not many whores are bilingual.
“If you think that’s impressive, you should see the three others I know. My home library is filled with them.”
“You mean your stacks of books that lie strewn about that shithole you call an apartment?”
My stomach sank. He’d been to my home, violated my one and only sanctuary. “It’s a roof over my head that I pay for.”
“Scoprirò I tuoi segreti.”
He wanted my secrets. I’d given too much away.
“Quali segreti?” I pulled on the chain again and he stepped back to avoid the spray, his eyes never leaving mine.
There wasn’t a lot of water, and it wasn’t as good as the shower in my apartment, but it was much better than the limited sponge bath. With only Domenico in the room, there was another level of privacy in the room than in my cage.
He handed me a towel, and I twisted my hair to wring out as much water as I could. The warmth had already been zapped away by the cold air.
Sadly, my newly cleaned skin went right back into my grimy clothes. Still, it was better than the alternative.
At least I knew I wasn’t going anywhere yet.
Domenico stepped in front of me and reached out. I flinched, stepping back, but it wasn’t enough to be out of his reach. However, it wasn’t my arm he was grabbing for. My brow furrowed in confusion as I stared at him. His thumb rested on my jaw and his fingers wrapped around the back of my neck.
His touch did what it always did and sent heat spiraling through me. The drugs were out of my system, so I couldn’t blame the feelings on them.
He pulled me forward, our mouths inches apart, bodies pressed together, and I watched the ice melt in his eyes. His nostrils flared with each hard breath.
Every muscle was frozen, eyes wide as I tried to figure out what he was doing. A split second and his lips were pressed to mine. My lips parted to gasp as the feeling of lightning shot through me. A low growl rumbled in his chest, and his kiss moved from soft to demanding. His thumb parted my jaw more, his tongue brushing against mine.
I was caught between melting into it and kicking him in the balls. So, I compromised. I relished the softness of his lips, the tingling sensation his tongue created, but then I took his bottom lip between my teeth and bit down. Hard.
“Fuck,” he cursed as he stepped back. The fire that burned in his eyes after that was no longer desire, but anger. “Not the best idea, princess.”
I hated when he called me that, a sneer on his lips when he did.
I didn’t back down from his glare. His hand shot out again, but he didn’t take hold of my neck. His fingers dug into my upper arm as he pulled me out of the room and practically tossed me back into the cage.
After slamming the door and locking it, he moved to the rose and pulled another petal. I let out a sigh as I once again tried to comprehend the meaning behind it. Asking its significance would do no good, as there was no way he would ever tell me.
A plate of food awaited me, and I stared at it warily. My gaze moved to Domenico, but he wasn’t looking.
Was that how I’d been drugged? Would it happen again?
I found my socks and slipped them on, then wrapped my blankets completely around me in an attempt to push the chill from my bones.
I ignored the food and sat there, trying to forget the night before. How I behaved, how much I wanted him. Trying to forget the feel of his lips on mine.
I didn’t want that. He took me without my consent. It may have seemed like I wanted it, but that wasn’t me—that was the drugs.
“…ella, get in here,�
� my father’s voice boomed out, echoing around the walls.
I slammed the door shut and stomped my four-inch heels toward my father’s office. The foyer was two stories tall, and when I made it to the foot of the stairs, his guards, his underlings, gathered and parted to let him through.
“What?”
He looked at me, his lips curling up into a snarl. “Where do you think you’re going dressed like that?”
“A party.” I turned to leave but was stopped by a hand clasped around my wrist. My father held me tight as his guards circled around us. I glared at each one of them. They weren’t going to stop me. I’d flirted with most of them, teased them, to get my way in the past, and I would do it again.
“You want to act like a whore?” my father asked, anger emanating from him.
“How dare you!” I spat back.
His arm swung out and I spun, nearly falling down. Pain radiated from my cheek, and tears filled my eyes. Two of the guards caught me and got me standing again.
“Have you fucked them all yet? Teased them with your body?” my father sneered. He stepped forward, his fists clenching onto the fabric of my dress. The sound of the fabric giving way, ripping apart in his hands, echoed around the walls.
My breasts were exposed, but he kept going all the way through the hem. Even that wasn’t enough. He pulled the fragments of fabric from my shoulders, leaving me in only my thong.
I covered my chest with my arms, but he swatted them away.
“You wanted to be a whore, to show your body off. Let them look. That’s what you want, isn’t it?”
I clenched my teeth, trying not to show him that he affected me. “I’m not a whore.”
“Your behavior is not acceptable. You will stop this defiance, or you won’t like the consequences.”
“You can’t control me. I will fuck whomever I want, and you can’t stop me.”
Fire rolled in his eyes, and his arm swung out again. I stumbled to the ground a second time but wasn’t there long when he fisted my hair and pulled me up. I reached back, a cry leaving me as I tried to get him to release me.
“You will fall into line,” he hissed before fisting my thong and ripping that from me.
A scream left me, and he slapped my breast before squeezing it. I cried out in pain.
His nostrils were flared, eyes wide, drunk off his power over me. I’d never seen him so angry, and I knew I’d pushed him to the brink.
“I will fucking break you if you keep this up.”
“I’d like to see you try,” I spat back. What I expected was another blow to the face, maybe being thrown to the floor.
His hand between my thighs, fingers shoved inside me, was never a path I foresaw.
“How many dicks have you had up here? More than you can count? Should I just give you to the men and let them keep you? Nothing more than a toy to play with.”
“Let me go!”
He removed his hand and released me, glaring at me with such contempt. “Don’t you ever disrespect me in this manner again, Daughter. If you’re not good, I’ll sell you. Now go get ready in something respectable, and maybe I’ll forgive you.” He stormed out of the entry.
I stood there, trembling, shielding my private areas with my hands as tears streamed down my face.
My eyes snapped open and my heart slammed in my chest. A couple of blinks and my vision cleared. Darkness surrounded me.
I sat up, searching for the usual group of men, but there were only a couple I could find asleep in chairs. Fire still burned in one of the barrels, and there was a light on at the other end of the space, creating a soft glow.
I drew in a sharp breath and snapped my head to the side. Everything was quiet, but I could still feel someone watching me. Deep in the black, I knew silver eyes were trained on me. Watching. Plotting.
But what did they want? Why was I still trapped in my iron cell? It had been days since he touched me, days since my shower.
The dream was the memory of the moment that changed the course of my life. It was humiliating and made my first time on stage, stripping my clothes off in front of Al, easy. Having my clothes ripped from me when I was on my way out to a party while my father called me a whore, that was worse. Not a single employee stepped in to help me. Instead, they all watched.
My father had violated me. Touched me in a way no father should, all for a show of power. In that moment, I knew I had to get out. In that moment, I realized I had nothing to offer but the way my body moved.
I had a taste of freedom, even though I knew I would never be free of them. A normal life could never be mine. No boring nine-to-five job because I had no real papers for my fake name, no skills or much education past high school. I graduated and finished almost a full year of college, that was all.
No husband, kids, and a white picket fence for me.
The dream only showed me the parallel of my current situation.
I was a spoiled brat who used my sexuality as a way to get what I wanted. It was stupid and just me acting out. It was the only outlet I had, the crushing weight of my father’s control leaving me no other way.
I was trapped, held captive in a palace built from death. A gilded cage.
Tears welled in my eyes, and I blinked them back.
I lay back down to try to get back to sleep, praying I wouldn’t have another dream.
A shrill scream echoed off the walls as I stared up at the ceiling. I sat straight up, taking a second to make sure the sound wasn’t coming from me.
High-pitched wails, sounds of begging and pleading, rang around the empty walls, and the few men were suddenly on high alert. All except Domenico.
My chest hurt at the sound because I knew, I just knew. There was about to be one less empty cage.
Another girl abducted from the streets.
One associate was carrying a lantern, lighting the path as Roman and two other men carried the struggling girl up the stairs. I hadn’t seen Roman since he’d given me dinner that night, the night Domenico claimed me. His eyes locked with mine before quickly looking away.
I swallowed hard. Was he ashamed of what I’d done? How I had reacted to Domenico? I remembered the anger in his eyes.
“Shut her up!” Domenico yelled from the darkness.
My hands were white-knuckled on the bars as I watched them throw her into a cage a few down from my own. Her eyes were wide, tears streaming as she begged to be let go.
“No! No! Please!” Hiccupping sobs rang out as she drew in ragged breaths, her words heavily accented. “Help! Somebody help!”
The group who dragged her in washed their hands of her once she was in the cage. I noticed Roman’s gaze locked on her. Doing this wasn’t something he was equipped for. I could only imagine that her screams were tearing him up.
After a few minutes her cries had yet to subside, and Domenico was forced from his lair. He stomped past me, his jaw locked tight. Every man he passed shrank back, even the strong ones. Nobody wanted to be in la Bestia’s path when he was on a rampage.
Feet before her cage, he pulled the gun from his waistband and pulled the slide before aiming it at her.
“Shut the fuck up!” he growled. “Or I will fucking shut you up.”
The girl cowered and her sobs became strangled gasps as she began to hyperventilate. I had sobbed for hours after I’d woken, screamed and screamed, but nobody had threatened me or told me to shut up. I hadn’t even been sure anyone was there, but she’d only been going off for a short period of time when Domenico lost his composure.
“Yesli ty ne uspokoish’sya, ya pozvolyu im iznasilovat’ tebya.”
My eyes widened as I translated his Russian. If you don’t quiet, I will let them rape you. Another scare tactic?
Looking around the room, I saw many of the men had scrunched foreheads as they whispered between them. All except Roman.
None of the men knew Russian.
The girl continued to cry, begging.
“Ya pokazhu tebe,” he said be
fore he stomped back over to my cage.
He wanted her to see, and as he turned the key in the lock, I knew he was going to use me to show her.
“Get out here,” he growled.
I blinked at him.
“Don’t make me fucking come in there to get you.”
His hand wrapped around my wrist, and I hated the warmth that spread.
“Ty sobirayesh’sya nasilovat’ menya seychas?”
Are you going to rape me now?
His nostrils flared.
“Ya budu trakhat’ tvoi sekrety ot tebya,” he spit through clenched teeth.
I will fuck your secrets from you.
I heard the girl gasp in horror, understanding every word. “Nyet!” she cried out.
He pulled me out and walked me to the table. It was closer to her, and he wanted to make a point, to assert his threats as truth. He pushed on my back, pinning me to the table as he ripped my jeans down my hips. Heat rushed through me, unbidden.
I struggled against him to prove I wasn’t just going to give up, that he hadn’t broken anything in me. I wanted to kick him, to hit him.
But maybe he had broken something inside me, because my pulse had picked up, and that fire coursed through me and settled between my thighs, desperate for more.
The head of his cock pressed against me and then he thrust in. I cried out, revealing at the very least that no matter how much I wanted to protest, I was also desperate to feel more of his brand of savagery. After all, I was already wet, ready for him from only a heated gaze and a few verbal volleys. With just a few strokes he was slamming all the way in, and my eyes were rolling back.
A growl erupted as he gripped my ass before slapping his hand across the flesh there.
His hand slid up and gripped the back of my neck as he leaned over, his lips close to my ear.
“Vashe telo pokazyvayet slishkom mnogo.”
Your body reveals too much.
I turned to glare at him, my teeth bared. “Idi trakhni sebya.”
Go fuck yourself.
His grip moved around my neck to the front, and he pulled, bending me back as his hips pummeled my ass. I was lost in each hit to my G-spot, crying out in pleasure.
