I swallowed down my panic and quickly glanced at the bed. How many other girls had been trapped in here? What happened to them? Did he kill them? Was he going to kill me?
“Of course, some of you simply beg to be released and promise you won’t tell anyone.” He rose from the chair he was sitting on. “Not that it would matter. You see, Pet, I’m very good at what I do.”
And what did he do?
He looked like a businessman. Hard muscled ridges, tucked under a finely tailored suit, topped off with a neatly styled appearance. Much like the models on some of the magazines Angie read.
I couldn’t stop staring at the flesh peeking through the open buttons of his white shirt. Tanned, smooth, and firm. Strong. The kind of strong I’d have no chance to fight against.
“You intrigue me, Pet. I’ve been watching you, waiting for that panicked reaction. Yet you remain calm and quiet.” My heart stopped when he took two menacing steps closer. “My question is, why?”
I was anything but calm and quiet.
My insides were screaming for me to run, yell, or fight. But the only thing that panicking got you was a confused mind and irrational instinct, that pulled you into a worse situation than the one you were trying to get out of.
He took another stride, long and purposeful. The determination of it echoed in my soul.
The weird thing was, I didn’t run.
Didn’t squeak, or skitter back. I stared at the chair he had been sitting in, wondering why it didn’t match the other. They were both wingback style, but this one was made of black leather, and bigger. It seemed oddly out of place.
“What I can’t figure out is if you’re smarter than the others,” he said, drawing my attention back to the immediate threat, “or simply more skittish?”
I could feel the questions bubbling up in my throat, but I refused to let them free. Never let a monster in your mind, because once you did, you’d never get them out.
Distance was an important factor. Right now, it was the only factor. So, when he stepped in closer, I tucked myself into the corner of the wall.
“Are you going to beg now? Perhaps shed a few tears?”
I’d dealt with bad people all my life. Empathy never played a part in their lives. “Would it matter if I did?”
“No,” he stated flatly.
My gaze shifted past his large frame, less than a foot away.
The bed was right there, and I was small enough to fit underneath. There was no way he could follow me. It was the perfect place to hide. But for how long?
“So, why would I waste my time?”
“You truly are intriguing, Pet. Tell me,” the corner of his mouth lifted, “how hard will it be to pull tears from those pretty eyes of yours?”
I might’ve made a mad dash for the bed, if he hadn’t placed his hand on the wall next to me.
A person could inflict a lot of damage with one strike, and this guy’s hands were big. Wide palms, with long, thick fingers. He could snap my neck with one flick of his wrist.
I could no longer stop my body from openly trembling. “Are you going to hurt me?”
“And here I thought we could skip the usual banter.” He tipped his head, blue eyes mocking me. “Yes, Pet, I will hurt you.”
Tears of frustration leaked from the corners of my eyes and dripped off my quivering chin. “Why?”
“Because I can.”
Just like when I felt cornered by my stepfather, my brain lost control of my mouth. I couldn’t stop my lips from parting and spewing out, “So, you’re just another asshole then.”
Was I really surprised?
“Oh no, Pet, I’m much more than that.” The corner of his mouth curled with his next words. “I am your Master.”
