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“Because I don’t cower in fear? You are sick.”
“Come on.” He starts walking out of the room. “Grab your clothes. There’s a washing machine in this house somewhere.”
I know Finn will not touch my clothes and if I want the chance to wear them again, I’ll have to clean them myself so with a scrunch of my nose, I pick up my pee-stained clothes and follow after him.
We find the washer and dryer in a hall closet.
“There.” He nods at it. “Wash your clothes.”
“I don’t know what to do.”
“Figure it out.”
I stare at the washing machine, acutely aware that I’m standing naked before Finn.
“Has any man seen you naked?” he asks.
“You know they haven’t. I told you I was a virgin.”
“Doesn’t mean no one’s seen you naked. Bet a lot of man have imagined you naked. Has Dante?”
“Ew. Dante sees me like a daughter. He’s never imagined me naked. He loves Nadia.”
He scowls. “Don’t I fucking know it.” With a sigh, he nods at the machine. “Go ahead.”
I find laundry detergent in the cupboard above the washer and pour some into the machine. I’ve seen my maid do this a few times. I have no idea which setting will be best for my clothes, so I guess and hope for the best. As long as the clothes are clean, that’s all that matters.
The Aria of just a few hours ago would have been horrified at the thought of ruining her expensive clothes. But now, I just want them clean so I can cover myself again.
“Good job. Now, get on your knees.”
I stare at him. “The floors are hardwood.”
“So?”
“So, it will hurt. And I will never kneel before you.”
“If you crawl for me, I won’t tie you back up on the bed. You’ll have free reign to wander around.”
“But then I could just escape.”
“You won’t be able to escape. I have the door set up to lock from the outside and not the inside. You won’t be able to unlock it from in here. As for the windows, I have them reinforced so you won’t be able to break them. So, what will it be, Aria? Crawl for me or make me tie you back up?”
I’m sure a lot of people would choose crawl to not have to be locked back up. There’s a TV in the living room. I could watch it to pass the time at least.
But the thought of crawling for Finn sickens me so much, I know I can’t do it. I cannot lose my pride and sense of self-worth to this man.
“Tie me back up,” I say with my head held high.
I can tell I’ve gained respect from Finn. He didn’t think I’d say that but it pleases him. I don’t want to please him though. I want to murder him.
But, I’ll never make it out of this house as he just said. Not without him.
If he were to die and no one knows I’m here, I could die inside. I have to be smart about this.
“All right, princess. Back to the bed it is.”
He removes the pee-stained sheets and I get back onto the bed where he ties me back up.