Total pages in book: 71
Estimated words: 66454 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 332(@200wpm)___ 266(@250wpm)___ 222(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 66454 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 332(@200wpm)___ 266(@250wpm)___ 222(@300wpm)
“Help me!” I barely get the words out as they rip from my throat. Kade’s hand closes over my mouth tightly, and he forces my head back so I’m staring at the ceiling.
The legs of Kade’s chair squeak against the wooden floor as he pushes us away from the table. His legs wrap around mine as I kick out and hit the hard table. It hurts, but I barely register the pain. Kade’s arm wraps around mine and effectively holds me completely still. My heart races, and my body is a mix of hot and cold, a sickness threatening to lose itself.
“Whoa!” Master A yells out, and stands up from the table. I see his wine spill across the dark wood and onto the floor. “No worries,” he says, putting his napkin on the table.
My heart stills, no one's reacted at all to my cry for help. My chest feels hollow as I see the man across the table looking at me with pity as he picks up his glass of water.
Useless. It was for nothing.
Tears leak down my cheeks. Help me. My heart lurches in my chest.
“You were right,” I hear Gabriel say. “She’s not quite ready, but still, she’s doing wonderfully considering how new she is.” He’s speaking casually, as though I didn’t just scream for help. As though Kade’s not holding me still because I was flailing my body and screaming.
My body goes limp in Kade's arms. There’s no use fighting.
“Are you done?” Kade asks with a low, threatening voice. My eyes squeeze shut. No, no. I wish I could take it back.
I try to nod my head, but his hand over my mouth is so forceful that I can’t move my head. He slowly drops it to my throat and I’m quick to answer, “Yes, Master.”
I feel defeated, betrayed, alone, and ashamed. My breath is unsteady as I try to calm myself. The three other men continue to eat as though nothing’s happened, and everything is alright.
Talia looks at me with sympathy in her blue eyes. She sets her fork down and leans against Gabriel, refusing to meet my gaze. Her plump lips are turned down and it makes me feel so alone.
No one here is going to help me. Even worse, I feel guilty.
“Well that was bound to happen,” Gabriel says in a casual voice as though he's trying to lighten the mood.
Kade’s tight hold on me loosens, and I see the man across the table nodding while chewing whatever he just put in his mouth.
My body’s stiff as Kade sets me back down in his lap. Everyone else has resumed to normal, although Talia’s not eating. I watch as Gabriel picks up a piece of asparagus and puts it to her lips, but she shakes her head and leans against him, burying her head under his chin.
I stare at her and will her to look at me, but she does nothing. I feel sick to my stomach.
“What are you thinking, Master K?” Gabriel asks. He takes a bite of the asparagus and chews it as he waits for Kade to answer. I lower my eyes to the floor. Fuck. I try to breathe in and out slowly, but even doing that is hard.
“It’s her first offense since we’ve been here.” Kade’s voice sends a chill up my back.
“But it was a grave offense.” I watch as Talia shifts in Gabriel’s lap, uneasy with the topic of conversation.
I can feel Kade nodding behind me. “I’ll finish my dinner first.”
“And then what?” Master A asks.
Kade picks up the tongs and dishes out a few spears of asparagus onto the plate. His movements jostle my body, but I try to stay upright. They’re talking about me as if I’m not in the room. Talking about my punishment. I close my eyes and wish I’d never done it.
I had to though.
My body freezes at Kade’s response. “When I’m done eating, we’ll go to the basement.”
Olivia
I walk behind Kade obediently, even though he’s leading me to my punishment. I can hardly breathe, my chest hurts so much.
Kade stops at a door to the right of the stairs. His hand rests on the knob as he turns to me. “I understand why you did that, Olivia. I do. But you know it was bad, don’t you?”
My stomach churns as I nod my head and answer, “Yes, Master K.”
No, no it wasn’t. I had to. He grips my chin in his hand and forces me to look into his narrowed eyes. He looks pissed. My heart stops in my chest.
“Don’t lie to me, angel.” His words are hard and unforgiving. “I’m thankful it happened in that company. Had it been different…” he trails off as he opens the door and takes in a slow inhale. He doesn’t finish what he was saying, leaving me to imagine the worst, but instead walks down the steps.