“Because I won’t participate if you do.”
“Wait a moment,” Valentine says, his interest piquing as he mulls this over and Horatio moves toward Evi. “Now, thisisan interesting change of events. Very well, let’s see how things go before I decide whether or not to add Evi to the mix. Why don’t we start with something easy? Tell our entertainment what to do next.”
I shove my own disgust down as I force myself to give the girl an order.
“Go down on him.”
There’s a loud thud as the girl on the platform is forced down onto her knees, drawing our attention back to the show at hand as she fumbles with the man’s belt. I see Valentine lean forward out of the corner of my eye, reining in the leash to nestle Evi back firmly between his legs.
“Fascinating choice. I didn’t expect you to go there quite so quickly. Then again, perhaps I should have.”
“What the hell’s that supposed to mean?”
“Only that you know firsthand how Evelyn’s mouth feels around a cock, or have you forgotten what I know now?”
“You bloody piece of—"
“Look, Evelyn,” Valentine says, cutting me off as he turns his attention back to her, his voice just loud enough for me to hear, “watch how she pleasures him. See what Dante’s chosen to imagine you doing to me. Learn well, and I may just have one more reason to keep you alive. I can already imagine how much better you’ll be now that you’ve had a little breaking in.”
I grit my teeth, trying not to imagine what he means by this as I struggle to put the mental image out of my mind. It’s impossible, though, as the man on stage grabs a handful of the girl’s hair and forces her to take even more of him.
She gags, which only makes him shove her down harder.
As rough as he’s being, it’s still nothing compared to what my father would do to Evelyn in the same position ... if he hasn’t already.
There’s nowhere for me to look.
He’s right. If I watch the couple on stage, I’m only reminded of Evi and what Valentine plans to do to her … I can’t even look away, or I’ll see her sitting at his feet and be reminded all over again that she’s already in his grasp.
Already tasted his lust for her.
“Enough! Kiss her neck,” I order, no longer able to stand the mental image they’re burning into my mind.
The couple obeys.
“Lovely, isn’t she?” my father muses, the tone of his voice meant to draw me in.
I glance over, despite knowing that I shouldn’t.
Valentine is leaning forward, his eyes fixated on the couple, with one arm draped over Evi as he moves to pull the silk robe off her shoulder.
My skin crawls as I watch him trail a finger over the line of her collarbone, and my eyes slip lower before I manage to tear them away.
Of course, he would dress her in lingerie for a night out. In that corset, one wrong move and she might as well be wearing nothing. I know I can’t let him goad me into lashing out, but I’m starting to doubt my own self-control.
I down the rest of the whiskey in my hand, raising the glass to signal for Horatio to pour me another.
I finish off the second glass the moment it’s filled, and a third is poured for me just before Horatio is called for from across the room.
“Excuse me,” he says with a small bow to Valentine before hurrying away.
“What do you want from me?” I ask, my eyes focused on the glass in my hand as I feel the alcohol start to take effect.
“You know perfectly well what I want from you,” Valentine says. “Give it to me, and the girl is yours.”
Evi glances over at this, and my stomach tightens in frustration.
“You know I can’t do that,” I answer through gritted teeth.