I broke the kiss off and shoved his hand weakly away.
“No,” I choked out.
He glared down at me, a muscle popping along his jaw before he struck me hard across the face. I let out a cry at the burning sting and clutched at my aching cheek, my eyes watering.
“You belong to me, Bianca. Eventually, you’ll understand how very important I am to your life.” He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a sandwich and threw it at me so hard it broke free of its flimsy plastic bag and scattered across the bed and onto the floor.
“Eat,” he commanded, stepping back.
I sat up weakly and picked at a piece of wilted lettuce and promptly stuffed it into my mouth before I began scooping up the bits of cheese, bread, and meat. Once I’d cleaned the mattress of the food, he pointed to his feet where another bit of the sandwich had landed. Weakly, I shuffled off the bare mattress and got to my knees and ate the food on the ground at his feet.
He let out a soft chuckle. “I can’t imagine being so pathetic as to eat food off the floor. My, what a queen you are.”
Tears prickled my eyes as I stared up at him, humiliation rushing through my body.
“You’re a pretty little bitch,” he said, smiling down at me. “I’d very much like to treat you as such.”
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a black, metal collar. Immediately, I scrambled back, falling onto my ass, but he was quick to catch me.
We tumbled to the floor, him on top of me. I swung weakly at him and let out a cry when he struck me again, snapping my head to the side. With a fierce tug, he got a hold of my arms and kneeled on them at my sides, making me wince at the pain his weight on them brought.
Roughly, he wrapped the metal collar around my neck and tightened it painfully snug and snapped it into place before he reached out and fisted my hair and brought me to my knees before him again.
“That collar can’t come off without the key, which I have.” He pulled a silver necklace out from beneath his white, button-down uniform shirt. On it dangled a silver key. “That collar means I own you now. You only collar a bitch you own.”
I swallowed, the collar digging painfully into my skin, and bowed my head.
He reached out and tilted my chin up. “I saw Dominic today. He didn’t know I was there. He was fucking his new bitch in the alley. She mewled like a kitten for him. He’s already forgotten you. Didn’t take long, did it?”
The tears I’d been struggling to hold back trickled down my swollen cheeks.
“I don’t believe you,” I choked out, not knowing if he were telling the truth or not.
He chuckled and dug a photo from his pocket and dangled it in my face. In the picture was Dominic with a brunette in his arms, kissing her. The sandwich I’d eaten danced wildly in my guts as I covered my mouth, the truth cutting me deeply.
“It doesn’t really matter to me if you believe it, but here’s your proof. This entire thing could go a hell of a lot easier if you’d simply submit to me. Tell me you love me. Kiss me.Fuck me.”
I looked away from him, my guts boiling with nausea.
He was quick to grip my chin and push my focus back to him. “You do those things, Bianca, and I’ll make you a goddess. That’s way better than a queen. You’ll want for nothing.”
“Except my freedom,” I whispered.
“Your other option is that I take those things from you. The idea appeals to me immensely, so keep that in mind the next time you fight me.” He dropped a bottled water next to me on the floor and stepped away. “Sleep tight. I’ll see you tomorrow. Maybe. Hail is having a party, and since you’re not sucking my cock, someone has to.” He let out a bark of laughter as he backed out of the room, closing the door behind him, the sound of the lock clicking in place echoing around me.
This was hell.
And maybe I deserved it for all the shit I’d done to my kings.
I crawled back onto the bare mattress and cried myself to sleep, knowing this wasn’t even the worst of it.
That would come later.
Tate was just that unhinged.
CHAPTER40
Bianca