“You knew about this?” I snap. “Of course you did. Anything to get your little Achilles back into your bed.”
“Rosa, leave us,” he barks, and Rosa hurries from the kitchen, clutching the hem of her apron in her hands. When the housekeeper is gone, Ares’ eyes narrow. “On your knees now, Pet.”
“Fuck you.”
“Oh, you’re going to get fucked, trust me on that. But I highly doubt you’ll find pleasure in it.”
“Everything you said to me this morning was a lie.”
“I don’t lie. I have no fucking need for lies. Now get on your goddamn knees and crawl to me.”
I hate him. God, how I hate him. I hate how I love him. I hate that he continuously hurts me, and like an idiot, I come crawling back for more. I should have fought when he came to my dressing room. I should have fought and called Agent Stahl, or Maximus. Instead, I came willingly. Or I would have, if he hadn’t drugged me. I hate him for making me believe time and again that I’m the most important person in his life. I hate that I’m gullible enough to believe it.
“I won’t tell you again,” he says through his teeth. I sink to my knees on the hard tiles and crawl, wincing when the grooves dig into my soft flesh. “Why must you continue to behave like a brat?”
Fuck you!
I say nothing, though I’m sure my expression conveys my thoughts perfectly. I stop in front of him, defiantly looking him in the eye when I know my gaze should be cast at the ground.
Sir reaches out and strokes a finger down my face. I’m so surprised by the tender touch that I don’t see the brutality in his gaze until it’s too late. He grabs a fistful of my hair and draws me to my feet. I scream and claw at his hands, desperate to get away, but I am a field mouse in the clutches of an eagle, and he intends to make me see that I’m nothing more than prey.
“He is here because Hermes called him here to help with your training. Nothing more.”
“You’re a liar.”
“And you’re way out of fucking line, Pet.” He grabs the nape of my neck and pinches hard. It’s not lost on me that he could snap me as easily as a twig. He leads me up the stairs, but we don’t go left toward the bedroom. Instead, Ares heads in the opposite direction. He shoves me into a room, and I take a deep breath as I survey the surroundings. This isn’tFifty Shades. There’s no red room of pain. Every instrument in here is designed to cause pain, yes—but it’s not a space designed for romance. It’s made for functionality. It’s cold, sterile, and sleek. Did he keep me from this room these past few days only to save it for when I truly deserved punishment?
There’s an iron cage in one corner of the room, and for a beat, I think he’s going to lock me in it, but he leads me to a black leather bench. He shoves me toward it, and when the edge of the cool leather meets my thighs, he pushes me down. “Lie on the bench on your stomach, legs either side.”
I scramble to do as he commands, terrified of both obeying and disobeying my Sir.
He moves around the seat, threading a leather strap through a buckle and cinching it tight against my calf. He repeats the motions with the opposite leg. Another is pulled tight around my waist, and a fourth and fifth bind my arms in place. I tremble as I watch him walk out of my periphery. His hand comes down hard on my ass, and I scream, more from the surprise than any actual real pain.This isn’t pain. My Sir knows how to inflict pain that will bring me to my knees, and this isn’t it.
“Now, why are you here, Pet?”
“Because I mouthed off about your little fuck toy.”
He laughs as he turns from the various floggers, straps, and whips, hanging on the wall. It’s an artwork of torture implements, and it gives me shivers seeing him choose a thick leather collar. “Oh, little one. You’re angry, I’ll give you that. I would be too, but that’s not why you’re about to receive a severe punishment. So, I’ll ask again: why are you here?”
I sneer at him, and the anger in his gaze has me re-thinking my boldness.
“Fucking answer me!”
“Because,” I sob. “Because I disrespected you, Sir.”
“That’s right. And how do you plan to make up for it?”
“I’m sorry, Sir. I’ll suck you. I’ll let you fuck me.”
“Let me?” He raises his brows, and I lower my gaze as he strides across the room and stands behind me. “What makes you think you’re in a position to let me do anything?”
“I’m sorry. Please, I’m sorry.”
“Please what, Pet? What are you begging me for now?”
“Please fuck me, Sir. Please?”
“Fuck you? Oh, little one. It’s cute that you think this is about pleasure at all. It’s not.” He slips a collar around my neck, and then he’s gone again, to the wall where he chooses a large steel hook. At the end sits a round metal ball. I shake my head. He’s not going to fuck me with that.Is he? “At least not yours. But I will take great delight in punishing you.”