"Because he's busy, Isabella," I said, rolling my eyes. "Jesus, will you leave it alone?"
"Sorry, Master." Isabella battered her lashes and feigned regret. "I guess I'm just lonely. You can understand that, can't you?"
Isabella lifted from the bed and crept my way. I didn't miss the way her hips swayed as she walked. When she reached me she snaked out her hand and ran her nails along my chest. She bit down on soft full lips exactly the way she knew I liked.
"What are you doing?" I asked as she ripped the towel from my waist. The husky tone of my voice would've given away my desire even if my cock hadn't come to life in Isabella's hand moments later.
"I'm lonely, Master," she whispered, her warm breath melting my chest. "Won't you help me? I promise I'll do what you like. I'll pretend to be scared… I'll let you hurt me."
Yes!
No…
Shit.
I hadn't lied to Laila. Isabella and I were strictly platonic. In the beginning, before Isabella and I had gotten to know one another, I’d forced myself to stay away from her. The idea of fucking a slave had revolted me, even as my cock had hardened each time she'd trembled. I suppose the more accurate description was that I’d been disgusted with myself for wanting it.
Isabella certainly hadn't wanted it. She'd feared me for a long time, years even, and for good reason. I'd punished her as every master must do with his slave in the beginning, but I'd never brought myself low enough to fuck her. She was to be a prop. A pretty trophy who knelt by my side at parties and sometimes at meetings. It was a formality for a man with my high position in the company. A mark of strength and dominance.
Isabella's grip tightening on my cock brought me back to the moment. She pumped her hand a few times before falling to her knees.
A groan fell over my lips. "Stop," I said, gripping her wrist. "Please."
I was so weak, and I instantly blamed it all on Laila. She'd awakened an insatiable demon in me, and all I could think was how much better Isabella's pussy would be compared to my hand.
Isabella peered up at me with pouting lips and glistening eyes. Was this real or was this her pretending?
"Please, Master," she whined. "Please punish me… I've been such a bad girl."
My eyes widened at her words and even more as she fit her lips around the tip of my cock. She wasted no time before taking me all the way into the back of her throat. It felt good. So fucking good, and my cock begged for more. But not my mind.
I pulled back from Isabella so abruptly she fell to the floor and caught herself on her hands.
"I can't," I breathed, shaking my head and picking up the towel. I wrapped it around myself and left the room before I could change my mind. It didn't make sense even to me why I had the rule that I wouldn't fuck my slaves, but it wasn't something I was willing to compromise.
As I entered my bedroom, my cock was able to relax. Laila lay on the bed in defeat. Her pants were still around her ankles and her limbs still bound. Tears streaked her cheeks, but they weren't from fear or sadness. They were from hopelessness.
I sighed before walking to the closet and pulling on a pair of boxers. As much as I wanted to remain angry with the woman, I couldn't. She was right. She had to take her shot.
She didn't flinch as I retrieved the scissors from a hidden compartment in my closet and cut the tape around her wrists and ankles. I shrugged the pants off her the rest of the way and tossed them to the floor. She didn't seem to care about modesty right then.
I wanted to say something, and my mouth even opened and closed a few times. But eventually I gave up. What could I possibly say to comfort her? This situation only ended one way and we both knew what it was. My cock could only think for me for so long.
So instead of saying anything, I crawled into bed and dragged Laila to me. We lay there in the dark together for some time after I'd turned the lamp off. Both of us probably thinking the same things, but neither of us voicing them out loud.
"Jake?" Laila whispered beneath my embrace.
I didn't answer but instead gave her shoulder a squeeze so she knew I was listening.
"I don't want to die." Her voice cracked with her tears that I ached to brush from her face. A lump formed in my throat at the trembling woman in my arms, from pity. Not guilt. Never guilt. It wasn't an emotion a man like me could possibly have. I was still human nonetheless, and people's pain did indeed affect me. It didn't change my decisions, and it never would. But I did feel it.
"I know, Laila," I whispered into her hair.
I couldn't tell her what she wanted. I couldn't bring myself to lie. Instead I squeezed her tight and planted kisses in her hair as she cried. It would have to do for now.
14
Laila
He was handsome even as he slept. In a different, softer kind of way. He didn't have that aura of dominance surrounding him that made you fear him while your mouth watered. No, this was different. Breaths cascaded over Jake's parted lips, kissing my forehead with each exhale.
It surprised me that he hadn't cuffed me to the bedpost, but his arm was a vice grip around me. Even if I could've pulled myself out from under him without waking him up, I wouldn't have. Not right then. Not when he looked like safety.
It was too soon, anyway. If I was caught the very next morning after my attempted escape, there would be no room for mercy. Not from anyone, including Jake.
My stomach ached as I thought about Jake searching for my made-up informant again today. He'd find out soon enough that I'd lied, maybe even today. I closed my eyes and snuggled tighter into Jake's embrace. I felt like I'd already used my get-out-of-death-free card and the moments when I could feel safe in my captor's arms were fading.
"Morning," Jake said in a sleepy voice as he ran a hand over my back. I shamefully loved it when he did that.
"Good morning," I whispered.
An all new fear overtook me as Jake untangled himself and climbed out of bed. He'd be leaving soon, and not only did I have to worry about him finding out I'd lied, there was a chance I'd be alone with Dravin again. My stomach twisted tighter.
"Wait," I said, reaching out and grabbing Jake's wrist. His eyes followed my hold, and I had the sudden impulse to withdraw. As if his gaze would burn my hand.
"Sorry," I whispered, biting my lip and crossing my arms over my chest.
Jake cupped my chin and lifted my eyes to meet his. "What's up, Laila?"
I thought for several moments about what I wanted to say. It pained me to beg my captor to stay with me—to want him to—but pride was losing out to survival. This was my Hail Mary. I either got Jake to want me alive, maybe even to care for me, or I waited to die as soon as he found out I'd lied to him. Even then, it might not be enough.
"I don't want you to go."
Jake's head tilted and his eyes narrowed. "Why?"
"I'm scared Dravin might—"
"Dravin isn't coming into my bedroom, Laila."
"He did yesterday," I said.
Confusion clouded Jake's eyes and his brows knitted together. He really didn't know about Dravin coming to see me. It wasn't a mind game. I doubted he knew about Isabella coming to see me as well. She had her own motives for "helping" me, and they didn't have to do with Jake. I was right that she was loyal to someone, but it wasn't her Master.
He sat on the bed and took my hand in his. His expression became serious, and I once again felt the urge to pull back. This time I fought it.
"How did you get loose yesterday?"
Oh. That was what his confusion was about. I'd forgotten we hadn't discussed the details of my escape attempt. For a moment I considered telling him the truth but pushed the inclination away. As tolerant as Jake seemed to be with Isabella, I couldn't risk him ending her life, even if that was exactly the fate she'd wanted for me. She was a victim, after all.
"You left the key on the nightstand yesterday. I was able to grab it with my toes."
The gentle hand that caressed my own turned violent. Jake squeezed
until it felt like my bones would crush beneath his hold. I whimpered and tugged but it did nothing to deter him.
"Tell me the truth, Laila. You won't be in any trouble."
The calmness of his voice sent a shiver down my spine. He felt nothing from the pain he was causing to my hand.
"I am, Jake. Please. I have no reason to lie." I tugged my hand more, and finally, he eased his grip. He didn't allow me to pull away, but he rubbed circles around where he'd grasped.
"Laila, look at me."
My gaze drifted from our hands to his eyes. The green irises appeared cold. They contrasted so much from the heat I typically saw in them, and it made me want to look away. I hated this version of Jake—was terrified of him.
"Dravin wants you dead. He's going to push for it very, very soon. Should I stop him?"
"Yes," I squeaked, my words catching in my throat. I leaned forward so that my hands rested on Jake's arms. "Yes, please, Jake."
"Then I need my fucking position back. As of now, he's above me and what he says goes. I have a limited amount of influence. He and I? We're not friends. And we don't agree on everything. Including you. So, if there's anything you need to tell me, anything you may have been lying to me about, you need to do it now."
I should've never said anything. My fear for Dravin was currently rivaled by my fear of Jake finding out the truth. He didn't understand. If I told him that Isabella had unlocked the cuffs and told me to run, or that Maddix was the informant giving me information, they'd both be dead, and I'd be the one responsible. I couldn't do it. I wouldn't do it. No matter the torture or the consequences.
So, I needed to go back to plan A.
I crawled closer to Jake so that my hands caressed his chest. The skin underneath my touch burned, but his expression remained serious. Still, he didn't push me off him.
"I don't want to lie to you," I whispered. Taking a chance, I pressed my lips to the soft skin of his neck. "But sometimes telling the truth is too hard."
Jake pushed on my shoulders, but I anchored myself to his chest. He had to know at this point that I'd lied. I couldn't keep pretending, but maybe we could pretend together, for just a little longer.
"Just one day," I said, still bracing myself to him. "You can do whatever you need to do tomorrow, but just spend today with me… Please."
He remained rigid for a few moments longer before he relaxed against me. He inhaled deeply by my hair and brought his hands around my back. "On one condition."
I breathed a sigh of relief onto his chest. "What's that?"
"No running."
* * *
Jake
"Keep your eyes closed."
Laila sat on the counter in front of me in one of my T-shirts and sweats. Her eyes remained closed as she nibbled on her lip in anticipation. I so badly wanted to replace her teeth with my own, but there was plenty of time for that. An entire day, apparently.
A wide grin stretched across my face as I dipped the bread in hot chocolate. It was the standard breakfast Rita had made for me growing up, and there was always some lying around in my kitchen.
I pressed the bread to Laila's lips, and she opened obediently. She was different today. I'd have thought she'd be upset over everything that had happened last night, but she didn't seem to be. Instead, she was more… responsive. It was rather enjoyable, even if for just a day. I had to wait until tomorrow for Kevin to call anyway.
"Mmm," she moaned as she took a bite. Her eyes popped open and her hand flew to her mouth to wipe away a drop of liquid chocolate that ran down her chin. "That's so good!" she exclaimed. "What is it?"
"It's called pan dulce. It means sweet bread in Spanish."
My smile deepened as Laila took the bread from my hand and began dipping it in the hot chocolate. "It's amazing," she said before taking another bite. "Thank you."
"You're welcome."
Her lips pulled into a small smile, and it felt as if I'd been punched in the gut. I fucking loved that smile. I wanted so much more of it. By the end of the day I'd make sure I saw teeth.
Laila must've found my stare to be too intense because she began squirming under my gaze. She tucked a piece of hair behind her ear and swallowed. "If I ask you about something I'm probably not supposed to know about will you get mad?"
My eyebrow raised. It hadn't appeared that up to that point she'd known much at all. "Ask away."
"Did someone have a baby?"
"What?"
Laila diverted her eyes and chewed on her lip once more. I took a deep breath and forced myself to take on a more relaxed approach. "You overheard me yesterday with my housekeeper?"
She swallowed and bobbed her head, the curiosity coming back to replace the nervousness. She was sweet. Tough and determined, but sweet.
"My brother."
She let out a breath she must've been holding and took another bite of bread. "The married one?"
The married one. She didn't say Kevin's name, and it led me to believe she didn't think I was talking about him. A hint of amusement fluttered in as I nodded. How ironic that she had such a low opinion of Kevin. He was by far the most humane of us. He'd never been cut out for the job, and it was my mistake not to have seen that. He was intelligent and ambitious, but he let his damn conscience get in the way. My older brother, on the other hand? He was as ruthless as my father and couldn't possibly have gotten any closer to marriage than me, and believe me, I was nowhere near it.
"Well, congratulations," Laila said with a small smile. She tried to hide it, but I caught the sadness that flickered across her face just before she neutralized it. I wondered what it was about but decided not to press. The congratulations didn't really sit well with me, and I preferred to change the subject altogether.
"So what do you want to do today?" I asked. I thought about it myself. We obviously couldn't leave the property. The spring air was still a little cold for a swim. Other than ensuring I got into Laila's pants at some point today, I didn't have any preference.
"I don't know," Laila said, nervously fidgeting with her hands. "Is uh… he here?"
"Dravin," I clarified.
Laila nodded. Annoyance stung, but I understood Laila's concern. I'd been the one to tell her he was in charge, and in a way, sure, that was true. But he wouldn't hurt her. Not yet. Damn, I would never get used to not being the man feared. It'd been years since I'd had to deal with people being above me in rank.
"Yes. He's probably here, but there's no reason to be afraid of him right now."
Laila's eyes narrowed. "That's easy for you to say," she said a little too defensively. "You're not the one he tortured."
Ahh. So that was it, then. My lips pulled into a smile as I considered the perfect way to fix that. "Come on," I said, tugging Laila's hand.
"What? Where are we going?"
She set the remainder of the bread down and hopped off the counter. Even with her hesitant voice she let me lead her. That was good. She'd need to trust me for this to work.
I stepped toward her so that we stood close enough to feel each other's body heat. My cock was already beginning to harden. "I'm giving you a gift," I whispered before pressing my lips to hers. She stiffened and gripped my shoulders to push me away, but I didn't budge. She couldn't convince me that she didn't want this. Not after the last couple nights when she'd melted into me.
I moved back and smirked at the fear that'd entered her eyes. She probably thought I was talking about sex. Nah. My dick wouldn't go inside her until she begged for it. And she'd be down on her knees begging soon enough. This exercise actually was for her, and maybe a little for myself.
"You can trust me," I assured Laila as I took her hand and guided us from the kitchen.
* * *
Laila
My mouth dropped open as Jake stopped at the basement door. I yanked my hand from his grasp and took several steps back which earned a penetrating glare.
"Laila, you promised. We already saw what running gets you."
"I'm
not going down there," I stammered. My gaze darted around as if looking for an escape route. There wasn't one, as Jake had already pointed out, but that didn't stop me from searching.
Before I could react, Jake closed the distance between us and pinned me to the wall by my wrists. He moved my arms above my head and cupped both wrists with one of his hands while the other roamed my body.
"Come on, Laila. You don't think I'd seriously hurt you right now, do you?" he asked while he slipped a hand under my shirt. His touch trailed upward, heating my skin, until my already hardened nipple was between his fingertips. The bastard smirked. "Or maybe you want to be hurt?"
"Fuck you!" I seethed.
No. I didn't want to be hurt. The way my body reacted to Jake's roughness was a complete mystery to me. It was sick and twisted of him, and I was still a victim. It was what I'd told countless women before, so why were my cheeks inflamed with shame washing through me?
Jake removed his hand from my shirt to cup my cheek. "Hey, look at me."
I'd hidden my face in the crook of my arm. What the fuck was wrong with me? Last night I'd been able to chalk it up to the man tricking my body into responding, but now? His throwing me against a wall should've fueled me with rage, not turned me on.
"Laila."
"No," I said, my words muffled by my arm.
Jake released his hold and stepped back. My body ached from the lack of contact, and I wanted to kick myself even more.
"I know what you went through down there. Better than you realize."
I crossed my arms over my chest and finally found the courage to look Jake in the eyes.
"I'm not going to put you through that ever again. I swear,” he said.
"Then why do you want me to go down there?" I asked, flicking my gaze to the basement door. Jake's eyes were hard and full of need, but he sounded sincere in his promise not to torture me. It was more confusing than anything else.
Dethroned: Darker Places Book Three Page 13