“You will never do something like that again.”
“Yes.”
Spank. “You will do as you’re told.”
“Yes.”
Spank. “You will never put yourself in danger like that ever again.”
“Yes!”
He gives me one final slap before he steps back, breathing heavy. I slump onto the bed, all my energy gone but there’s a sense of peace in my chest. Mikhail took the pain away. The guilt. I’ve been punished for what I did.
“I will try to save your sisters,” he says in a gruff voice. “I promise.”
“I thought you didn’t care about them.”
“I don’t. But you do and I don’t want you to ever put yourself in danger like that again. So I am promising you that I will find a way to save them. But until then, you will not go back there. You will listen to me. Is that understood?”
“Yes.”
He grips my panties and pulls it back up. I hiss when the fabric touches my hot skin. “There. You can stand.”
I do as he instructs, even though my legs are shaky.
He cups my face. “You are mine now, Natalya. I am in control here. You need me to tell you what to do. You’re lost. And I get that you’re worried. But as today showed, your fear can lead to reckless decisions. You could have been killed and then what? How would that have saved your sisters?”
I lower my gaze to the floor, knowing he’s right. “I’m sorry.”
“You’re forgiven. I took it easy on you for the first time. But don’t make me spank you again. Or worse.”
I gasp. “Or worse?”
“I have creative ways of punishing people. And while I loved seeing your bare ass before me, all red from my hand, I don’t want to have to do that to you all the time. Trust that I know what I’m doing.”
“I want to trust you but I still barely know you.”
“I understand. I hope now that you see I’m not an unreasonable man. I will find a way to save your sisters. Give me time. It won’t be easy. Denis will put them on lockdown even more now because of what you did.”
“I know.”
He stares at me for a moment before he smiles. “I heard you shot him.”
“I did. In the shoulder.”
“Where did you get the gun?”
“The closet.”
His smile disappears. “You could have been injured using a gun.”
“I know how to use one.” Might as well come clean since he already knows.
“You do?” His shock is palpable.
“My mom taught me. Me and Sasha. She wanted to make sure we both knew how to use a gun. We’ve gone to the shooting range before to practice.”
“Fine then. You know how to use one. Maybe I should be afraid then.”
