Page 19 of Drag You Down (Bloody Desires #2)

GAbrIEL

Me

I have a new boy.

I text Dominick, then I glance at Levi, who’s fast asleep in my bed. I smile. My cheeks hurt from how much I’ve been smiling.

Ichabod has curled up against Levi’s chest, and the two of them look absolutely adorable.

After a few seconds, my phone buzzes with a response.

Dom

Pics or it didn’t happen.

I take a quick photo of Levi, fast asleep with an adorable little smear of blood on his cheek.

I don’t send it to Dom though. This is only for me. My precious lamb, who gave me his first time and thrived under it. My back still twinges from the scratches, and I sigh happily.

I’m less happy when Levi turns and I can see the scars on his back.

Penance.

That must be how Zachariah keeps his victims complacent. If they disobey him, they get whipped. And Levi has borne the brunt of that ire, for whatever stupid reasons were sold to him.

There’s also the problem of the basement.

Please don’t turn off the light, Levi had begged before we’d gone to sleep.

Maybe what I need to do is lock Zachariah into a dark room. I’ll tie him up with barbed wire, so every time he tries to move, he’ll cut himself. And in the dark, he won’t know if I’m lurking just behind him, or in front of him.

He won’t know where the next cut will come from.

He won’t see when I gouge his eye out.

I’m going to make him suffer.

I pet Ichabod briefly, and he stretches his paws before rolling onto his back to show me his belly. I stroke that too, but I know that Ichabod would gladly let me pet him for hours. I pick him up and set him on the floor.

“Later, Ichabod. I’ve got to take care of my lamb first,” I tell him in a hushed whisper.

Ichabod meows and jumps back onto the bed. He tries to go back to his previous spot, but I slide over so I can take Levi into my arms.

Levi stirs, and he turns so he can look at me with bleary eyes. “Hi,” he whispers hoarsely. He licks his lips, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s still chasing the taste of blood.

“Hello.” I kiss his lips gently, and my lamb, my boy, opens up for me beautifully.

He wraps an arm around my back. I flex my shoulders for him so he can scratch open the newly formed scabs?—

But he freezes and pulls back.

“What is it?” I ask, brushing his hair away from his forehead. “Are you hurt?”

“N-no,” he says. “But you are.”

I chuckle and kiss his forehead. “This is nothing. I told you, you can have whatever you want from me. I believe in providing my boy with what he needs.”

His lips part, then seal back into a line. He pulls back, away from me, and I look at him in confusion.

“Why are you calling me that?” he whispers. “The boy, the… the Daddy?” He shivers like he’s cold, and I try to pull him back, but he refuses to move closer to me again.

I sigh and take his hand into mine, expecting him to snatch it back, but he only tenses.

“I call you my lamb, my boy, because I want to take care of you. I can see it in your eyes. You yearn for it, Levi. You yearn for me . That day when you sucked that man’s blood from your fingers, I knew we were made for each other.”

Levi stares at me, and I realize that the desire I’d seen the night before has turned into fear. “We’re not,” he says, his voice wobbling. “Last night was a mistake.”

I frown. “It wasn’t. You wanted me. You asked for me.” I reach out to stroke his cheek, and he flinches away from my touch. Anger flashes through me—not at him, but at Zachariah and whatever bullshit he spewed to make Levi deny himself like this. “Call me Daddy again,” I order. “Say it. Feel it.”

Levi shakes his head. “It’s… it’s perverse. Sick. Wrong.” He licks his lips, and I imagine him tasting my blood again. He scrambles back, away from me, and I tighten my hold on his hand before he can escape.

“Why?” I demand. “It makes you feel good. Say it, little lamb. Say it .”

“It doesn’t!” he protests, but I know he’s lying. He squirms, trying to pull his hand away. “Let go of me. You promised me one night. It’s been one night.”

He’s panicking.

I should’ve predicted this.

“It isn’t one night,” I say sternly. “I’m your Daddy now, little lamb. I know what you need.”

His eyes widen and he shakes his head. “You don’t! You don’t know me!”

But I do. I’ve watched him every chance I could. I know he’s the only one who leaves that apartment building regularly. I’ve seen how he stops to dig his fingers into his back whenever he passes by Zachariah’s unit. I’ve tasted the blood on Levi’s lips.

And I have his marks all over my back.

“What you want is discipline,” I say, yanking Levi closer.

“I don’t—” he begins, struggling against me. “I don’t want your discipline. Only Father Zachariah can discipline me. He knows what I need to… to save my soul.”

I remember my conversation with Dom, where he said I wasn’t a caretaking Daddy. He’s wrong though.

I’ll show Levi that it’s safe to act out and be scared. When he needs it, I’ll give him the punishment he craves.

And there is no fucking way I’m going to let Zachariah take that role from me.

“Oh, little lamb,” I murmur. I pull Levi over my lap, pressing firmly against his back to keep him in place. “You crave pain. I’ll give you pain.”

Levi fights me, but it’s weak at best. “I don’t want pain.”

No, he wants blood.

I imagine taking my knife to him, literally cutting my mark into his skin, and my cock threatens to harden.

It isn’t safe to do any of that while he’s struggling like this though. Someday, he’ll trust me enough that I can give him everything he desires.

I stroke his bare ass. “Daddy’s going to spank you, little lamb. You don’t need to worry about anything but the pain I give you.”

“I don’t want it,” he whispers, but I can feel the way his cock has started to respond to the thought, firming against my leg.

“You can lie to yourself, little lamb, but you can’t lie to me.” I press my finger between his ass cheeks, against the sore rim of his hole.

Levi gasps and instinctively raises his ass for me. When he realizes what he’s done, he shakes his head and says, “Stop!”

It’s such a weak protest that I smile. “Is there a number you like, little lamb? Or should I keep going until you cry?”

“Don’t,” he begs so prettily. “I don’t need discipline. I need penance .”

I feel another flash of anger toward Zachariah, and I know I’m going to kill him before the month is out.

It’s so clear in my mind that it settles the anger.

I smile down at Levi. “I won’t get mad when you cry. I accept every part of you, lamb.”

Then I bring my hand down against his bare ass, harder than I would normally for a first-time partner.

I’m not worried about going too far.

I’m more worried about not giving him enough.

His every cry for penance is a cry for pain, a cry for something I can give him more lovingly than anything Zachariah can offer.

The sound he makes is choked, but he lifts his ass in the air, silently pleading for more.

I spank him again, and his pale skin blooms in red.

Levi sobs and shifts forward, his cock rubbing against my thigh. He still struggles, but another spank has his body settle deeper.

“I hate you,” Levi whispers.

The words stab through me, but I know he doesn’t mean them. Spankings are when boys are allowed to act out.

I hit his ass again, and again, and with each blow Levi’s body stills, then strains into my palm more.

His cock grows harder too, and I don’t say anything as he subtly frots against my thigh in between each strike.

“There you go,” I whisper. “Just feel it, little lamb. Enjoy it. Daddy will take care of everything.”

I lose track of how many times I’ve hit him when I finally hear it: Levi’s soft sobs.

I settle my hand on his reddened ass, only now noticing how much my palm stings. I stroke the deep red of his ass cheeks and push in gently, drawing a moan out of him.

“My beautiful lamb,” I murmur. “Do you feel better now?”

Levi sniffles. For a long moment, I think he isn’t going to reply, but he finally whispers back, “Y-yes, Daddy.” He squirms, and his erection continues to grind against my thigh.

I help lift him upright and let him settle into my lap. His face is red and splotchy with tears, and he’s so beautiful like this.

I’ve never seen anyone as beautiful as Levi.

“Give Daddy a hug, little lamb,” I whisper.

He hesitates, but then he wraps his arms around me. He buries his face against my neck, and I pull him closer so that he can feel safe and warm in my embrace.

It does mean I can feel his insistent erection against my stomach. I kiss the top of his head and stroke his back gently.

“Do you want Daddy to give you pleasure now?” I ask, squeezing his thigh.

“I haven’t earned it. I haven’t earned anything good,” he says, resting his cheek against my shoulder. “That wasn’t penance at all.”

My hatred for Zachariah Carpenter only grows, and I stoke that flame. I look forward to the day when I carve him up and present his heart to Levi as a gift.

“You have earned whatever I say you do,” I say. “You want somebody to judge you, but God will never give you an answer. I can.” I pet the back of Levi’s head, giving him what comfort I can.

“You aren’t a holy man,” he whispers. “You can’t give answers on His behalf.”

“But I’ll give you my answers.” I stroke down to Levi’s ass and squeeze. “You can take penance in my arms.”

He squirms and gasps, but he continues to cling to me despite the pain — or maybe he clings to me because of it.

His cock is smearing precum across my stomach, leaking steadily, and my own cock is equally hard as I gaze at his face.

I gently brush at the tears in the corners of his eyes, bringing my fingers to my lips to taste the salt of them.

Levi shivers, his eyes searching mine.

I kiss him again, then reach for the lube lying next to my pillow. I hand the bottle to Levi. “Get my cock slick, little lamb, so you can ride me.”