Page 17

Dinner went uneaten, as has breakfast. The plate of pancakes, sausage patties, and scrambled eggs grows cold on the workbench, untouched except for a glob of spit sitting right on top.

“Oh Lily, you’re not doing yourself any favors starving yourself.” I croon to her, petting her hair, twirling a chunk of it around my finger, watching it curl and bounce when I let go of it.

“I can’t really eat all tied up like an animal.” She says, frowning at me, making little lines appear around her mouth.

“That’s why I tried to feed you. But spitting in my face is not the way to treat the man taking care of you.”

“You’re really fucked up aren’t you?”

“More than you can ever know. But I was kind of hoping you would change that.” I confess to her, because it’s true.

Maybe having some, dare I say it, love in my life would help heal the damaged little boy who liked to kill animals that still resides in me, and bring me some peace.

Maybe.

I know I’m fucked up; I’ve never hidden that fact. But I also know that there is something about her that makes me…softer, and I need to explore that. She’s different than all the others that have graced this cross and this room, and I can feel that if she were to break and fall into place, things could be amazing.

As we stare each other down, her eyes trying to peer behind my mask, she sighs and slumps against the wooden beams in defeat. The growling of her stomach is becoming so loud that even Magnolia whines when it rumbles again.

“Fine. Feed me.” Lily huffs, finally giving in to the hunger tearing through her guts.

“That wasn’t very nice. How do we ask?” I reprimand her. Being mad and hungry is no excuse for bad manners. She’s better than that.

“May I have some food, please.” She asks sarcastically rolling her eyes at me.

“Not perfect, but better. Princesses need to act like it you know. The nicer you are, the nicer I am.”

“Yeah right.”

“Try me and see, baby.” I chuckle grabbing her plate and turning from her.

“Hey, where are you going?” She asks as I cross the room, snapping my fingers and pointing to Lily so Magnolia knows she’s staying to keep watch of her. “You said I could have something to eat.”

“Of course, I’m just getting you something fresh and saliva free.” I answer her, jogging up the steps to get her something more appropriate to eat for her first meal with me.

“Eggs, tomatoes, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes…” I hum as I pull out all the ingredients from the fridge and cabinets.

She needs something with substance that will fill that empty belly and hold her over whilst I work the rest of the day. Just because I have her prisoner here doesn’t mean that the whole world outside these walls just stops. I have mergers to do, shipments to import, and logs to falsify, all by the end of the day. Good thing I can work from my home office, I’ll feel better that way at least for now.

By the time I’m done cooking, my protein shake has worn off, and my stomach is gurgling just as loud as hers was. I spoon the food into two large bowls, grab spoons and napkins, and head back down into the cellar where she waits, her hands still bound, her eyes on those of Magnolia’s.

“You girls getting to know each other?” I ask as I set the food down on my work bench and pull up a rolling stool in front of Lily. “Magnolia is the best girl ever. You could learn a few things from her.”

“Learn from a dog, yeah, okay.” Lily says rolling her grey eyes at me as I scoot up to her, grabbing her bowl on my way.

“Now, would you like to eat or continue to give me attitude. Remember, how this goes is all dependent on you, princess.”

“What is that?” She asks, looking down, her eyes growing large at the massive amount of food.

“This my dear is eggs in purgatory. Have you ever had it before?” I answer her, dipping the large soup spoon into the mixture, releasing some of the steam from under the eggs. When she remains silently staring at the bowl, and a drop of drool runs form the corner of her mouth, I continue speaking. “It’s soft-boiled eggs in a spicy tomato sauce. It’s very good. My mother used to make it for me.”

“You have a mother? You mean you weren’t just spit out of hell into this world.?”

“Contrary to your beliefs, I’m not such a monster. You will see that; in time I guess.”

Scooping out a piece of egg with some of the sauce, I blow gently on it, wafting the curls of steam away until I’m sure it won’t burn her tongue. She looks at me in confusion, like my actions are foreign to her.

“If you’re worried about it being hot, then you have feelings?” She asks, watching me cool down her food for her.

“I do, yes. I might be fucked up, but I promise all of this is not to hurt you. It was to keep you from harming yourself. I’ve already told you a few times. How this goes all depends on you, princess.”

“Can I get down?”

“Do you promise not to try and hurt either one of us? If you do, Magnolia there won’t be so quiet or nice.” I answer her, nodding to the dog sitting right at my hip. “She’s the best girl ever, to me. To you…baby you have to earn that.”

“I promise.” She sighs, looking between me and the dog, then up at her bound wrists covered in dried blood.

“Good girl.”

The chains rattle as I stand up and unhook her cuffs from the cross. Her arms drop down limply, her muscles obviously worn out and frozen from the lack of usage for the past twelve hours or so of restraint. She leans her weight against me as I take her down, my arms wrapped around her for support, her body crushed to mine in her weakness.

“Owww.” She cries out as I kick the stool forward and set her down on her ass. “Everything hurts.”

“Yes baby, it will. But after you eat, we’ll soak you in a hot bath. That’ll loosen you up.”

She looks so tired, almost ready to pass out, but her belly growls and she curls forward in discomfort. I don’t think she can run, but just in case, I leave her wrists cuffed, and for good measure, I grab the second pair of metal binds, kneel in front of her, and click them around her ankles.

“Just in case.” I say to her, looking up at her from my knees.

Even bloodied and exhausted she really is the idol of perfection. Her skin is flawless except for her injuries, and her freckles move so nicely as she wriggles her face, making the muscles work and softening her appearance. Her long legs curl under the stool, and her thighs drop open just a little, the pale skin between them peeking out for my view.

I want to push those legs open more and expose her to my hands and eventually my mouth, but she needs to eat. I want her to have some strength for when I touch her in the ways my body and my cock crave. The hard on in my jeans will just have to wait until then.

So new to you. Hedeon Zverev never waits for anything he wants.

Leaning back on my feet, staying down below her to show her that she is both physically and symbiotically above me, I offer her the first bite of her food. A drop spills on my cupped hand under the spoon as she takes the bite, her eyes rolling back in her head, and her stomach growling loudly.

“Mmmm so good.” She moans, then catches herself, and adjusts her spine straight, clearing her throat as she swallows the spicy brunch.

“It’s okay to enjoy it. I like cooking.” I say to her, offering her another spoonful that she takes immediately, barely chewing the egg before sucking it down. “My mother taught me.”

At the second mention of the only other woman I have cared for, I see her brows drop and her face soften more. Maybe she can see that I’m a human being now. The mask on my face doesn’t help portray that, and against all the warning bells in my head, I reach up and touch the edge of the white plastic.

“Stop.” She says, her cuffed hands reaching out and touching my fingers. “I want to do it.”

I can feel the fear in her touch, the way her fingers tremble as she brushes my hand away. It’s like she’s expecting a monster under the disguise. She clears her throat again and takes a big breath in, then lifts the mask away, staring at me with an agape mouth and something different passing through her eyes. Admiration?

“Not the crazy beast you were expecting?”

“No…not at all. You’re…you’re normal.”

With a chuckle, I take her hand in mine and pull the mask from her grip, letting it fall to the floor with a clatter. “I wouldn’t say normal. Far from it actually. But for you, I’ll try to be anything you want.”

It’s an odd feeling as she strokes down my cheek, her nails lightly scratching on my scruff. She investigates my square jaw, and nose, then traces over my bottom lip, making me peek my tongue out, seeking just the faintest of touches from her on it. When she reaches up, her metal cuffs in my face, to reach my hair I close my eyes and just feel her exploration. A low moan rumbles in my chest when she grabs a handful of it and tugs lightly.

I’m lost in the sensuality of her touch, and don’t hear the clatter of the spoon against the bowl. It’s my fault for letting my guard down, and when I open my eyes to look up at her with the adoration I feel for her, the spicy hot tomato sauce she spits viciously at me blinds me.

“What the fuck?” I yell, grabbing my face, my fingers rubbing at my eyelids, trying to rid my vision of the hot peppers that burn like fire.

“Help!” She screams, leaping off the stool, her bound ankles smashing into my kneecaps as she tries to jump over me. “Help!”

Her shrieks are unnecessary, no one will hear her down here, especially when Magnolia starts barking at her, snapping her teeth at Lily’s arms as I grab her and pull her to the floor with me.

“For fuck’s sake Lily.” I spit at her, wrapping my arms and legs around her as she fights and flails against my body.

“Help!Someone!”

“No one will hear you.” I grunt, holding her tightly, watching for the swing of her head. I don’t want her breaking open her forehead again.

She bucks and writhes in my grasp, her hair wrapping around my face, the red tendrils getting covered in the tomato sauce, dragging it across my skin. It’s hot, but not hot enough to burn my flesh, but for fuck’s sake the red pepper flakes in it really hurts the eyes.

Such a feisty little thing you are, princess.

It’s a futile escape attempt, and almost a comical one at that. Where she thought she was going with her wrists and ankles cuffed I have no idea. How she thought she would get past Magnolia is even funnier, and as she struggles and grunts against my chest, I just hold on tightly, laughing little chuckles until she finally gives in and submits to the fact that she’s going nowhere.