I glare at him, seething, but he doesn’t seem to be changing his mind. There’s a moment where I consider leaving, but I knew this was a possibility. I thought about it all day, mulled it over, ran it through my mind.
His hand on my thigh. His smile, so cocky, so knowing.
His handsome face and my rage, all mixed up and pulsing.
Could I sleep with the man I loathe the most in the world if it meant getting what I want?
Could I let him use my body?
It’s only skin.
His arms flex as he grips the candle. His full lips are pouty and handsome, and the muscles beneath his tight shirt bulge, and I wonder if it would be so bad, giving myself to a monster like him.
I might even enjoy it, at least while he’s making me feel good.
Afterward though? When the shame and horror set in? I don’t know how I can live with myself.
This isn’t about living with myself though.
This is about revenge.
Slowly, I peel off my top and leave it in my lap. Beneath, I’m wearing a black bra. I hold my hands over my chest, covering my breasts and cleavage as much as I can.
“Do I have to take this off too?” I ask, indicating my undergarment.
He shakes his head. “No need.” He walks toward me then, careful not to break the lines. What’s with the chalk? Is it just another way to mess with me? I’m trembling when he reaches the inner ring where my stool’s carefully placed.
“What now?” I’m whispering, unable to bring myself to speak louder. My voice will shakes too much and I don’t want to show him any more weakness than I already have.
“Now I want to see how much you’re willing to take. I want to see how badly you want it.” He moves around me. “Look straight ahead. This is going to hurt.”
Chapter4
Kaye
Ichew my lip but I do as I’m told. I don’t follow him with my eyes and as soon as he disappears behind me, I feel like I’m showing my throat to a hungry wolf. I’m trembling slightly and struggling to keep my breathing under control. Is this what Lucy felt like the night she died? Pure terror?
“I learned a long time ago that pain cleanses as much as it hurts,” he whispers and before I can ask him what he’s talking about, something hot sizzles onto my skin.
I curse and flinch, nearly falling off the stool. I twist around to stare into his eyes and he’s looking back with the most intense and serious expression I’ve ever seen on someone before. He’s studying me, looking for my reaction, and I glare back, breathing hard. The pain’s gone almost as quickly as it appeared, and I reach around to touch something warm and hard on my shoulder.
I peel it off and stare. It’s wax. The bastard dripped hot wax on my skin.
“Sit back down,” he commands, and I hesitate, but obey. “Show me your back.” I want to scream but I do it anyway. I think of Lucy, my missing sister. I hold on to my rage.
I can do this. I can keep going.
“You’re going to torture me? Is this some weird sex thing?”
“No, it isn’t a sex thing. Not exactly.” He drips another droplet of wax. I hiss but the pain is bearable. I can take this. I can tolerate it. I’ll go as far as I have to if it means getting what I want. “I don’t know how much you’ve been told about me, but I grew up in a strange and difficult household. I was given a lot, I was privileged in many ways, but a lot was expected in return. I learned how to hurt people and how to endure pain, and I learned that endurance is much more important than anything else in this world. It doesn’t matter how much agony you can dish out if you can’t take any in kind. I want to see how much pain you can take, Kaye. I want to see how far you’re willing to go.”
More wax. More drops. Each patter on my bare, naked back is like a stab of sizzling torment that quickly fades away. Drop, drop, drop, and I suck in a breath with each one, until I feel his fingers brush down my flesh, bumping along the hardened wax.
He peels it off and drops it on the ground.
“You’re doing very well,” he says quietly, his lips near my neck, and I shiver—half with delight and half with fear. “Do you want me to hurt you more?”
“I don’t know,” I whisper, and it’s the truth. I don’t know if I can take more pain, but I also know I can’t give up. He’s terrifying and beautiful, and his words are like a hypnotic spell rolling through my mind.