Monica moved her arm to Eva’s. “It’s for Abigail,” she pleaded with a lowered voice she hoped to God that Jackson couldn’t hear. “You promised me, Eva. Whatever it took.”
“What he’s asking is fucking diabolical!”
“I just want to watch,” he said. “I have no desire totouchyou, Evangeline. I know that would be the death of me, whether you meant it or not. And I don’t desire to die.”
“Eva.” Monica turned her sister-in-law toward her, beseeching her undivided attention. “Put it all out of your mind. It’s forAbigail.”
“Yeah, Evangeline. It’s for little Abigail.”
She shot Jackson a look telling him toshut the fuck up.It was more defiance than she ever showed him during their whole relationship.
“This man is a monster.” Eva said that as if Monica didn’t personally know. “He wants us to have sex for him!”
Finally, one of them said it, because even Monica had been trying not to think about it the whole walk up here.I was prepared for him to demand my body…And Monica had made peace with that if it was what it took.But to ask this of Eva as well…
For Eva was not a woman who could muster the courage to let any man dictate her sexual fate. Even if shewasn’tmarried.
All of this so Jackson can hurt us as much as possible.Monica should have seen this coming when she insisted on not coming alone. What was the most disgusting, undignified, and transgressive thing he could ask this pair of sisters-in-law to do? Hell, Monica would have been less shocked if she was asked to have sex with Paisley, who would probably be quite upset to hear of this arrangement as well.
But that was what Jackson did. Even when Monica was the queen of this domain, with every servant bowing to her whim, Jackson had his ways of keeping her beneath his shoes. Often, that included having sex with other women.With me. With him. Sometimes at the same time.What had been interesting and exploratory early on in their relationship quickly turned into a new way for him to abuse her body – and her trust.
Monica had been prepared. For her daughter, she would go against her marriage vows and hide it from her husband foreverif it meant securing Abigail’s safety from a possible fate worse than death.
But that was when she thought it would just behersuffering and having to live with the consequences.
“I don’t ask for a lot of your time, ladies,” Jackson said from his perch. “I know how eager you are to be on your way. All I ask for is a little entertainment in exchange for my connection to the Beaumonts.”
“Absolutely. Unhinged.” Eva resolutely crossed her arms with a grunt. “Have you fantasized about this before?” she asked Jackson. “Because Monica and I haveneverlooked at each other like that.”
Monica had to place another soothing hand on Eva.It’s what I do, anyway.Both Warren siblings could be impassioned if she didn’t step in quickly. But whereas Henry tended to keep his fury locked deeply within, Eva made it clear to everyone around her that she had been wronged and intended to make it right. Even if it hurt her chances more than if she had simplyshut up.
“I’d think this would be easy for you, Evangeline. You’re a dominant type. Monica is still the most perfect submissive princess in the land, I’m sure. I’d think you’d be jumping at the chance to take some of that into your hands. You like women, don’t you?”
Was Monica offended by all of this? Of course. Was she still inclined to do it if it meant they got to Abigail sooner?
She was wary of answering that.
“I’ll give you a couple of minutes to think it over.” Jackson got up, removing his jacket before tossing it on the bed. “Remember! It’s for little Abigail.”
The way he growled the name of Monica’s daughter made her see red.
Whatever Eva was about to say was cut off the moment Jackson closed a door behind him and Monica slammed ahand on her sister-in-law’s chest. Eva stumbled over her words, breathless as she gazed down into Monica’s desperate demeanor.
“You must listen to me, Eva,” Monica said in a hush. “The only pleasure Jackson takes from this is knowing that it will stay with us forever. He doesn’t actuallycareabout seeing me and you together unless he knows he can hold it over us for the rest of his life.”
“But…”
“For Abigail. You swore to me. You swore!”
Monica’s finger jammed so hard into Eva’s breastbone that she flinched.
“But, Nadia… but,Henry!”
“You can put any guilt or shame you feel into me. I can take it. You heard him.” Monica lowered her hand, that red film covering her vision once more. “I’m the best submissive princess in the land. You can hitanythinginto me!”
“Monica… you can’t be serious…”
Eva continued to attempt to talk her way out of this, but even Monica heard the reason slipping from her voice. They were trapped. Either they capitulated and carried this scar for the rest of their lives, or they let Abigail slip further away.
