“Twenty …” he started. “Nineteen … Eighteen … Seventeen …”
And he was gone.
Ten
Lily woke to the certainty someone was standing over her.
Her eyes shot open and she inhaled sharply, instinctively trying to push herself up the bed and away from the person, while grabbing at the sheets to cover herself, even though she was still wearing the dress from the night before. The sleep-blurred person took on shape as she secured herself more firmly in the land of the conscious.
Rodriguez!
Lily glanced to one side, making sure Jess was still there. Yes, she was, thank God, in exactly the same position and so far undisturbed by their visitor.
He gave a slow smile. “Good morning sleepyhead.”
“What do you want?” she snapped, momentarily forgetting her promise to herself that she would try to win Rodriguez’s trust.
“I came to spend some time with you, of course. What’s the point in having a new pet if I keep her locked away in here all the time?”
Pet.
Ugh.
Was that how he thought of her?
He lifted a hanger containing an item of clothing, covered in a protective bag. “Plus, I brought you a present.”
Not waiting for her to say anything, he unzipped the bag to reveal a beautiful, emerald green wrap around dress, with a plunging neckline.
“I have plenty of dresses,” she said. “Some pants and a t-shirt would have been more practical.”
His gaze grew darker. “I don’t want my pets to be practical. You are a thing of beauty, and therefore should wear clothes that highlight that beauty. I chose this dress especially for you. The green will look stunning against your hair and skin tone, and the cut will accentuate your curves.” He held the hanger out toward her. “Put it on.”
Jess had begun to stir, and Lily shot her a glance. “What? Now?”
“Yes.”
Not wanting Jess to wake up to Rodriguez angry and towering over her after what she’d been through, and trying to remember her promise to herself that she’d win Rodriguez over, Lily carefully got off the bed and took the dress from him. He folded his arms across his chest, crinkling the sleeves of the suit over the muscles beneath.
“Can I go in the bathroom and change?”
“No. You’ll do it here, where I can see you.”
She hated that she wasn’t fighting him—every instinct made her want to tell him to fuck off—but what choice did she have? She didn’t know how he would react. What if he got really mad and locked her away from Jess? Who would be here to save the girl then if she tried to take her own life again?
Lily bit the inside of her lip as she raised her hand to the one solitary strap on her shoulder.
Rodriguez watched her with dark, hooded eyes, his lips pursed slightly. She slipped the strap of the dress from her shoulder and then reached behind her back to undo the hooks. When the bodice was loose, she allowed the dress to fall in a puddle around her feet. She’d thought his gaze would trail down over her body as she undressed, but instead, he kept his eyes on her face, locked with hers, challenging her to disobey him.
“Lily?” Jess’ small voice came from the bed. “What’s going on?”
“Nothing, Jess,” she said, her stomach sinking at the fact the girl was awake and watching this. Lily didn’t move her gaze from Rodriguez’s as she stood before him in only the black underwear he had provided, the dress still around her feet. “Go back to sleep. Everything is under control.”
“But what’s …”
Rodriguez turned his head and snapped at the girl. “Don’t cause me any problems or I’ll send one of my men in here to take care of you.”
Jess’ lips slammed shut.
Lily wanted to hit Rodriguez. That was the worst possible thing he could have said, and now she was going to have to leave the younger woman alone again.
“It’s going to be okay, Jess. I’ll be back soon. Just stay safe, okay?”
In her peripheral vision, Jess pulled the bedcovers up to her chin and nodded.
Lily reached out and hooked the new dress from where it had been laid out on the bed. She took it from the hanger and held the garment against her body. Rodriguez was right. The dress was perfect for her. She just wished she wasn’t being forced to wear it in such heinous circumstances.
Lily pulled the dress over her head, her view of Rodriguez’s dark eyes blocked momentarily, until the silky soft fabric slid down her body. She secured the tie at her waist, pulling the dress so it hugged her curves, but when she looked back up, he was no longer looking at her, his eyes focused on something on the floor on the other side of the room.
Sickening dread settled in her stomach. What now?
His expression was clouded and thunderous. She followed his line of sight and saw what had caught his attention. The bowl of chocolate on the floor where it had fallen, forgotten in the events that had followed her entering Jess’ room.
He looked back to her, his voice cold. “You didn’t like my gift?”
“I’m sorry,” she said in a rush. “There was an accident, and then I fell asleep. It didn’t mean—”
“It meant you didn’t appreciate what was given to you. I hope this isn’t what I’m supposed to expect from you.”
She shook her head. Her main worry was that he’d take out whatever punishment he wanted to deal out to her on Jess. “No, no, not at all.”
“Pick,” he said slowly, “it … up.”
Stepping out of the old dress, Lily hurried over and squatted to pick up the small squares of chocolate. She worked quickly, her face burning with shame, feeling his eyes on her the whole time. With the bowl full again, she carried it back and stood before him. Jess watched the scene with wide, frightened eyes.
“Now eat it.”
She needed to be stronger than him, and not let his campaign of intimidation get to her. She remembered what she’d promised herself right before she’d fallen asleep—that she would win him over until he let down his guard.
Lily glanced down at the small bowl and purposefully bit her lip. She felt stupid and false, but she needed to make him think she was on his side. She picked up one of the pieces and brought it to her lips, swiping her tongue across her bottom lip, wetting the plump skin. She took a small bite, and then lifted her eyes to his, allowing the sweet, creamy chocolate to melt on her tongue.
“More,” he said.
She took another bite, and then another, the sugar instantly hitting her system, making her more alert. She made sure to lick her lips and gently bite her lower lip, wanting his attention to stay on her mouth.
“Good,” he told her when she’d finished. He reached into the bowl to remove another square. “Now this piece.”
Lily swallowed and then opened her mouth, allowing him to feed her, his fingertips brushing her lower lip. She tried to put everything into acting coy and seductive, while inwardly every part of her rebelled. In her mind, she could see Monster’s face, how he would be looking at her right now if he could see her doing this, if he was watching another man’s fingers touch his Flower’s lips. His dark eyes would be burning with anger, his jaw tight with jealousy. She felt guilt right down to her very core, but she didn’t stop.
She had Rodriguez’s attention, and she knew it. Continuing the act, she reached into the bowl for another piece of candy, trying not to think about the fact it had been on the floor, but before she could get the piece to her mouth, his hand caught her wrist,
“What are you playing at, pet?”
Lily blinked in mock innocence. “I’m only doing what you asked.”
She recognized the suspicion in his eyes, his desire between wanting to believe her act and wanting to call her out on it.
“Only a few hours ago you hated me.”
“Maybe I just decided I don’t want to fight anymore. Sometimes it’s okay to take the easy path.”
He stared into her eyes a moment longer, as though se
arching them for the answer. She forced herself to hold his gaze, her heart beating hard. Would his next move be a kiss or a kick?
It was neither. He released her hand, revealing red finger imprints around the circumference of her pale skin. She resisted the urge to rub them away.
“Very well. In that case, I’d like you to join me for breakfast.”
“Will I be serving it this time?”
“No, not today. Today I will allow you to be my guest.”
She risked a glance at Jess. “What about Jess?”
“She will be staying here. I’ll have one of my staff bring her food to her.”
She wished she could say something more to the other girl, tell her not to do anything stupid while she was gone, to trust that Lily had a plan of sorts. But all she could do was widen her eyes at her, and hope Jess would have faith that Lily wouldn’t betray her.
Eleven
Clothed in the emerald green dress Rodriguez had given her, Lily reluctantly took the arm he offered and stepped out of the room. She didn’t dare glance back at Jess, terrified of what she would see in the girl’s eyes—anger, betrayal, revulsion. Any of those things would break Lily’s resolve to get Rodriguez on side in order to find a way out of here for them both.
Thankfully, he didn’t leave the door open long enough for her to change her mind, pulling it shut and locking it immediately behind them. Her heart twisted at the idea of Jess left behind the locked door alone, but there was nothing she could do.
Rodriguez covered the back of her hand with his palm, so they were arm in arm, as though about to walk into an expensive restaurant, rather than just walking through his house. Her insides clenched at the intimate contact, a rush of heat, followed by cold sweeping over her. This was exactly what she hated—this assumption of intimacy. It made every part of her focus solely on the point where their skin met, the warmth of his palm burning into her skin, the pressure on her hand. It consumed her so she could think of nothing else.
Before she realized what was happening, he’d whisked her through the house, taking her to the rear of the property. She hadn’t done any of the things she’d promised herself—looking out for other exits or telephones or computers. She needed to find a way to detach herself from the overwhelming emotions that swamped her when he touched her, or she was never going to be able to do this.
If only switching off her reaction was that simple. Her phobia of physical contact had gradually built over the years after she’d lost her baby daughter. How could she get over that overnight? And yet, she had, with Monster. When he’d pinned her against the wall, and forced himself inside her, her body had craved more.
When he was violent, rough with her, she didn’t experience the same feelings. Maybe she was crazy, or maybe it was the nature of the touch that affected her. She could detach herself from being pinned down or tied up, or receiving a spanking, but she couldn’t detach herself from the intimacy of a gentle touch.
“So what do you think?”
She blinked, realizing Rodriguez was talking to her, and glanced around at their surroundings. They’d stepped out into a massive conservatory which ran the whole length of the back of the house. The bright blue of the desert sky stretched endlessly beyond the glass roof. Past the glass walls, the grounds of the house were landscaped to be minimalistic—succulent plants with white gravel and rock gardens. Beyond that the walls surrounding the property reached up into the sky. She searched the stone fortifications for another gate, or even for a part that might have crumbled and allowed a spot where they could have scrambled over, but the whole structure was meticulously maintained.
“Well?” he prompted.
Lily blinked again, drawing her attention back to the interior. “It’s beautiful,” she said, forcing herself to respond. He didn’t mean the grounds, of course, but the white table and chairs that were immaculately laid with silver cutlery, thick white napkins, and champagne flutes. A silver bucket of iced Dom Perignon sat in the middle of the table.
“Please, sit.”
Her whole body wilted in relief as he released her hand and she was able to slip her arm from his. He pulled her chair out for her, and she sank into it, wishing she could keep going and slither beneath the table. Rodriguez sat opposite and lifted the bottle from the cooler.
“Champagne?”
She shook her head. “I don’t drink,” she lied.
His eyes narrowed. “You do now.”
She wanted to keep a clear head, and she knew the alcohol would affect her far more now than it ever did in her previous life, when she was used to drinking wine on her own in front of the television. But Rodriguez wasn’t going to take no for an answer, and he lifted her glass, pouring the champagne at an angle so it didn’t fizz up over the side.
He poured his own glass and then tilted it to hers. Not wanting to anger him, she picked up the champagne flute and he clinked them together. “To our new relationship.”
Lily forced a smile, but her blood ran cold. She didn’t want any kind of relationship with this man. Just sitting here felt like a massive betrayal to Monster, even though she had been forced to be here. She needed to keep reminding herself that she was doing all of this for the right reason.
Rodriguez took a sip of his champagne and nodded to her to do the same, his dark eyes focused on hers the whole time.
Lily raised the delicate glass to her lips and took the smallest sip she could manage—a hummingbird sipping from nectar. The bubbles fizzed up her nose and she pressed her lips together so he wouldn’t see her have any kind of reaction, and swallowed.
Someone entered the room.
Lily glanced in their direction and her heart turned to stone. Jess was holding a silver tray, the rim clutched tightly between her fingertips, her knuckles white. She stared downward, not looking at Lily. Lily clenched her fists beneath the table. Jess was being forced to serve them. Was this Rodriguez’s way of driving a wedge between them, of making Jess hate Lily so both women had no one to turn to?
Lily fixed her gaze on Rodriguez. “No. Please don’t make her do this.”
Rodriguez scowled. “You will sit and enjoy your meal, or I will make this worse for her.”
Lily held back a sob of anger and frustration, her lips pressed together, her nostrils flaring. A hard, painful lump had wedged in her throat, making it even harder for her to swallow.
Jess set a plate down on the table in front of Lily. The girl lifted the silver dome to reveal a plate of smoked salmon, and fluffy scrambled egg. Flecks of dill and black pepper covered the egg and fish, and a wedge of lemon sat beside the thin slivers of pink salmon. The dish was accompanied by hot, buttered toast. Her stomach growled with hunger, but the thought of eating all of this while Jess went hungry and was forced to stand by and watch made her nauseated.
She stared down at the food, her stomach in knots. “Please,” she said quietly. “Don’t make her do this.”
Perhaps it shouldn’t seem like a big deal—it was only a meal—but by taking a single mouthful she felt like she was siding with Rodriguez against Jess.
“Eat your food,” he said, his voice a low growl.
“I’m really not hungry …”
The base of his knife slammed against the table with a bang, making her jump. “I said eat it, or would you rather I make your friend eat it off the floor?”
She shook her head and blinked back tears. Lily didn’t doubt for a moment his willingness to take her disobedience out on Jess.
She lifted the heavy silver fork and scooped up a forkful of egg. Though she was sure it was of high quality, when she placed it in her mouth, the food was tasteless, the texture cloying. Lily forced herself to chew and swallow, hoping she wasn’t going to choke. Opposite her, Rodriguez ate, too. With every bite of food he took, he kept his eyes focused solely on her. She’d never before felt under such scrutiny. She ate with her lips tightly pressed together, tiny bites which she chewed and then swallowed as though they were wads of cotton whic
h threatened to lodge in her throat.
“Now drink your champagne.”
Lily lifted the glass and took another sip, the bubbles bursting behind her nose.
“More,” he said.
Lily drank some more, the gas in the liquid filling her stomach uncomfortably. She forked some more of the food into her mouth, a little of the salmon and a bite of the toast. Though she felt bad for eating, she knew she needed to consume something to absorb the alcohol.
When her glass was half empty, Rodriguez turned to Jess. “Well, what are you just standing there for?”
The girl hurried forward, her head down, so she didn’t make eye contact with anyone. Lily desperately wanted to tell her she was sorry and she hadn’t planned for this to happen, but she knew anything she said would lead to worse happening. Jess lifted the bottle, her hand trembling. When she placed the lip of the bottle against the flute, it tinkled as her shaking caused the glass to collide.
“Careful!” Rodriguez snapped.
Jess bit her lip, but managed to steady her hand and pour more champagne.
He locked eyes with Lily. “Drink!”
“I really don’t think I should have any more.” Already, her head swam, the floor beneath her feet not quite as tangible as before. She felt distanced from the scene in which she sat. She’d not been eating much lately, so both her empty stomach and her lower body weight reduced her ability to handle the alcohol. Gone were the days when she could happily consume a bottle by herself in front of the television.
“I own you,” he growled. “You do as I tell you, without question. Is that understood?”
“Let Jess go back to the room,” she said, “and then I’ll do whatever you want.”
She regretted the words before they’d even left her tongue, the alcohol loosening her lips.
His eyes narrowed, glancing between the two women. “I don’t normally make deals, but to be honest, she’s kind of boring me. I find you to be far more fascinating. She can go back to the room.”
Delivered (The Monster Trilogy Book 3) Page 11