him dead, and I'm confident that he was alive at the time that I witnessed everything. His body was never found though. It’s a very real possibility that he’s dead simply because I saw them. Talking about this triggers the memory. I see the hammers in their hands and hear the sound of Brandon smashing his against the judge’s knee. He was alive. I hear his screams echo in my head. The bricks and the bags are there. My body turns to ice.
He holds another bite to my lips; my appetite is gone, but I take it. “What else did you see?” he asks.
“Nothing. I never saw anything else,” I say.
“They were charged with more,” he points out.
“Nothing that I testified to,” I answer quickly.
“But you testified to attempted rape and kidnapping?” he asks.
I look away and nod.
“I have another question for you and then I’ll lighten it up, kitten.” My eyes fall. I don’t want another question. This game fucking blows. “I want you to be honest.”
I wait nervously for his question.
“Did they touch you?” I know what he's getting at.
I shake my head no. “They tried,” I answer, looking to the floor. “That’s when I left.” Not a single one of them did. Not even Lorenzo. He was having too much fun beating me for sport.
“What about your boyfriend?” he asks. I fucking hate that I ever called him that. Lorenzo helped me escape the pain of losing my mother. He made me feel free and wild. And then he destroyed me. I shake my head no, and I don’t realize until Anthony says something, but my hand moves to my cheek.
“He hit you?” I lock my eyes on Anthony’s. His voice is calm. He’s been calm the entire time. But his eyes spark with a darkness I never want to see directed at me. I give one curt nod in response. I’m ashamed that I let Lorenzo hurt me. I’m ashamed that it all ever happened.
He scoops a piece of omelet onto the fork and holds it out for me.
I take it simply to fill my mouth so I don’t have to talk.
“Your turn, kitten. Ask me anything.”
Catherine
I can ask him anything at all. Anything I want. “Why me?” I ask simply. I want to know what I did that put a target on my back.
“Well. I told you I was supposed to kill you,” he says. The reminder makes my stomach churn. “You were on my list, and like everyone on my list, I did a little digging. In your case, I liked what I found.” He spears a small piece of pepper and puts it to my lips.
“Have you...done this before?” I ask before accepting the bite. I fucking hope the answer is no. If it’s yes, I know what my next question will be, but I’m afraid of the answer. Did you kill them when you were done with them?
“I’ve played before, but it was only play. You’re the first real submissive I’ve had. And the first complete 24/7 power exchange.”
I don’t know why, but I hate that there were others before me.
“What happened to them?” I ask before receiving another bite.
“We weren’t a good fit,” he answers without looking at me. It’s the first time he’s done that, and I don’t like it.
“What did you do to them?” I ask before I can think twice.
He cocks a brow at me. “You mean, did I kill them?” he asks.
My throat closes as I answer in a choked voice, “Yes.”
“No, kitten. I didn’t kill them.” He doesn’t answer my unspoken question. If we don’t fit, will he kill me? He holds another piece out for me to take. But I shake my head. I’m not hungry. The thought of eating another bite makes me sick to my stomach. Of course he will. I’m already supposed to be dead. If we don’t fit, or once he’s done with me, I’ll be dead.
Tears prick my eyes, but I push them back. I need to be good. I need to be fucking perfect until I can get out of here. And the first chance I get, I need to run as fast as I can. I can never stop running. Never.
His strong arms wrap around me as he picks me up and pulls me into his lap to lean against his chest. “I chose you for a reason, kitten.” He gently strokes my back and I concentrate on how good it feels to distract myself from the pain.