“You say that an awful lot, doll. You offerin’?” I knew she didn’t want me to fuck her, but I wasn’t expecting the gasp or the shudder that wracked her body. Hmmm. “Is that a yes?”
Her response was instant. “No.”
I laughed at her petulance and opened the door to my bedroom. In two steps, I crossed the room and dumped her right onto the middle of my king-sized bed. I forced myself not to think about how I'd have to burn the sheets if the girl was bleeding from anywhere and focused on the moment. Miri scrambled to her knees while I locked the door and pocketed the key. Her eyes darted from me to the door and back.
“Plotting your escape?” Unhurried, I loosened my tie and pulled it off, the silk whispering as it slid through my collar. Then I shrugged off my jacket and threw it in the garbage can. The tie along with it. In the large walk-in closet, I toed off my shoes and placed them on a shelf. When I came out, Miri was still frozen on the mattress.
I walked over to the bed and sat, waiting for her to look at me. Stubborn as she was, it took several minutes before she turned. Once she did, I spoke.
“Now, we’re going to have that talk.”
Miri
Trapped. Moved from one prison to another. I was trapped in this room, on this bed, with a man who proved he could easily overpower me like a tiger fighting a kitten. Anger radiated off him in waves as he reclined against the headboard, legs crossed at the ankles, hiding his fury by acting as if holding a woman hostage was a normal, everyday occurrence. I swallowed and glanced at his annoyingly handsome face and spotted a bright red handprint across his cheek. The drugs really made me do some really stupid shit, though I wasn’t sure I could blame all of my anger on heroin. I flinched, realizing I was probably safer chained to the bed in the other room than here with Boss after hitting him. My pulse floundered at the thought.
Shit.
Maybe apologizing would lessen whatever punishment I was about to receive. “I-I didn’t mean to hit you. I’m sorry.”
Boss put a hand to his cheek, the tips of his fingers scraping over the stubble. “I see. You’re sorry.” His gleaming eyes narrowed. “Too bad I don’t believe a word of it.” My heart skipped a beat and fear skittered down my spine. My stomach twisted in a familiar way, the drugs in my body keeping it in a constant state of discomfort. “You meant to hit me. You wanted to hit me.” In a flash, Boss twisted his torso and grabbed my face in one hand, squeezing my cheeks hard enough to keep me from even thinking about trying to get free. “I’m giving you that one hit. One, Miri. You were scared. You had been chained to a bed. I get that.”
He shifted closer, our noses almost touching. My face ached from the pressure of his fingers digging into my flesh, yet despite the pain I couldn’t help but notice the brilliant flecks of turquoise within those deep blue irises. “Do it again, and don’t doubt what I say, doll. You will regret the day you ever came here.”
Boss released my chin and I turned away, shame scorching my face and neck while terror knotted and swelled in my stomach. It was bad enough to be humiliated and handcuffed to a bed by his men, but to know there was nothing I could do to escape, or more precisely, if I managed to escape, I had nowhere to go and Boss would likely have me killed. Well, that knowledge was worse than anything that had been done to me since I stupidly wandered onto his property.
“I’m glad you understand,” he said as if I had agreed to some unspoken agreement. “I expect you to behave from now on. Period. I don’t like messes and I really don’t appreciate having my things broken.” I glanced over to see him reclining on the bed, his hands tucked behind his head. “I’m thinking you need to spend all of your time chained to the bed if your behavior is going to continue.”
I felt the blood rush from my face. Nausea threatened to upheave my stomach. “I-I can’t… I mean, I don’t want to stay in my room all the time.”
Boss sat up and tilted his head to one side. “What was that?”
My palms were slick and clammy. “I-I don’t like being confined. It… it scares me.” I closed my eyes and thought about all the times my mom locked me in the closet for hours upon end whenever I pissed her off, which was all the time. The isolation was worse than her just going on and hitting me.
“Why would I allow you to wander free in my house after you destroyed my guest room? After you slapped me?” He shifted closer, his brow knitting. I stared at his face, unable to comprehend how someone so utterly terrifying could still be so beautiful it almost hurt to look at him. Boss appeared to be thinking over my request, so I stayed quiet. “If I didn’t lock you in your room, would you behave?”
I blinked in surprise. “Yes. I would. I promise.”
“There are men in my house and on the grounds at all times as well as cameras. You won’t be able to escape, if that’s what you’re thinking.”
Once again, I looked away. This time, I merely shrugged. “Doesn’t matter. I have nowhere else to go.” My eyes misted over and my throat tightened. I could feel the weight of Boss’s gaze while the heavy silence went on for what felt like forever.
He let out a long sigh, his expression annoyed though his sapphire eyes shone with something more... heated. “Jesus Christ. Fuck. All right. I’ll give you free rein of the house. You can do whatever you want, within reason. Sleep, read—I have a rather large library downstairs—or walk the grounds.”
Boss leaned in and entered my personal space. He was so close I couldn’t help myself. I inhaled sharply through my nose, taking pleasure in the rich cologne he used combined with the luxurious soap and the underlying scent of him.
My body vibrated with tension. The way he looked at me, carnal, hungry, I wondered if Boss was finally ready to demand payment in exchange for his hospitality. He had me in his bedroom, on his bed, and already proved he could subdue me quite easily. I waited for a sign, for anything to indicate it was time to pay his fee. The thought reminded me of how harsh my reality had been over the past six months.
“Nothing is free.”
I held my breath, waiting. Instead of unzipping his pants, a finger slid beneath my chin to gently lift my head until I was staring at the stunning face of the most complicated man I had ever met.
“I might be giving you this small bit of freedom, but don’t get hurt, don’t make a mess, and don’t snoop.” Boss’s expression hardened. “Not only is there nothing on the premises to find, I don’t like people poking around in my busi
ness. And I despise disorder. My men will be watching. Make no mistake, there will be no second chance. No handcuffs. No locked rooms.” The way he said the last part sent a sharp shudder through my frail body as Boss revealed another glimpse of the ruthless drug lord behind the handsome facade.
“I won’t snoop.”
Boss nodded and released my chin. He gave me one last smoldering look before standing up, then stopped next to a tall piece of furniture and took something out of his pocket before heading for the bathroom.