“No!” She shook her head frantically, well aware that she couldn’t see him or anything else. But she’d rather risk bodily injury than answer that question. “If you want to know, ask Hammer. That’s the last time I’ve spoken of it, at least to anyone important. And it’s the last time I will.”
She sensed Liam’s closeness before he grabbed her arm. His grip wasn’t harsh, but it was unyielding.
He growled in her ear. “I didn’t give you permission to rise. Back in front of the bed, on your knees.” He jerked her in place again, guiding her so she didn’t stumble. The carpet was even still warm beneath her knees. “And I won’t be asking Hammer a damn thing. You will tell me yourself.”
The hell she would. Raine tightened her mouth mulishly. He wasn’t getting her to talk. And he wasn’t shoving more pickles in her mouth.
“Do you understand?”
“I’m too tired for this heart-to-heart.”
“Answer my question and I’ll let you sleep.”
No, once she gave him this answer, he’d just keep digging into her psyche. He’d want details. He’d want to know how she dealt with it all. He’d want the stuff she hadn’t even shared with Hammer.
“Ask me anything else.”
“No. I’ve asked what I wished to know.”
Panic welled inside her. “Don’t I get a safe word around here?”
“You always have one,” Liam assured. “It hasn’t changed. But I’m not hurting you.”
“You are!”
“Think carefully about that. Mental discomfort aside, am I physically hurting any part of your body?”
No. But she couldn’t just shit out all of her crappy past like she had verbal diarrhea. Instead, she tugged at her arm. “Your grip is tight.”
It wasn’t, but she had nothing else.
He paused for a long minute, then loosened his fingers just a touch. “Am I hurting you now?”
Raine listened to his voice drop even lower. He’d chosen his words very carefully. His tone itself was a warning. He was about at the end of putting up with her, and he’d probably only let her get this far because he felt sorry for her. Poor dumb, broken-hearted girl, too fucked up to be honest… That’s what he had to be thinking. It made her sick. But she didn’t know how to change.
“No, Sir,” she muttered.
“Good. Let’s be clear. I’m not letting you put up more walls between us. Do you understand me?”
God, he was so patient. Could he just get mad and scream at her already? She could ignore that. But he never once raised his voice…and he still managed to get his point across with as much subtlety as a neon billboard.
“Yes, Sir.” She fidgeted. She was running out of ways to avoid answering. Now what?
“I expect you to answer me now. What happened to you as a child?”
She flinched at the question. A thousand images rushed her all like a fist to her psyche. She shook her head, fighting tears. She’d rather take her punishment than open up this can of worms. After all, it’s not as if this would be the first time she’d endured.
“Just spank me and get it over with.”
“While you’re bruised? While you’re hurting?” His voice was so gentle now, it was like an ice pick straight to her chest. He shoved it in deeper as he stroked her hair. “No. I have no wish to cause more pain. Nor will I give you an easy excuse to defy and resent me. There’s a lovely reward for you, if you’ll just trust me.”
More chocolate? But even for that, she wouldn’t answer his question.
“I’m sorry,” she choked out.
“Me, too,” he said with regret, then he grabbed her hair and tugged. Her head snapped back. Her mouth fell open.
He slid a big chunk of pickle on her tongue and pushed the heel of his palm under her chin, forcing her mouth closed.
Raine’s taste buds protested loudly. Her eyes watered.
“Chew,” he demanded. “You’re going to eat it.”
Crap, there was no escape. She couldn’t get out of his grip without losing a chunk of hair and she couldn’t open her mouth to spit it out.
Quickly, she chewed it into large chunks and forced herself to swallow them down. But the pieces were still too big, and she choked. Liam let go of her hair immediately and braced one hand around her waist. The other slapped her between the shoulder blades. The last of the terrible pickle slid down, but that vile taste lingered on her tongue.
“You can’t make me tell you.”
Behind her, he froze. Slowly, he withdrew his hands from her. Instantly, she felt cold, alone.
Raine felt more than heard Liam sit on the bed. “You’re right. I can make your life unpleasant enough until you want to, however.”
“A steady diet of pickles will only make me puke.”
“It might. I’ll hold your hair and aim you over the toilet.”
Was he kidding? “That’s disgusting.”