Total pages in book: 767
Estimated words: 732023 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 3660(@200wpm)___ 2928(@250wpm)___ 2440(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 732023 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 3660(@200wpm)___ 2928(@250wpm)___ 2440(@300wpm)
I eyed him warily, not trusting him for a second. “What are you going to do to me? I don’t want to go back into that torture room.”
“It’s not a torture room,” he said calmly. “But no, we won’t go in there. I want you to relax, not get more worked up. No more questions,” he announced before I could come up with another rebuttal. “Come with me.”
It wasn’t like I really had a choice, because he simply picked me up and carried me. He kept doing that, like I weighed nothing more than a doll. I was a toy he could pick up when he wanted to play with me.
I crossed my arms over my chest and scowled up at him.
The bastard laughed. “You really are cute when you’re angry.”
“You think I’m cute when I’m angry. You think I’m pretty when I cry. You’re messed up, you know that, right?”
“Yes, so you’ve told me,” he said, still amused rather than disturbed by my barbed comments. “I’d like to see you smile, too, but I don’t think that will happen for a while yet.”
I gaped at him. “You think I’m going to smile for you?”
“I think you’ll settle down and find a way to be happy with me. Once you adjust and accept your place here.”
“Accept my place?” I demanded, slapping his chest in a burst of anger.
He clicked his tongue at me. “That wasn’t very nice. But you’re not trying very hard, either. You’re upset, and I’m going to make you feel better.”
“Short of releasing me, that’s not going to happen,” I informed him. “Do you really think I’m going to feel better about being trapped with a sadistic psycho?”
“Mind your tongue,” he said sharply. “I’ve indulged you too much. You will speak to me with respect.”
“Right,” I said, unable to bite back the sarcasm. “You’ve been so indulgent with me. Beating me, violating me, chaining me up. You’re so nice,” I finished spitefully, using Lauren’s description of him.
He set me on my feet and stared down at me, his dark eyes curious rather than reproving. “You really can’t stop yourself, can you? You’re not capable of holding in your thoughts, even knowing they could get you into trouble. I think a little discipline will be good for you. You can learn some self-control over these tics of yours.”
I instantly clapped my hands over my bottom. “I don’t want you to punish me again.”
He smoothed his hand over my hair, reassuring. “Discipline doesn’t necessarily mean punishment. Now, try your best to be quiet and stay right here.”
He stepped away from me, and I finally was able to assess where he’d placed me. We were in the sitting room, and he’d positioned me in the farthest corner from the door to the torture room. Relief washed through me, strong enough to make my fingers tremble. I hadn’t realized just how much fear was building in my chest until it finally released. He really wasn’t going to take me in there.
But what was he going to do to me? He still hadn’t said, and I knew he wouldn’t. I’d just have to watch and wait and hope it wouldn’t be too painful.
He was a few feet away from me, drumming his fingers on the highly polished mahogany desk. On the desk was…
I lunged for the laptop without thinking. I caught sight of his sharp grin just before he caught me around the waist and manhandled me down onto the carpet. He placed one hand between my shoulders, easily pinning me down on my front while he opened one of the desk drawers. I thrashed and cursed, but he quickly secured my arms behind me by locking handcuffs around my wrists.
“Do you just have kinky shit stashed everywhere?” I demanded on a growl. I’d thought I was safe from his perversions in this room, but I’d been wrong.
“Of course,” he replied coolly. “Settle down. This won’t hurt.”
“You think I’m going to settle down when you basically just taunted me with a laptop? Do you know how starved I am for the internet? For technology? You don’t even have a real clock, for god’s sake, and you’ve been hiding a laptop from me?”
His hand curled around my nape, pressing my cheek down against the carpet and stilling my shaking head.
“I need my laptop for work,” he said calmly. “I’m going to take care of some business, and you’re going to be quiet and look pretty for me while I do.”
“Work,” I said scornfully. “You mean drug trafficking and selling women.”
His fingers tightened around my neck. “Be very careful what you say next, Samantha,” he warned. “I know you struggle to control your tongue, but I’m warning you to try very hard. I don’t want to punish you now, but I will.”
“But it’s what you do,” I said, truly unable to stop myself. “You and your brother. That’s your business.”