Page 24 of Sweet Torture (Torture Games #1)

NINETEEN

CHAOS

W hat have I done?

I scoop the pasta up with my bare hands and leave a trail of sauce dripping from my hands behind on my way to dump it in the sink.

So much for dinner from Angelo’s. At first, I was so dumbstruck to find Naz here, but the bloody building manager evaporated any good feeling I might have felt at seeing her beautiful face.

Walking back to the scene of the crime, I see the reach of the devastation caused by the red marinara sauce. It resembles blood splatter on my greyish carpet, and it feels indicative of the carnage this relationship has caused.

Or was this my own doing?

I wipe the spots on the carpet with my fingers but give up, disgusted when I notice specks of red on my suit as well. This is never going to come clean, just like my conscience.

I have been twisting and turning, struggling to come to terms with the information dump I received in that restaurant bathroom.

After drinking in the car and the restaurant, and mixed with the adrenaline pumping through my system, it was bound to cause a disruption.

My memory of the night is hazy. I remember the satisfying crunch the asshole’s nose made when my knee connected it.

And I recall only certain words, but I am sure he said she was damaged.

That man made it sound like she wanted him to be brutal. I have gone over the contract copy she gave me for hours after getting home and nowhere was there any indication that she wanted what he described, and yet she allowed that fuck nut to do that to her.

He looked too smug for it not to be the truth. He definitely knew Naz. Intimately. And the selfish prick in me lost control at the very notion that a piece of scum like him was good enough for her, but me she wants to change and dominate.

Not to mention, it felt too close to what I watched my mother endure for years. She also chose the jerk over everything, even her own flesh and blood.

Figures.

My father would love this. Must be the ugly bastard’s last form of revenge on me .

For me to fall for a woman who wanted a man like my father would mean that I needed to change into my father. I have worked so hard to erase that fucker from my life, and now I find myself in a position where I could lose the girl or become what I despise most in life, my father.

What if she is so damaged that she unlocks the flimsy box in which I hide my most profound shame?

She breaks in here, pretending to care about my well-being. What does it matter that I ghosted her for a week?

Nothing.

She comes into my home, bringing my favorite food, and another strange man shows up at my door, vying for her attention.

I wanted to crush his skull with my bare hands. The urge was so strong that I could taste blood in my mouth.

Why does she insist on caring for me when I treat her so abysmally?

I abandon the cleaning and march to my room with resolute intentions. I will feel better once I get myself clean.

Maybe I could wash my shame away.

I shed my clothes on the way to the shower and drop everything in my wake to the floor.

The suit is ruined anyway.

I immediately step under the water, eager to get this over with. The shower spray is freezing, but I stay put. Maybe the coldness will clear the haze from my mind enough to contain my constant anger.

I force myself to stand there for longer than needed. When my skin is bright red, I close the water and dry off with the towel she used last time. Her scent still clings faintly to the fibers, and I press it to my nose to inhale deeply, before chucking it aside. No more.

I thought that if I stayed away from her, I would be able to return to normal. But my life has steadily crumbled until I no longer recognize the face in the mirror.

In my room, I yank open my dresser drawer and pull the grey sweatpants over my legs and grab the first hoodie I can find.

Sitting on the bed, I tie my trainers' laces, and standing, I stare at the image in the mirror on the wall; I realize how far I have fallen. Normally, I would never appear like this in public, but tonight I couldn’t give a shit.

I might still be able to fix what is broken between us.

What I broke.

But since Naz already sees me as a coward, I have to act before that idea takes root.

I have been searching for that man the whole week to get more out of him. I wanted him to explain everything I couldn’t remember but to no avail. He has vanished, and Angelo has never seen him before.

I have been so stuck that I have been racking my brain, barely sleeping. But now, I have had enough. It is time to go to the source and ascertain exactly what happened .

Before I get any deeper.

Closing the door behind me, I jog to the elevator and catch it just in time.

All the lights are off except for one faint flickering in a room at the side. I picked Naz up from this address once, but never entered the domicile, so I have no idea what room it is.

I knock.

I knock again a few minutes later. Louder this time.

A shadow creeps past the window, and I am surprised to hear the vibration in her voice from behind the door. “Who is it?”

“It is me.” I hear multiple locks disengage, and finally, the door opens a sliver.

“Griffin, is that you?” Her using my birth name is like a stab to the heart. I prefer Chaos so much more.

“Yeah, may I come in?” And as an afterthought, I add, “Please.”

The door closes and suddenly opens wide to let me in.

I step over the threshold, and immediately the door is slammed shut behind me, and I hear her engage all the locks again in the dark.

Moments later, a light is switched on, and she is still dripping wet, covered in a flimsy silk nightgown, clinging to the wetness of her curves.

In the hand hanging by her side, she is clutching a 22-caliber revolver.

“What is that for? Were you expecting me?”

She laughs it off with a wave, “What, no, a girl can never be too careful. Don’t you agree? Now, how may I help you? It is pretty late to come for dinner. Besides, I have already eaten the best dishes. Only the pizza is left. The fridge is over there. I am going to go change. Be right back.”

She is rambling, and I find it absolutely adorable. At least I am not the only one nervous here.

She points me in the right direction and quickly disappears into a room I can only assume is the bathroom. She switches on the lights as far as she goes, and a whole new world of vivid color and some questionable furniture choices is exposed.

I approach the colossal contraption that looks like a giant ‘X’ carefully; the wood is smooth underneath my fingers, and the lights glint on the leather cuff’s buckle. I jump slightly when I hear her voice right behind me.

“Have you ever seen something like this?”

I shake my head without turning around, and she continues.

“It is called a St. Andrew’s Cross. Your legs and arms are fixed by leather cuffs. Can you see the velvet on the inside of each cuff? It is so it doesn’t leave marks behind when you struggle.”

I smile. Naz is so patient while I know she was on the verge of strangling me earlier. And not for fun, either. “What makes you think I would struggle?”

She huffs, and when I turn, I see her take a seat on a crazy curved couch in the corner.

“Because you are an entitled brat. But I don’t have time for another tantrum. Just tell me what you came here to say, and let’s be done.”

She avoids my eyes, and guilt riddles me. I did this to her. All she wanted to do was take care of me, and my own insecurities hurt her.

“I am sorry.” It is barely a whisper but filled with remorse.

She jumps up and gestures at the front door. “Fine, if that is all, this way to freedom.” She doesn’t move, and neither do I. We stare at each other, refusing to break first.

“How can I prove to you I am sincere?” I beg.

She is wearing a pullover dress, which looks like she is sans underwear. She folds her arms under her breasts and holds her chin with one hand, just like the night we met.

“Oh, I believe you are sorry. I believe you realized what a mess you made out of everything. I also believe that you won’t ever get the opportunity to fuck up like that with me again.”

I shrug and lift my hands, palms open. "Because you forgive me, and all is good again? ”

She steps closer but thinks better of it. She turns away from me and faces the wall. “Forget it. Just leave. It is late.”

I move closer to put my hands on her arms and feel a slight tremble. She is really upset.

“How about we play a game?” I offer.

She turns out of my hold and throws her hands up in the air.

“This is hardly the time to have sex. Especially since you accused me of being a whore.” Her words are clipped and filled with raw emotion.

“I know, but we both need the aftercare, and you know how hard it is for me to accept it. Imagine if there was no reason for it. It would break my tiny mind and bend my ego completely,” I jest in an attempt to get her to open up to me.

She shakes her head and pushes me away with one hand, “It is dangerous to play when one of us is not in the right mindset. I could hurt you because you hurt me, and I will never do that to anyone. It is wrong. I should know.”

Her words remind me of something that man said that night, but the memory is frazzled on the edge of my memory tapestry, and I cannot discern how the stories weave together.

“I am truly sorry. Something happened, and I didn’t know how to handle the situation.

I have never been in a relationship like this, and it is still strange and new to me.

Even though you expect me to act out, this is something different, and I want to tell you all about it, but I don’t know where to start or how to tell you without making an ass of myself.

” I lower my head, refusing to see the disappointment in her eyes when she also realizes I am weak.

She comes closer and lifts my chin with her finger, her eyes filled with awe.

“Thank you for trusting me with that. I feel much better.”

I can only nod, not knowing what to say and not wanting to fuck it up again.

“Do you want to play a game?” Her words are barely a whisper, but my heart jolts.

“Yes, I would like that very much.” She outlines my jaw with one finger, and I want to shiver in anticipation.

“What is your safe word? And do you consent?”

“Yes, always, yes. The safe word is rebel.”

She nods and points to a spot close to the contraption I was admiring earlier.

“Strip and then kneel there. I will be right back.”

She moves over to the tall wooden closets and takes something out before disappearing into the bathroom again.

I shed my clothing for the second time in a few short hours and kneel where she points.

It doesn’t take her long to appear, and as she strolls closer, I can feel my cock hardening at the sight.

She has changed into a halter top of black gauze-like material, straining to contain her breasts.

Two disguised pasties are vaguely noticeable under the top, but the bottom is the real winner.

It is crotchless panties from the same fabric, only it is surrounded by an intricate system of halters and gleaming buckles.

My breath catches in my throat, and I swear I stop breathing altogether.

“Do you like it, Chaos?” she asks as she cocks her hip to the side and hook her thumb into one of the harness straps.

I lick my dry lips, unable to reply.

“I bought this outfit, especially for you, and it feels fitting to wear it tonight.”

She walks closer on her tippy toes, and when she is close enough, she lifts her leg and steps gently on my shoulder. My breathing hitches again, and I lift my arms to reach out and touch her.

“No!”

Her voice is harsh, and I have never heard that tone before.

“Do you want to play truth and dare with me, Chaos?”

I nod absently, staring at his glistening pussy so close to my starving mouth. Suddenly, she removed her foot and gestured to me to get up. “Stand on the platform and stretch out your limbs.”

Still dazed, I do as instructed. She swiftly fastens the cuffs around my hands and feet, and I am surprised at how comfortable I am.

My dick is still semi-hard, and I see her look at it like it is a conundrum ready to be solved. She disappears behind me, and her voice carries across the room.

“Do you like leeches, Chaos? They slither around on your skin until they find the desired spot and latch onto you. Digging their teeth deep enough to get to your blood vessels. They will suck and suck until there is no more blood to give, then they will slither to a new position and start the process all over again.”

I close my eyes, too scared to see her round the cross with a bottle of squirmy black things, ready to torture me. This was a mistake. I need to get out of here. I start pulling on the cuffs to loosen their hold on me.

I feel her breath blow over my chest when she comes back around, and I hiss when I feel the cold sting of something around my cock. If that is a leech, there is going to be nothing left of my magnificent cock.

I hear the telltale sound of a lock. My eyes spring open, and I gasp to see my cock stuffed in a cage like thing.

“What the fuck is that?”

She places her hands on my chest, rubbing in soothing circles.

“Chaos, I will never hurt you. You might feel a bit uncomfortable with the cock cage, but it is a little bit of punishment for being a huge ass. As for the leaches, I just needed a way to shrink your hardon; otherwise, you would never have fit in the cage. This is the worst I will do tonight. Are you still okay?”

I am breathing harder, but I feel fine. After the initial shock has passed, I feel comfortable enough to lean back and enjoy the feel of the leather on my back and the softness around my wrists.

Still, she checks again, “Do you still consent?”

I nod and sigh in relief when she moves to sit on the curved couch. Before she sits down, she moves it closer to give me a great view when she sits with her legs swinging off the sides.

“There, now we can have a little chat. We are not going to play the traditional game of truth or dare. This game works as follows: for every question you answer truthfully, you can dare me to do something to my body. Anything you like, but I will stop everything when I feel you are lying. Is that understood?”

I nod eagerly, but she waits for verbal confirmation.

“Yes, my Queen.”

The smile on her face frees me from all reservations. She is kind and gentle and would never hurt me or take advantage of me in such a vulnerable position.

“Right, first question, what happened between you and the blonde?”

I was wrong.