“Who hired you?”
“I don’t reveal my clients,” I whispered nervously, and his eyes narrowed. I bravely lifted my chin, but I lost my nerve when his gaze darkened.
“You will to me,” he pushed resolutely. There was no room for negotiation in his voice and my core tightened at the hidden threat.
“He’ll kill me,” I pleaded. I wasn’t certain that it was true, but I wanted to try anyway.
“I will protect you. Give me the name of the man who hired you, little girl. Don’t make me tell you again,” he warned.
I swallowed hard. Sergei Reznikov was well known throughout the criminal sector. He was ruthless in his quest for power and money, killing anyone that stood in his way. If he found out I’d given up his identity, I was as good as dead. I chewed my lip.
“I don’t think you can protect me from him,” I murmured.
Jon stood up and strode over to me. His body radiated tension and I half expected him to slap me, but instead, he cupped my face gently and lifted my chin.
“I will protect you with my life. If anyone touches you, glances at you the wrong way or threatens your life, I will kill them. I make this vow to you, little girl.”
I searched his face, looking for any indication of falsehood and finding none. Every word he spoke was the truth. My heart melted just the tiniest bit and I knew at once that even though he was a hard man, he was also a kind one.
“Now be a good girl and tell me who contracted you to steal from me.”
I don’t know why, but in that moment, I decided to trust him. Maybe it was the chance that for the first time in my life, I wouldn’t have to be alone. For some reason, I felt drawn to him, like maybe there was a future with him in some way and I didn’t want to turn away from that.
I wanted to know what could happen.
I allowed that small glimmer of hope to burn brighter.
“His name is Sergei Reznikov,” I answered, keeping my voice low enough that Jon would be the only one to hear.
Jon’s face flashed briefly with anger.
“You know him,” I ventured.
“Yes. I know him,” he replied. He sighed heavily before stepping around my chair. I breathed a sigh of strangled relief as he uncuffed me from the chair. When my wrists were free, he helped me to stand up.
“Do you believe me?” I asked anxiously.
“I do believe you, little girl,” he answered. There was a change in him at that moment that made me impossibly nervous while also soothing my frayed nerves at the same time.
“You won’t kill me?” I whimpered and he jerked his head toward me as if he’d been shocked that I’d asked such a thing.
“No. No one is going to hurt you. You’re safe with me,” he replied fiercely, and that initial anxiety faded a bit.
“What’s going to happen now?” I asked, trying to remain brave but fearing him all the same.
“I’m going to finish your punishment, little girl,” he replied sternly. My stomach plummeted to the floor, and I cried out as he grasped my arms and folded them roughly behind my back. I struggled, but he clasped the cuffs back around my wrists once more.
“But I thought…” I pleaded in a panic.
“You thought wrong. You refused to answer my questions and I dealt with you for that. Now, I’m going to punish you for stealing from both myself and the Montagna family,” he explained, and I couldn’t help but tense at the firm warning. My sore asshole clenched around the plug, and I trembled, even as his fingers gently dragged up and down my arm.
“What’s going to happen?” I asked again with a quivering voice. Nervously, I watched as he walked over to the office chair. He grabbed some of my clothes and tossed them down on the floor in front of me.
“I’m going to fuck you. The only thing up to you is whether or not you’ll be wearing those clothespins when I bend you back over that desk,” he said darkly. Without warning, he reached out and flicked the one on my left breast, causing a fresh wave of pain to wash over me. I wailed, overwhelmed by sensation.
“Please take them off,” I begged.
“Then you’re going to get down on your knees, little girl. You’re going to show me just how much you want them off with that pretty little mouth,” he growled, and I gasped softly.