in return.”
I looked down at my ankles. The ropes were starting to burn because of all of the movement and I probably had hideous marks on them. Eventually they would become raw and the burn would become pain. I wanted out. No matter the cost.
“Okay,” I replied quietly.
“Don’t you want to know what it is that I want first?” he asked curiously.
I shook my head. The truth was that if I heard his proposition first, I’d probably be left to rot and die in this room for the rest of my life.
He stared at me for a moment, before he nodded and approached my legs. I sat there patiently while he undid the ropes and then came over to lift me off of the bed. I winced as my shoulder settled into his chest. Jax shifted me in his arms so that I wouldn’t feel the sting and walked toward the room.
“First I’ll finally wrap that shoulder, then you can properly thank me for letting you out of here ahead of schedule,” he said, using his foot to close the door behind us.
“Okay,” I repeated.
What is he going do to me? Or make me do to him? How can I do anything with a bum shoulder? Why won’t he just let me go?
Those were the last thoughts I had as a normal, sane woman. Everything after that day changed. Every belief I ever had after that day was dead.
Thirteen
Three Months Later
“R iley? Come here please,” Jaxton called out. I had been in the hallway sitting on the staircase trying to breathe. Ever since he started “allowing” me to have clothes, I had been wrapped up in a corset. Every fucking day.
No, that’s a lie. Not “ever since”, it started the day I was curled up, chained to the foot of the bed in horrible pain. I wasn’t quite sure why I was having vicious stomach cramps like I was, but he had called someone over who he said had “extensive experience in the medical field” and had examined me. Jax had looked absolutely terrified when this person left and told me that once the pains went away, he would start dressing me in corsets. Truthfully, I was more concerned with who this person was that didn’t find it odd or strange that there was girl curled up in a ball of agony chained to someone’s bed.
I had asked Jax of course, who said that it didn’t matter. He told me a few days later, once he had calmed down and started shoving me into corsets that he was an old friend of his who used to do what Jax still does. I think mentor was the word he used, but I can’t be sure. He also told me that he gets paid well for his silence and services.
I got shakily to my feet and began to walk up the stairs. He had allowed me to be barefoot if I wished, because the first time I was set in heels, I fell down. Not once did he assume it was the damn corset stealing breaths from me, making me lightheaded, dizzy, or vulnerable; no he just assumed it was the fucking shoes and that I could stay in the corsets barefoot.
I made my way down the hallway and pushed his cracked bedroom door open. I glanced around, waiting for his permission to enter his room. Me, a full grown woman, waiting for permission.
“I’m out on the balcony. You can come join me,” he said.
I sighed deeply and walked into his room and directly out onto the balcony, where he was leaning over, arms crossed, and looking up at the sun setting in the horizon.
“Beautiful, isn’t it?” he asked without looking back at me. “I’ve never seen a more beautiful sunset than the ones in Australia.”
I stood in the doorway of his bay windows and waited for further acknowledgment. One thing I learned rather quickly was that just because Jaxton said something to me, it didn’t mean it was an invitation to do anything other than to stand or sit there and listen. Finally he glanced over his shoulder and smiled at me.
“Come stand with me. I want to watch this with you,” he said.
“Thank you,” I replied quietly. I walked over and stood next to him. Jax looked at me for a moment; I didn’t have to see him do it. I could feel
I looked down at my ankles. The ropes were starting to burn because of all of the movement and I probably had hideous marks on them. Eventually they would become raw and the burn would become pain. I wanted out. No matter the cost.
“Okay,” I replied quietly.
“Don’t you want to know what it is that I want first?” he asked curiously.
I shook my head. The truth was that if I heard his proposition first, I’d probably be left to rot and die in this room for the rest of my life.
He stared at me for a moment, before he nodded and approached my legs. I sat there patiently while he undid the ropes and then came over to lift me off of the bed. I winced as my shoulder settled into his chest. Jax shifted me in his arms so that I wouldn’t feel the sting and walked toward the room.
“First I’ll finally wrap that shoulder, then you can properly thank me for letting you out of here ahead of schedule,” he said, using his foot to close the door behind us.
“Okay,” I repeated.
What is he going do to me? Or make me do to him? How can I do anything with a bum shoulder? Why won’t he just let me go?
Those were the last thoughts I had as a normal, sane woman. Everything after that day changed. Every belief I ever had after that day was dead.
Thirteen
Three Months Later
“R iley? Come here please,” Jaxton called out. I had been in the hallway sitting on the staircase trying to breathe. Ever since he started “allowing” me to have clothes, I had been wrapped up in a corset. Every fucking day.
No, that’s a lie. Not “ever since”, it started the day I was curled up, chained to the foot of the bed in horrible pain. I wasn’t quite sure why I was having vicious stomach cramps like I was, but he had called someone over who he said had “extensive experience in the medical field” and had examined me. Jax had looked absolutely terrified when this person left and told me that once the pains went away, he would start dressing me in corsets. Truthfully, I was more concerned with who this person was that didn’t find it odd or strange that there was girl curled up in a ball of agony chained to someone’s bed.
I had asked Jax of course, who said that it didn’t matter. He told me a few days later, once he had calmed down and started shoving me into corsets that he was an old friend of his who used to do what Jax still does. I think mentor was the word he used, but I can’t be sure. He also told me that he gets paid well for his silence and services.
I got shakily to my feet and began to walk up the stairs. He had allowed me to be barefoot if I wished, because the first time I was set in heels, I fell down. Not once did he assume it was the damn corset stealing breaths from me, making me lightheaded, dizzy, or vulnerable; no he just assumed it was the fucking shoes and that I could stay in the corsets barefoot.
I made my way down the hallway and pushed his cracked bedroom door open. I glanced around, waiting for his permission to enter his room. Me, a full grown woman, waiting for permission.
“I’m out on the balcony. You can come join me,” he said.
I sighed deeply and walked into his room and directly out onto the balcony, where he was leaning over, arms crossed, and looking up at the sun setting in the horizon.
“Beautiful, isn’t it?” he asked without looking back at me. “I’ve never seen a more beautiful sunset than the ones in Australia.”
I stood in the doorway of his bay windows and waited for further acknowledgment. One thing I learned rather quickly was that just because Jaxton said something to me, it didn’t mean it was an invitation to do anything other than to stand or sit there and listen. Finally he glanced over his shoulder and smiled at me.
“Come stand with me. I want to watch this with you,” he said.
“Thank you,” I replied quietly. I walked over and stood next to him. Jax looked at me for a moment; I didn’t have to see him do it. I could feel
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