by Regine Abel
Like hell you will, you sick son of a bitch.
“You’re the last man I would sell her contract to,” I said, my voice dangerously calm. I downed my brandy and gestured for the waitress for another. “I know what you do to your girls. You will never set a finger on Grace – not now, not after our contract is over, not ever. Is that understood?”
His eyes narrowed. “Once your contract is up, she’s a free woman. If I make her a sweet enough offer, it is her prerogative to accept.”
It was my turn to have a smug smile on my face. “Correct me if I’m wrong, but isn’t Risqué’s rental contract up for renewal? I’m getting obscene offers to put this location up for bid again.”
“My restaurant is highly successful,” Caleb said through his teeth. “You don’t have grounds not to renew.”
“That’s irrelevant. I have no contractual obligations to renew. If it’s you or another tenant, it makes no difference to me. I’ll still be making a killing.”
“Why the hell do you care so much about this girl?” Caleb asked, his hands fisting on the table. “Look at her.” He pointed with his chin towards Grace and Marcus. “She sure doesn’t seem to care about you right now.”
“What feelings I may or may not have for Grace are none of your fucking business, Caleb. Just stay the hell away from her.”
We were both looking at her when the third song ended. To my relief, they parted. Then the bastard leaned in and kissed her. My blood froze. Caleb chuckled and I cracked my knuckles.
“Well, maybe I’m not the one you should be worried about after all.”
Half the room watched Grace. She who thrived on attention didn’t notice, too lost in pretty boy’s eyes and words. They made a spectacle of themselves. Half the patrons glanced between them and me. A pureblood would have already beaten Marcus to a pulp then dragged Grace by the hair out of here. On Braxia, her punishment would be a bloody whipping.
She turned towards us, a dreamy smile on her face. When our eyes met, her smile slipped. Worry lines etched on her forehead, her steps faltering as she walked towards us. A quick look around the room seemed to increase her anxiety. She sat next to me, back stiff and eyes glued to my face.
“You look lovely as always, Grace,” Caleb said with a taunting smile. “That was quite the sweet reunion with your lover.”
Grace’s head jerked towards Caleb, a look of panic on her face. “He’s not my lover,” she said, her eyes flicking towards me.
Caleb waved dismissively. “Ex-lover, friend with benefits, it’s all the same. We’re adults. Venus Hive is after all about indulging fantasies.”
“Do not project your loose behavior on me, Mr. Jennings,” she hissed.
“I’m not—”
“That’s enough,” I interrupted Caleb. Time to put an end to this farce. Rising from my seat, I added, “Our business is concluded. We’re leaving.”
“Of course,” Caleb said with a slight bow. “I’m sure the rest of your evening will be most… entertaining.”
We left Risqué. This time, it wasn’t arousal I could smell on Grace, but fear.
It took us only ten minutes to walk from the restaurant to the penthouse. As always, the walkway bustled with activity as patrons went from one venue to another. At this time, most customers finished eating dinner and headed to one of the various entertainments available. Unlike the Commons where flashy signs and glaring advertisement were the norm, in the VIP section, everything was understated, with a quiet elegance. While on the walkways, patrons were expected to cover their more outrageous outfits, but pets could be leashed.
A few customers paused to greet us as we passed them. My expression made it clear I was in no mood to chat so they moved along.
As we neared the gleaming white entrance of the Venus Hive headquarters, Grace’s tension became palpable. She opened her mouth once or twice, as though to speak, then closed it.
I spent the entire walk debating which punishment was most fitting. On Braxia, a pureblood would flog her, twenty-five lashes with at least half of them breaking skin. The clan would place the offending female in a cage for three hours before tending her wounds. Depending on the severity of the offense, treatment didn’t guarantee painkillers. I dismissed that option.
In spite of the anger raging within me, I could never take a whip to her – or any woman for that matter – and least of all beat her bloody. Growing up, people stronger than me had taken pleasure beating me at every opportunity. I would never be them. There would also be no repeat of the punishment in my office when I… was brutal with her.
That left one option.
We entered the building and headed for the lift at the end of the hallway. The night guard nodded at our approach. My pace accelerated the closer we got to the lift, and Grace skip-ran to keep up. I waited until she stood inside to select our destination. I pressed my thumb on the scanner.
“Anton, what are you doing?” Grace asked with a shaky voice.
I gave her a cold look and pressed the button to the secured basement. Her lips quivered. I faced the door, refusing to let myself be moved. Not after tonight.
“Why, Anton? Why?” she asked, a lone tear rolling down. “I didn’t do anything.”
She approached me and wrapped her hands around my arm, pleading.
“Please, Anton… Please, don’t do this.”
I tore my arm out of her grip just as the lift doors opened and marched down the corridor.
“I don’t want to go there! Anton, please… please,” she said, still standing inside the lift.
I stopped. “Move your ass or I’ll drag you,” I said.
She took a couple of hesitant steps, tears now flowing freely down her cheeks. Losing patience, I grabbed her upper arm and dragged her after me. After unlocking the cage room, I jerked my head indicating for her to get in. Grace complied. She wrapped her arms around herself.
“Strip,” I ordered, standing right in front of her.
“We only danced, Anton. We did nothing wrong. Everyone could see that,” she pleaded.
“Only danced?” I shouted. She cringed and shrunk back. “Only danced three fucking times back to back, clinging to each other like you were fucking drowning. Yes, everyone… EVERYONE could see. You made a damn spectacle. And then you had to go and fucking kiss him!”
“It wasn’t—”
“SILENCE!” She recoiled and stood trembling, still holding herself. “I told you to strip. Don’t make me tear it off.”
She undressed, her soft sob echoing in the empty room. Her dress slid to the floor and she stepped out of her stilettos. Goosebumps rose on her skin. Grace lifted her head and looked at me with such gut-wrenching sorrow, my resolve faltered.
“Please don’t do this, Anton. Today was so perfect. Please…”
I tore my eyes away from her. “Ring.”
Another big sob ripped out of her. Head down, shoulders drooping, she walked into the ring of light.
“Bars,” I said, once she reached her destination.
The cage formed around her.
She crouched without a word as the gridded lid descended. Grace’s arms circled her folded legs and she rested her forehead on her knees. I walked out, leaving her dress and shoes on the floor where she dropped them.
* * *
My fingers tapped on my desk as I struggled to focus on my work. This was completely absurd. Why the hell was I so tormented? She deserved it! By Braxian law, she deserved worse.
We’re not on Braxia.
And that was the crux of the matter. We weren’t on Braxia. Which was a good thing. But I was Braxian. Any disrespect to me reflected on the clan. I fought too hard for what little respect they granted me to let her ruin it.
But they’re not here. They don’t know. So what does it matter?
Everyone saw what she did. I could see their thoughts in their eyes. When would Anton lose it? What punishment would she get? Even Caleb needled me to fuel my anger. By now, they probably thought I was weak
for a Braxian.
Didn’t you tell her you didn’t give a shit what people here thought of you?
That gave me pause. After pondering the question, I could say I honestly didn’t give a shit what my patrons thought. If any of them pissed me off enough, I could airlock their asses into space and grease a few palms to make the consequences go away. There also hadn’t been any Braxians there to witness. There rarely were any Braxians in the VIP section unless they were guests. So why had I felt so angry, hurt and humiliated?
You were jealous.
Yeah but…
You were jealous.
Fine. Yes, I felt jealous. That little pissant shouldn’t prowl around my woman. She knew better. Tonight had been so fucking perfect… Even she thought so.
‘Please don’t do this, Anton. Today was so perfect.’
I wanted to go free her but changing my mind now would make me look weak. She needed to learn she couldn’t do things like this. She was mine.
CHAPTER 13
Grace
My perfect evening kept replaying in my head over and over again. How did it go so wrong? I didn’t deserve this. To think, like an idiot, I had been picturing Anton and me living happily ever after. It didn’t matter that my actions angered him. Nothing justified him hurting me every time he became upset.
Why did he ruin everything?
The door opened. By the size of the silhouette walking in, I knew William was bringing me food and water. So, the first six hours had gone by. Only the first six hours. I wouldn’t survive the remaining eighteen hours. My extremities were numb and I already agonized through at least a dozen bouts of cramping. One of them had been so bad I passed out. If Anton kept doing this to me, could it cause permanent damage? Whether he realized it or not, he couldn’t have devised a crueler punishment for me.
William crouched in front of my cage, a sympathetic look on his face. He wasn’t a bad sort though I didn’t quite understand his friendship with Anton. We didn’t talk much, but he was always polite and helpful. He also never looked down on me. The energy bar and bottle of water in his hands didn’t appeal to me. All I could think about was slipping into oblivion and forgetting I ever allowed myself to care for the monster that owned me. Plus, I wasn’t feeling too well.
“You should eat, Grace,” William whispered.
He held the energy bar through the narrow bars of my cell. I gave him a sad smile and shook my head. I wasn’t hungry.
“Can you feel your hands?” he asked, guessing part of the problem.
I shook my head again, feeling my throat tighten. Kindness was the last thing I needed right now. He frowned but said nothing. Scooting closer, he placed a long straw in the water bottle and slipped the tip through the bars. For a minute, I almost declined, but then thought better of it. It would be another six hours before William returned. Leaning forward, I took the straw between my lips and drank.
“You need to be more careful, Grace. Don’t you know by now how proud Braxians are?”
Dropping the straw, I rested my head against the cage and gave free rein to my anger.
“I did nothing wrong, William. Nothing! My best friend and I danced and talked. That’s it. Anton and I had the perfect evening. And then he goes and does this. For what?”
“He felt humiliated.”
I turned my face away with an irritated groan.
“Grace,” William said, “it may have been innocent on your part but for Braxians, perception is everything.”
“No, revenge is everything,” I bit back.
“Look at me, Grace.”
Though somewhat reluctant, I complied. William sat crossed legged in front of me. He had a rugged kind of charm. Square jaw covered with a five o’clock shadow, light brown hair sprinkled with silver, and blue eyes leveled on me with a serious look.
“Honor and respect are everything to Anton.”
“I didn’t disrespect him, though.”
“You may not have intended to but that’s how it came across to him, and in the end, that’s what matters.”
I shook my head, refusing to accept this. “That’s crazy. At this rate, anything I do will potentially offend him. It can’t be like this. If my dancing with Marcus was so upsetting, why didn’t he say something? Why not cut in before it became a problem? Am I to be punished every time he feels I sneezed the wrong way? I don’t want to live in constant fear of him.”
“What do you know of Braxians?”
I shrugged. “The standard stuff. They’re giants, warriors, clan focused, treat women like shit and are obsessed with honor.”
He chuckled. “That’s one way to put it. Do you know what they think of hybrids like Anton?”
The way he said that caught my attention. The memory of that asshole Gerwin came back to mind. He’d tried to needle Anton all evening at Sade.
“Gerwin didn’t seem to think much of him,” I said.
“Gerwin is an asshole and a waste of oxygen,” William snapped. “But Gerwin is only one of millions who think that way about Anton.”
How could they feel contempt towards Anton with his phenomenal financial success? As far as I knew, he was the richest Braxian of any clan, period.
“Braxians consider half-breeds a taint on their bloodline. While female half-breeds are allowed to live, the males are systematically put to death.”
What?
“But how is he here then?”
“For whatever reason, his father decided to spare him, in spite of his clan. But his clan wasn’t the only threat. It is considered sport to hunt down and kill half-breeds. That Anton managed to reach puberty is a miracle. Do you know how he and I met?”
I shook my head, blown away by these revelations.
“A little over sixteen years ago, I ran a smugglers outfit with some regular customers on Braxia. I had just concluded my business when I heard a commotion in a back alley. Two Braxian teens were beating a kid to death.”
I already knew where this was going.
“They were too intent hammering him to see me coming. That’s the only reason I was able to take them down. Already at twelve or thirteen, those pureblood kids were bigger and stronger than me. Aside from the element of surprise, they also didn’t have proper combat training. After running them off, I looked at the kid and realized he was a half-breed, not a human slave as I first thought.”
“Didn’t you get in trouble for attacking Braxian kids?”
William chuckled again. “No. They kept their mouths shut. Their clans would have shunned them for losing a fight to a human.”
Poetic justice.
“Didn’t Anton tell on them?”
William shook his head. “No, because they wouldn’t have been punished. Killing Anton would have given them and their clan bragging rights. His father was shamed already for keeping him alive.”
Those Braxians were crazy. If they hated him so much, why the hell did he want to please them?
“Anton had so many fractures and internal bleeding, it was a miracle he survived. However, I couldn’t bring him back to his house. His clan would have finished him off while he was defenseless. He stayed with me for a month while recovering. During that time, he thought of opening a club. I had the connections, he had the funds. A thirteen-year-old fucking kid...”
“So you went into business with him?”
“Yeah, kind of,” William said with a reminiscing smile. “At first, I just found him human women willing to come to that hellhole. He paid me a finder’s fee. The money he brought in saved his life.”
“No, you saved his life.”
William snorted. “Only that one time. He saved his own ass every other time. But his success is the one reason his clan shows him any respect, if you can even call it that. It’s more tolerance. What you girls did back on Jeruna could have gotten him killed.”
A silent tear ran down my face. Such pointless, extreme violence. And the living hell a child went through because his blood wasn’t pure. How was that even h
is fault?
“Anton devoted his whole life earning acceptance from his people. Woe onto anyone who jeopardizes that… even you.”
“But why does he even care? Anton doesn’t need them. He doesn’t even live with them. They should be sucking up to him!”
“I couldn’t agree more, but you can’t expect him to change everything he’s built his life around overnight. Learn about Braxia, Grace. Learn their customs and traditions to protect yourself. Five months is a long time. You’re a good kid. While you may not agree with me right now, Anton is a good man.”
William offered me a bit more water. I drank a few more sips but refused to drink it all. Eighteen hours would be a long time to go with a full bladder. With one last smile, he got up and left.
* * *
I must have dozed off because the sudden burning sensation of the bars sliding against my skin startled me awake. My teeth chattered slightly and the insidious cold had me frozen to the bone. Feeling groggy, it took me a moment to realize this shouldn’t be happening yet. William only came by once and I didn’t think it was all that long ago either. I blinked to make out the silhouette by the door.
Anton.
Before I could think further, the bars disappeared into the floor, leaving me without support. My arms were too numb to hold me up so I collapsed, barely managing to hold my head up. Disbelieving, I watched Anton’s retreating back as he left me there, sprawled naked on the cold floor. My eyes prickled and a vise-like grip crushed my chest. Even though he released me sooner than last time, him abandoning me like this killed something inside me.
I rolled onto my back, opening and closing my hands to bring some feeling back to them. They felt like they were stuck in a leather glove too small for them. The dreaded pins and needles began to spread. Seconds later, my muscles contracted, a sharp cutting pain shooting through both my legs. I cried out, contorting this way and that to loosen the cramps. When they finally receded, I tried to get up on my feet but the cramps came back with a vengeance. My brain felt foggy, my head heavy and that cold bit at me.
Gritting my teeth, I decided to crawl towards my dress still lying on the floor. Tears of pain and anger soaked my face.