Page 28 of Coercion

It’s hard not to feel delight at that spark of personality. It’s just a shame she’s chosen this moment here to show it.

“You should teach her to hold her tongue.” Levi says, walking up beside me.

She looks between us, huddling up more, waiting for the blows to continue.

I offer my hand for her to take but she shakes her head, obviously refusing and, technically, disrespecting me even further.

“I expected better of you.” Levi spits at her. “I brought you up to be obedient.” He raises his fist and I quickly move my body to block him.

“Do not touch my wife.” I growl.

He smirks more and I seize the moment to grab Ruby, wrenching her up to her feet by her arm as she yelps. I’ve had enough of this shit, enough of this grandstanding or whatever the fuck this all is.

“Let’s go.” I say, dragging her past them all. Her legs kick out beneath her but I don’t give her time to get any footing.

“I’d tie her to your bed if I were you, Preston.” Levi shouts after us. “Make sure your wife understands exactly what is and isn’t expected of her.”

Preston

Idon’t speak to her as we drive back. She’s in the back while I’m up front and though I don’t want to treat her like a prisoner, if she’s going to act like one, then I will have her heavily guarded, I will have her locked up, monitored, the full-fucking-shebang. I’ll lock a cage around her so tight she’ll realise that the one Levi made was a thing of fancy in comparison.

When we pull up outside, I jerk my head for the doors to open and she’s hauled out, landing on her knees in the gravel.

She’s sniffing, hanging by her arms, still wearing the stinking anorak that has come from god knows where.

I walk up to her, tucking my hand under her chin to lift her head so she’s forced to look at me.

She glares for the briefest of seconds before that same empty expression comes down.

“You shouldn’t have run, wife.” I say quietly.

She curls her lip down, showing her distaste and my dick instantly comes to life. I like her feisty, I like her when she’s not pretending to be someone else. For a second I contemplate what it would feel like to do it, to rip those damned clothes off and to fuck her here, in front of everyone, to show her under no uncertain terms exactly who she belongs to. Exactly what kind of man she’s goading.

Fuck Nico for making this so damned difficult.

And fuck Ruby for being such a fucking temptation that I’m close to stripping her naked and doing it anyway.

Behind me I hear as the two guards who were meant to watch her are brought out. She looks from me to them in confusion.

I tilt my head, hoping she understands exactly what the situation is and I slip my hand into my jacket, pulling out my hand gun that is holstered there, out of view. I usually only use it for emergencies but I’ll make an exception this time.

“No.” She cries, as it dawns on her what this is.

“They let me down.” I state. “Their job was to watch you and they failed.”

“Please Preston…”

It’s the first time she’s spoken my name, first time she’s uttered it. It’s a shame she chose such circumstances really. It’s a shame she’s ruined that moment for me. I tut, brushing my thumb over her beautiful pouty lips. “When I want you to beg, wife, you’ll know it.”

In my head those words are for show, for my men, that this is just another performance in our pretend marriage, only, I knowthat’s not true. The thought of Ruby on her knees begging for my cock makes me so hard I can’t even think straight.

She shuffles forward, her hands snatching at the one of mine that holds the weapon. Her fingers curl around my wrist.

“Please don’t kill them.”

I jerk my chin up at the tone of her voice. She cares so much for these men? My men? And yet she willingly risked her life without any care for her own.

“Please…”