Page 50 of Peripheral Vision (Tethered in Darkness Duet #1)

I look up and I notice his lips curl into a smile, once again failing to reach his eyes.

“You’re right. You’re more than that. A tool, a weapon, a warm body.

But you’re still much too unpredictable and I can’t have that.

I was hoping after our time spent together yesterday you would see reason.

But you haven’t, and as such, we need to work on your obedience. ”

“You’ll never have that from me,” I spit, disgust blazing in my chest.

His expression darkens as he walks from behind his desk and toward me.

He circles me like I’m his next meal, a hand trailing across the injury on my back before settling at the base of my neck.

He threads his fingers through my hair before gripping it roughly and yanking my head backward so that I’m looking up at him.

“It’s a good thing we have all day, niece .

” He shoves me forward, causing me to stumble to my knees before he delivers a kick to my abdomen, causing me to double over, fighting for my breath.

“You probably think I enjoy this.” Another kick to my spine.

“I really don’t. I’d rather spend the time we have together doing something equally beneficial” He stomps on my hand, the bones cracking under the force as I cry out.

“Something equally pleasurable.” He walks around to where I’m face down on the ground before gripping my hair once more.

“But if this is what it’s going to take, so be it. ”

He drags me across the rug, my scalp screaming, to the table before he pulls rope from a hidden hook below it.

He takes my broken hand in his, eliciting a scream from my throat as he secures it in the first knot before tying it to one of the hooks, ensuring I can’t go anywhere.

“Stand up, Dylan.” I can barely hear him through my tears, barely see him through the screen they’ve formed in my eyes.

He digs his thumb into the wound on my shoulder, pulling.

“I said stand up!” He yanks me onto my feet, more blood running down my body as he shoves me onto my back on the table.

He secures the leg opposite to the first hand he did, before securing the rest of my limbs.

“Oh, silly me. I forgot to remove your dress. You won’t be needing it for this next part.

” He pulls his knife from his pocket before tearing it down the front of my dress, and I can feel where it digs into my skin as he does so, leaving a trail of blood in his wake.

He stops right above my pelvis, as if contemplating how thoroughly he wants to damage me.

I can feel his hesitation, his mind warring over keeping the most prized part of me pretty or not.

In the end, he uses his hands to tear the dress the rest of the way. The way he’s secured me leaves me spread and on display, in the perfect position to do what he would like with me. “Please,” I gasp as his hand trails back up my body. “Please, I’ll behave. Just stop this.”

He leans down into my face as he pinches one of my nipples, twisting it harshly.

“It’s too late for that, my dear. I offered you patience and you wasted it yet again.

” He digs in his back pocket and pulls his cell phone out, leveling it above me, and I hear a shutter as though he took a picture.

“I think Fletcher will love this one, don’t you?

” He shows me the photo he took before pressing send and a sob escapes my body.

“Oh, don’t cry for him, Dylan. You two will be reunited again soon.

I’m sure of it.” The smile he gives me makes me sick, but what he does next is even worse.

He kneels down, rummaging through whatever else is hanging from the bottom of the table, and pulls out a vibrator.

“You withheld your orgasm from me last night. I’m going to make sure you give me what I want tonight, so I can give Fletcher evidence that you enjoy what I do to you. ”

“He’ll never believe you, he’s going to know you’re forcing it from me,” I spit.

He smiles. “I don’t need to force you. Not when you’ll be begging for it soon enough.”

My heart hammers in my chest, but I refuse to let him see any more fear. “You’re wrong. I’ll never give you that satisfaction, you sick fuck.”

He turns on the vibrator, rolling it down my stomach, mixing it with the blood that has collected there.

“We’ll see, but you’ll give me exactly what I want eventually, Dylan.

You’re going to realize that I’m going to take away any other choice you have but to accept me.

Accept this. You’ll learn to enjoy it just like you’ll learn to hate your resistance.

And Fletcher will be the one to see that—he’ll watch you shatter, piece by piece, and then you’ll watch the light leave his eyes, and won’t feel an ounce of sadness because I’m going to be all that you see, and the only thing you’ll wonder is how you can satisfy me. ”

I stop breathing as he rolls the vibrator lower, until it’s hovering right above the apex of my thighs. “You’ll regret this. I’ll make sure you regret this.” But my voice is small, weak.

His gaze never wavers as he places the vibrator over my clit.

“No, you’ll regret ever trying to fight me and think you had a winning chance.

” I clench my eyes shut as I try to ignore the sensation between my thighs, as I resist giving him what he wants, but my body is following its natural instincts.

And when I feel him shove his fingers inside of me, curling to get me to hurdle over the edge quicker, I try to close my legs, the rope stopping me.

I can feel the tears beginning to build as my orgasm does and I pray to any god that will hear me to just kill me, to take me away from this place, to make it end.

But those prayers go unanswered, and I break.

Connor’s cruel chuckle shatters through the background with me as he turns the vibrator off and sets it aside…

taking his phone out again. When he’s done, he removes his fingers, holding my gaze as he licks them clean.

“No wonder Fletcher is so obsessed with you. You’re a treat.

” I gag as I look away, tears flowing freely once again.

“Now it’s my turn… but unfortunately I still don’t trust your compliance.

” He walks back to his desk, and I hear him rummaging through a drawer before he returns with a syringe.

“Little pinch,” he says as he jabs it into my thigh.

After a few minutes I begin to feel drowsy, and I know I’ve been dosed again.

“But don’t worry, this is just to take the edge off, to take your inhibitions away.

I still want you to be able to remember it when I shove my cock down your throat, I just don’t want you to be able to do anything about it. ”