“Your son gives amazing hugs,” I tell her quietly, not wanting to be overheard.
She pulls back and there’s a wonderful smile on her face; it’s genuine as it reaches her eyes. “Does he now? I’m glad that you have him.”
My anxiousness starts to subside. “I really care about John; he’s been wonderful. You’ve raised an amazing man.”
“Thank you,” she says proudly. “I hope that all of my sons find someone as sweet as you, Yoreli.”
Markus pushes past Sharon and sweeps me up into a huge hug, lifting me off my feet as he holds me close to him.
“Dad, careful; her back’s still not right,” John says and he’s right. My back is still sore, not as much as it was and the doctor tells me that I shouldn’t need surgery; I no longer need the injections I had been getting.
He sets me back on my feet but still holds me. “Sorry. How are you doing, Yoreli? Really?”
“I’m getting there. I’m doing okay,” I reply honestly.
“I’m so sorry, so damn sorry. Your dad would be so fucking pissed at me for letting you down. I let him down too.”
“You didn’t. You had no idea what was happening.” No one should feel guilty about what happened; they weren’t to know. It’s the way Talia wanted it.
When Markus releases me, he moves to stand next to Sharon, arms go around me from the back and I instantly know who it is. My body melts into his; it’s as though we’re made for each other. “You okay?”
I nod. “Yeah, your parents are so nice.”
“They’ve been worried about you. Are you ready to meet my brothers?” He chuckles when I tense beneath him. “They’re going to love you.”
I hope so.
I take a deep breath and wait for his brothers to descend into the kitchen.
Their smiles are enough to make me feel at ease. I shouldn’t have put off seeing them.
The tip of the blade digs in further into my neck, I know that it's only a matter of time before she nicks the skin and I'll start bleeding. This is new; she's never played with knives before. I didn't think blood play was her thing, but I'm not even sure what her thing is anymore.
"Yoreli, you're tenser than usual." She laughs. "You're scared; I can feel your body quivering beneath my touch."
I can't say anything, I don't want to say the wrong thing. I'm paralyzed by fear.
She moves the knife down my body, almost as if she's caressing me. "You're going to love this," she tells me, a glint of mischief in her eyes.
"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh." I cry out as the knife breaks my skin, "Stop!" I beg as tears fall, but she continues, making her way up to my breasts.
Her laughter drowns out my sobs. "Oh, Yoreli, you should know me better than this by now. You don't tell me what to do. I'm the one that is in charge, not you."
I nod, the tears still falling. I'm scared to look at my chest to see what she's done. Blood trickles down my body, and I cringe as her tongue snakes out and licks it away.
"You're going to be a good girl while we're gone, aren't you?" She runs the knife down my body again.
I nod as a whimper escapes me.
"Good. If you misbehave, I'll find out and you will be punished."
"I'll be good," I promise, my voice just above a whisper.
Her smile can only be described as sinister. "Excellent." She pushes the knife further into me, not far enough to do any damage but enough so that I'll have a scar.
The bed dips as she moves, the clattering of the blade as it hits the floor sends relief throughout my body. When Talia straddles me, I tense; what the hell is she going to do now? Her lips cover the cut she’s just made on my body and she sucks. The sound of her drinking my blood makes the fine hairs on the back of my neck stand up.
She rains kisses up toward my breasts. I flinch when she begins biting my nipples. “Please,” I beg, wanting her to stop, needing her to end this. I close my eyes as she gets off me, surprised that she’s done as I’ve asked.