Page 178 of Viper

“Cora,” he says, but my name comes out hoarse. A little thready. “Come here.”

My heart thrashes, excuses rushing through my brain, but all the reasons I need to suddenly go without the papers I came for, dies on my lips when I notice the way his arm moves in his lap. Up and down. Up and down. Slowly. Rhythmically.

No.

I shrink back, the realization of what he’s doing making my stomach drop to my toes.

My god, he’s watching porn and masturbating.

His eyes drift to the laptop, and his head drops back slightly, the blue hue of the screen outlining his features, turning them sharper. He lets out a heavy groan as his arm moves faster.

“Get over here,” he says, the words a grating command. “Come play with Papa.”

My foot slides back over the threshold.

Rune’s face hardens. “Get over here.” His arm jerks faster, each upward stroke a little rough.

I shake my head again, unable to form a single word. I’ve never caught him masturbating, but I can imagine exactly how this will end. With me bent over his desk, screaming.

“I’m going to leave,” I say. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Rune shoots up from the chair, and his full body comes into view. He grips his hard dick tightly in one hand, his other holding faded red material, running it over the tip.

“Come here,” he says, hips bucking into his hand. “I won’t hurt you.”

Every breath I suck in lines my insides with a sludgy darkness. If I fight him, no one is here to stop him. Rune’s proven time and again that I can’t overpower him. He’s too strong.

“I don’t think Vincent would like that,” I whisper, knowing it’s a weak excuse. Rune gets what he wants when he wants it.

“He won’t know, sweet girl,” he grates, voice turning smooth. “I’ve been thinking about you all day. How pretty you are. How hot and tight you feel.”

I grind my teeth, avoiding looking at his dick. “I’m on my period,” I lie, knowing damn well that’s never stopped him before.

“It’s okay, I just want you to suck the tip a little.” He runs the red material over his dick again, eyes dropping to the laptop. A faint sound comes from the computer.

A groan? Moan?

Scream?

I’m not sure why the sight of Rune watching porn and fucking his hand makes me sick. More than anything I’ve experienced from him so far. Maybe it's the delight he’s taking in it. The sick gleam in his eye as he watches the screen. Or the throaty, heavy breathing that I recognize.

“Let me come on those pretty tits,” he says, stroking harder. Faster. His gaze lands on me, his fist tightening. He clenches his teeth. “Don’t make me fucking repeat myself, girl.”

Swallowing the bile that rises in my throat, I glance over my shoulder toward the front door.

“He won’t take you back,” Rune says, reading my thoughts. “He will help me bring you back inside and hold you down if I tell him to.”

Conner.

Did he lie to me?

“Get over here, Cora. Now.”

Tears prick my eyes as I try to figure out how to get out of this unscathed.

He grunts, hips jerking. “Come watch this with me.”

I take a step back, but he lets go of his dick and bolts forward. A scream peels from my throat as I bolt for the foyer, but he grips me by my hair, yanking me backward. My ankle twists, my heel flying off as he drags me toward his office. I grip his hand woven in my hair, my scalp burning as I try to keep my footing. Rune drags me through the door, and across the room, then slams me down into his chair so hard my teeth clank together.