Her almond shaped eyes narrow as she quirks an eyebrow. “Did you have a good time?”
A good time? What kind of question is that? I know she’s cornering me. If I say no, that’s bad mouthing my Fortunate and it might get back to Vince, but if I say yes, it’ll make her mad. Elizabeth waits patiently. In fact, the whole table—nine Fortunates in total—wait for my response.
“Yes, ma’am. I did.”
She taps her fingers on the table, glaring at me like I’ve gone out of my way to frustrate her.
“Perhaps this calls for a toast.” Her slender fingers wrap around the glass and she raises it. I watch cautiously as the other Fortunates take their glasses in their hands, mimicking the movement. “Take a glass, Nine.”
I peer down at the five remaining glasses on my tray and lower it before plucking one off for myself. My movements are suspicious… and I hope they don’t notice.
“To Nine, being the first woman to spend the whole night in Master Kade’s bed, and for proving that Unfortunates aren’t as unfortunate as they claim.”
I still, watching as they slowly sip at their drinks.
“It’s extremely rude of you to ignore a toast, Unfortunate, especially one in your honour. Drink!”
I rake my teeth over my bottom lip before I exhale and bring the juice closer to my mouth. As the cool glass grazes my lip, she tells me to stop. I keep my eyes on hers as her lips pull wider, morphing into an evil grin.
“Tip the glass.”
I clench my jaw… but I do what she says. I tilt the glass, angling it more and more until the cold, sticky juice hits my skin, rolls between my breasts, over my tummy and down my legs. Bitch! I was expecting something like this, but whether I knew this would happen or not, there’s nothing I could do to stop it. A perfectly fine glass of orange juice wasted… The table erupts with giggles as I place the cup back down on my tray.
“What do you say, Unfortunate?” By some miracle, I manage to keep my face neutral regardless of her condescending tone.
“Thank you,” I reply.
I wait for her to dismiss me. Once engaged in a conversation with a Fortunate, you can’t leave until they dismiss you. As she talks about me to everyone else like I’m not standing right in front of her, I drop my attention to a butter knife on the table and ponder how far I could get after I shove it into her neck and run. I jump as a warm, hard hand grabs my arm. For a moment, my stomach drops into my intestines and panic bubbles in my chest. Did I say that out loud?
“Why is she covered in orange juice?” the man with my arm in his hand demands.
His deep, rough voice relaxes me, surprisingly, and I almost sag in relief. Master Kade has come to take me away from Elizabeth… I hope.
Elizabeth bats her long, dark lashes at Kade and smiles sweetly, forcing a bitter taste to form at the back of my throat. “She tripped.”
“Tripped?” Kade looks at me, but I keep my sights on the lush, green grass. “I find that hard to believe. Did you trip, Unfortunate?”
I drag my eyes to his. Without a doubt, the darkness in his is a lot more intimidating than Elizabeth’s blue orbs could ever be. Besides, I don’t owe her any favours and if I’m going to earn Kade’s trust and prove that I’m loyal to him, I have to tell the truth. I shake my head. “No. I was ordered to pour the juice down my dress.”
The Fortunates sitting around the table gasp and Kade’s jaw tightens imperceptibly as he turns his dark glare on Elizabeth. “What have I told you about toying with my things, Elizabeth?”
Her eyes thin. “It’s an Unfortunate, Kade. It’s not like I’m playing with anything important.”
“What have I told you?” Kade shouts, his loud voice booming like thunder. I jump and try to inch away from him, but he tightens his grip, pulling me hard against his body. Strangely, I feel safer here… like no one can hurt me.
Elizabeth pouts. “Don’t touch.”
He pushes me forward until my thighs crash into the table. I gasp as he steps behind me and harshly tugs me backwards. He squeezes my back against the front of his body and immediately his scent envelops me… he smells like the air after a fire in the forest as it mixes with the fresh, salty air of the ocean.
“Do you think because we fuck, you have ownership over me?”
Elizabeth’s cheeks turn pink and her dress suddenly seems to swim on her. I guess Kade can make anyone feel small. She shakes her head, her eyes burning with tears. I shift uncomfortably and Kade squeezes my arm harder—so hard I’m certain it’s going to bruise.
“Listen carefully, Elizabeth, because I’m only going to say this once. Mind your own business, don’t interfere with my projects, and stay away from my Unfortunate.”
Her eyes fill with hurt as she subtly flinches away from him.
Kade flicks my hair over my other shoulder and leans in. My lips part as his hot breath warms my skin.
“And you can fuck yourself tonight,” he adds, making her eyes narrow.
I’m sure if it were possible, she’d have steam coming out of her ears right about now. Kade unexpectedly presses his mouth against my shoulder and I gasp as he drags his teasing lips over my exposed shoulder and into the nape of my neck. I bite my lip, fighting a dangerous shiver. Elizabeth folds her arms, sending daggers shooting through me and into Kade. Without a word, he turns and shoves me forward, treading quickly on the back of my heels. I wince, but keep moving forward, stepping as quickly as I can to avoid Master Kade’s heavy feet.
After a few strides, he matches my pace. I notice my steps are big and angry, so I slow it down, not wanting to draw unwanted attention or risk making Kade mad. Speaking of Kade, I peer sideways at him. I can’t help but notice the way he walks—his head held high, his hands by his sides, his strides long and purposeful. It’s a walk so normal… yet so commanding.
“Was that really necessary?” I mutter, unable to stop myself.
Kade’s cold eyes flick to my face and I wonder if he can see the colour drain from it. I see his anger on the surface of the black pools and I can see it in the way his brows furrow, but there’s animation in his lips. They twitch twice, indicating his urge to smile.
“You’ll come to learn that everything I do is necessary.”
After that, I don’t engage him in conversation. I’m pushing my luck enough as it is, and I’m not ready for any kind of punishment.
“Bye, Nine!” Sanna shouts from her table, waving at me as if we’re best friends. Kade looks over to the little girl and then at me. My eyes are wide—fearful—I can feel it. Kade takes my elbow and pulls me into the house. Inside Unfortunates sidestep us, steering clear of his angry stomp, and ignoring me as he pulls me along. Soon enough, we’re in his room and he’s ushering me into the bathroom.
“Wash,” he demands as he leaves the bathroom.
I drop my clothes, flick on the shower, and stand under the hot stream. My hands shake as I reach for the soap. Please, don’t be mad, I think over and over. I run the soap over my limbs, paying extra attention to the lines of orange juice that saturate my chest and mark my skin.
“Making friends with children is a bad idea.”
I jump and my heart slams into my throat at the sudden sound of his voice. The way he looks at me, so sinisterly from under his brow, decreases my lung capacity. Since when did a look so dark make my insides feel so light? He reaches out for the shower door and opens it before moving back to lean against the large basin.
“What?” he asks, rolling little blue berries around in the palm of his hand. “You watched me last night. It’s only fair I watch you now.”
I stammer as he places a berry so delicately between his full lips before losing it in his mouth. I watch as he manoeuvres it on his tongue and the juice stains his lower lip. There’s no point denying it, he knows… he knows I saw him.
“And you did it anyway?” I murmur, confused. “Even though you knew I was watching?”
He shrugs and it’s the most casual movement I’ve ever seen h
im do. Add that to the devilish pull on the corner of his lip and it causes something… empowering to stir between my legs.
“I’m not shy.” He steps forward, popping another berry into his mouth. “Are you shy, Nine?”
I want to nod, but instead I shake my head, completely embarrassed he’d ask me such a question. I have to play his game. I have to give him everything he wants if I want to be protected. And he’s only human, which means he can get emotionally attached to things. I want him to get emotionally attached to me. I want him to feel as loyal to me as I naturally do to him. My teachers somehow taught me to want to please my Fortunate. It’s hardwired into my brain that deep down I want to serve him, fuck him, and make him happy. Maybe I can subtly program that into his brain, too. Perhaps then he’ll keep me to himself… perhaps then I won’t be passed around and raped until I’m too broken to move.
“Show me.”
Well, I wasn’t expecting that. “S-show you?”
“I came for you. Now I want you to come for me.”
Now I manage to shake my head. “I can’t… I don’t know how.” I do know how it happens, but I don’t know how to do it myself. “I’ve never touched myself long enough to… you know.”
He quirks a brow and puts the last berry into his mouth. “To achieve orgasm?”
I feel my cheeks heat up even under the hot stream. The ‘O’ word seems so dirty. Besides, I’d never admit to having an orgasm even if I have had one. Unfortunates are not allowed to experience the same level of pleasure as a Fortunate—unless you’re a male Unfortunate. That can’t be helped. I shake my head again.
“We’re not allowed to,” I state, feeling a little more confident.
“Haven’t we already established that I’ll decide what you can and can’t do?”
Oh, god. This isn’t going to end well. “Yes, Master Kade.”
He saunters closer until his shoe rests on the lip that stops the shower door from swinging both ways. Mist from the water sprays onto the top of his shoe and sticks to the leg of his pants.
“I’ll make you a deal, Unfortunate. If you say the word for me, I’ll give you one.”
Give me one? Oh… OH! He means an orgasm. Kade smiles as shock registers on my face.
“Now?”
“Whenever you want. All you got to do is say the word.”
I square my shoulder. It’s a dangerous move, but he’s out of his mind if he thinks I’ll willingly ask for one. Not all of us Unfortunates lack humility or courage. “No.”
“No?”
The surprised look on his face sends a thrill down my spine. I can feel it boiling in my blood, an addiction forming. The thought of defying him—of having some kind of control—makes me feel like I’m standing naked on a cliff being whipped by sharp rain as a cyclone approaches. The invincible feeling quickly fades when his expression darkens and he steps closer and closer until my back hits the wall and I can’t move anymore. Water sprays down the back of his shirt, but he doesn’t care. He cares about intimidating me, but not about ruining his stylish leather shoes.
“Watch yourself, Unfortunate.” He brings a berry to his mouth and licks it before pressing it to my chest. Kade keeps his volcanic eyes on mine as he moves the berry across my skin. “I can make your life heaven…” he drops the berry and plucks a new one from his hand. He brings it to my lips and following his lead, I lick the berry. With a smirk that forces me to hold my breath, he presses it against my skin, continuing his drawing. “Or I can make your life a living hell.”
He drops the berry and I watch closely, still holding my breath, as he sucks his thumb between his lips and glides his wet tongue over the berry stain. “Choose wisely.”
He leans to the side, resting his shoulder against the glass, leaving me in full view of the large mirror bolted to the wall above the sink. My gaze zeroes in on my chest and sure enough, KADE SARIO is written across my chest in a purple-blue hue. My lips part as I expel a heavy breath and Kade looks down at my chest. This time, his lips curve into a beautiful smile—a smile I never thought possible on such a serious face.
“I wonder if Clive can make me a brand that size.” The smile falls from his mouth. “Perhaps if you can see it, you’ll remember exactly who you are, where you are, and who owns you.”
I glare at him, ignoring the way my chest rises and falls a little quicker than it should.
“Owns me?” I whisper, doing everything in my power to stop a frown from forming. “Like a possession?”
“Exactly, and if you knew what was good for you, you’d drop that sour expression from your face.”
I slide my teeth against each other. I can’t handle this. I can’t handle being under the shoe of a Fortunate. This isn’t my life. This isn’t me… A fire seeps under the surface of my skin—a dangerous fire. One that I’m certain is going to get me killed. “Or what? You’ll kill me?”
“Death would be too kind for an Unfortunate.” I flinch at his statement, and he surveys my face before gripping my shoulders. I wince as he digs his fingers in. “I told you to choose wisely, Nine, and you haven’t.”
He tugs me from the shower, my body still wet and my feet slippery against the tiles. “Wait! I’m sorry!” I plead, suddenly regretting my attitude towards him.
My pulse thrums in my ears as my heart thuds at an incredible speed. My feet slip over the tiles and into the living room. He stops us right in front of the fireplace. It’s unlit, but the remaining chunks of wood and black coal look just as threatening. He reaches down and pulls back one side of the safety gate.
“In,” he demands, flicking his head toward the fireplace.
I peer into the misleadingly tiny space and my fear of confined spaces begins to rear its head. “In? As in… inside the fireplace?”
He looks at me as if I’m missing a few screws. I know he means the fireplace, I’m just hoping it’s a joke… then again, Kade doesn’t strike me as the kind of person that would play a prank on someone. “Get in or I send you straight to Vince’s room. I’m sure I can find another Unfortunate with pretty eyes and nice tits around here somewhere.”
My breath starts to come faster and I take hard, sharp draws of air as I try desperately to keep the panic down. “Please,” I beg, my eyes quickly gathering water. “I don’t like confined spaces.”
He smirks, his eyes flashing a knowing gleam. “You’re saying that sitting in a tiny space would be hell for you?”
“Worse,” I tell him as panicked tears dot my cheeks. “I can’t imagine anything worse than not being able to move.”
I’m aware I just told my ‘owner’ my worst fear and I’m aware I gave him a suitable punishment to control me with, but I don’t care. If confessing how terrified I am prevents him from sticking me in the fireplace for now, so be it. All I’m relying on is his humanity… something I’m certain is lurking under his hard exterior.
Kade points at the fireplace. “In.”
“Please, Master Kade, please!” I begin to sob, bunching his shirt up in my hands and crushing him tightly against me. “I can’t go in there, please, don’t make me.”
My heart slams into my ribcage, threatening to crack them as he snatches my wrists and pries my fingers from his shirt. “I don’t want to punish you, Unfortunate, but you have to learn.”
“I’ve learnt,” I assure him as he inches me towards the fireplace. I try to pull away, I dig my heels in and I shake my arms but I can’t break free. “I’ve learnt, I swear it. I won’t ever challenge you again.” He keeps tugging me closer and closer to the fireplace, and my panic bubbles to its limits inside my body.
“Kaden, please!” I scream and he lets my wrists go. Weightlessness seizes me briefly and I squeeze my eyes shut as I crash to the floor. Pain crepitates up my left elbow, but I ignore it. My wet back sticks to the wooden surface immediately and I sprawl backwards as quick as I can, not caring that he can see every inch of me. I don’t stop until I’m against the soft, velvety couch and I draw my knees to my c
hest. You’re not in a small place. You’re out here, where it’s big and open. After a few small eternities, I shift my sights from the fireplace to Master Kade. He’s watching me and the look in his eyes is neither concerned nor apologetic—not that I expected either emotion to come from a Fortunate like him.
“I’m sor—”
“Shut up,” he orders, his voice quiet and calm. Although quiet, it causes the tiny wings of fear to flutter anew. “Get your dress and get out.”
I don’t wait around to find out if he’s serious or not. I jump to my feet and walk as quickly as I can. As I pass him by, he catches me on the nipple. He grips it tightly like a goddamn clamp and I wince, gritting my teeth against the pain as he twists ever so slightly. Kade’s eyes flare, pleased by how much his fingers are hurting me. “If you ever, ever call me Kaden again, I’ll cut your tongue out of your fucking mouth.”
I nod and his fingers compress.
“Ouc—yes. Yes, Master Kade,” I manage to say through a sharp intake of air.
He releases me and the pain lets up. Ignoring the way my nipple hardens and throbs painfully, I rush into the bathroom, throw on my dress and flee from Kade’s room while he leans broodingly against his fireplace. As I close the door behind me, I lean against it and caress my sore nipple through the fabric. How dare he? Who puts someone in a small fireplace for punishment?
I’m startled from my thoughts as a door down the other end of the hall is closed and Thirteen limps awkwardly towards the stairs. She surrounds her naked body in a black, sheer sheet and clenches it to her body with a grip so tight, I can see her whitened knuckles. I start forward, taking her in inch by inch with every step I take. Her blonde hair seems lifeless and pale, her features much darker than I remember. The closer she gets, I notice bruising on her neck and a cut on her lip. She looks like hell… like she fought a bear and lost.
“Thirteen?” I say when she’s within five metres of me. “What happened?”
Tears spring to her eyes and she narrows them at me. “What does it look like?”