Page 14

MARGOT

F inally, I find sleep.

At first, the idea of closing my eyes on this place felt impossible.

I fought my tired eyes, staring up at the pipes running across the ceiling while planning my escape.

Well, fantasizing. I’ve pulled and jerked on the heavy chain to no avail, so while I’m down here, escape seems feeble.

But it was better than thinking about everything else. Better than thinking of Arseni or Him .

How unfair is it that I attracted two psychos?

The thought kept my head spinning for hours, it seemed. Even finding slumber, it isn’t peaceful.

I see my captor in my dreams, haunting me without consciousness. His naked, scarred torso is so muscular and so tan, I can’t take my eyes off it. It should repulse me, but my mouth waters, and my tongue runs across a raised line on his pec. Even in my dream, I know to be ashamed.

Something tickles my clit, breaking away his image.

He appears again between my legs, watching me as he kisses everything wet for him.

The sensation feels so real, I find myself being pulled from the dream, like the pleasure is so good it’s waking me up.

I feel my forehead wrinkle as my head turns, but I’m not quite conscious, and the sensation doesn’t stop.

Not until I feel the slice of a tongue at my entrance.

I snap awake, my head jerking up to see Arseni between my legs, just as I’d dreamed. I slam my thighs shut, nearly crushing his head in the process and scramble up the bed to get away from him.

My face burns hot as I hike up my knees and drape my skirt over my legs to cover myself.

“You have a beautiful pussy, Mommy.”

I turn my face away and clench my eyes shut, resisting the urge to beg him to stop. He knows I hate him calling me that. I hate it now even more than I hated it back when he was my foster kid. That’s his point.

“Are you really going to pretend you didn’t enjoy that?”

“I was asleep, you…”

“What?” he asks, his voice deceptively gentle. Playful, even. “What mean name do you want to call me now?”

Deviant.

Disgusting pig.

Satan’s pervy nephew.

I keep my mouth shut. He deserves no words, no further acknowledgement of his twisted game.

I promised myself when he left, I wouldn’t play it anymore.

I’d take what he forced on me, but I would no longer give him pieces of myself to laugh about.

I shouldn’t have even told him about my stalker.

I should’ve known he wouldn’t care. Known it would be just another thing to deprive me of, because my freedom and dignity aren’t enough.

“I brought you a present.” My stomach pangs at the idea of food, too intensely not to look. But he didn’t bring food. A pair of cuffs dangle from Arseni’s fingertips.

When I focus my glare on him, he laughs.

“It’s so you can go outside, silly girl. Wouldn’t you like some fresh air?”

I can’t help it. I perk up.

My eyes draw to the chain around my ankle. The only thing stopping me from trying to escape.

When I meet Arseni’s gaze again, he smiles knowingly. Even so, he pulls out a key, presumably for the chain.

“Well?” he asks. “Would you?”

Fuck you .

You’re a psychopath .

I’m not playing your games.

I look away while biting my cheek. Whatever he has planned for me, it isn’t for my benefit. I should say no. Just to spite him.

But the chain…

When Arseni stands, I shift my knees, my teeth grinding to hold my words prisoner.

“Suit yourself.” He starts to walk away until, with my eyes closed in resignation, I call to him.

“Yes,” I force out.

I open my eyes as he turns. “What?”

“Yes, I’d like some fresh air.”

“That sounds like a command, not a request overflowing with gratitude. Try again.”

I glare at him just so he knows I see through this. I see the carrot he’s dangling for me, just begging me to reach for it only so he can snatch it back.

“Could I please go outside?”

He tilts his head side to side while strolling toward me. “Better, but still not good enough. Try again.”

Could you please kill yourself? Pretty, pretty please?

“I don’t know what more you want me to say. You’re the one who came down here to offer me something, and you want me to … what? Beg? I’m through begging you, Arseni. I know you get off on it.”

He stops in front of the bed, his lips twitching. “Are you still bent out of shape over that whole money thing? If I’d known it meant that much to you, I would’ve gladly helped you out.”

I look away when my eyes sting and swear to myself that I won’t fall for this.

He won’t help me. No more asking.

Arseni crouches in front of me and takes my jaw to turn me toward him. I try to make myself look uninterested. Strong . He makes me feel so weak.

“I want you to ask me really, really nicely to take that chain off your ankle. If you can do that, I’ll be nice to you for the rest of the night. Promise.”

Promise. As if I would ever trust his promises.

Still, the carrot looks delicious.

I run five miles on a treadmill every morning, not because I love it, but because a single woman my age can’t let a day pass without thinking about appearance. Beauty is pain, but only when you’re over thirty.

Now, all that pain might actually bear fruit. I might be able to outrun him.

But could I fight him off?

Time ticks while I consider it.

I’ll have to take my chances.

“Please, Arseni.” I mock pout my lip. “Pretty, pretty, pretty pleeeassse take me outside. Oh, I want to go so badly. Plleeeeaassse with a virgin’s cherry on top?”

He grins as he laughs, low and evil-like. I’ve never forgotten that malevolent smile of his.

“ Much better. Much, much better. But there’s just one little thing…” He pinches his thumb and index finger together while squinting. “I want you to call me a nice name. Something that makes me feel like you respect me.”

I roll my eyes. “Jesus Christ, do you want me to call you sir ? Seriously? Will that make you feel like a man?”

He shakes his head, that evil smile on display. “Not sir. That’s too formal. I want you to call me Daddy.”

I rear back as my jaw drops. For at least two seconds, I’m stunned. “Oh, fuck you .”

He shakes his head. “There’s plenty of time to fuck later. I want this first.”

I jerk my head to the side, my hands bunching the skirt at my knees. My lip curled, I sneer. “I fucking hate you.”

There’s silence for a moment. Good, peaceful silence. Like maybe he’ll shut the fuck up. Maybe he’ll just go away. This time, I won’t stop him.

“The opposite of love is ambivalence, not hate. So, I guess this means we’re making progress.”

I scoff but when the weight on my ankle shifts, it feels heavier, and my stomach gnaws. If I asked him for food, I have no doubt he’d laugh at me, not letting this go.

I’m hungry. I’m tired. I can’t stop thinking about Molly all alone, whining about her missed dinner.

She has kibble automatically deposited into her bowl while I’m at work, but that’ll only last a few days.

My hope for her is Austin showing up to my house, but he’s never shown an interest in Molly.

He probably wouldn’t notice her starving to death.

And Him… He’d set her on fire just like he threatened. Arseni would probably drown the old girl if I brought her up.

I close my eyes and inhale a shaky breath, feeling a new round of crying coming on. I try to stop it, keep everything inside of me, because if I’m going to cry, it won’t be in front of Arseni. Not again.

My itching nose settles as I swallow, pushing the emotion down to fill my empty stomach.

“Arseni, please,” I whisper, one last shot at mercy.

His fingers snap. “ Yes . That, right there. That’s perfect. Just replace Arseni with Daddy and you’ll be golden.”

The humor in his voice makes me flinch. I can’t hear any humanity inside of him. None. I don’t think I ever have.

I should’ve shot him when I had the chance. Why do I let myself feel pity for him when he’d never show me the same?

Inhaling a deep breath, I look Arseni in the eyes, my tone flat as I speak. “Please take me outside, Daddy.”