Page 20 of Reckoning

Her knee connected with my groin.

I howled in pain and fell to the side, clutching myself. I was vaguely aware of the door opening but knew she wouldn’t get far. Joshua re-entered a moment later, holding her by the nape of her neck.

“Tie her up. There.” I pointed at a wall sconce next to the bed made of sturdy iron that could withstand her thrashing. I snatched up the towel she had dropped and tied it around my waist before going into the bathroom.

I leaned over the sink, trying not to retch as the pain subsided. Madeline continued to yell long after I heard the door close again, various vows and epithets I didn’t really internalize in my anger and pain. After I calmed down, I took a proper shower, spending more time than was necessary beneath the spray. Jesus, that hurt. I took a few more deep breaths and patted myself tentatively.

When I finally returned to the bedroom, Madeline was quiet. Facing the wall, she didn’t turn her head to look at me. Her wet clothes clung tight to her skin, her shirt riding up high over her stomach and back.

“Are you properly afraid now, Mads?” I came up behind her and ran a finger down her spine. She shivered.

I wanted to run my tongue up her back and taste every inch of her nervous system. I wanted to press myself into her and understand what made her happy, what made her sad, and what made her afraid. I wanted to exploit every weakness and fear until I had a map of her brain. I needed to know what made her tick, what made her angry, and how to soothe her anxiety after I had driven her to terror. I felt this primal need to be the source of every fear, every happiness, every emotion she would feel from here on out.

She was mine.

I wouldn’t have it any other way.

I pressed against her, her damp clothing sticking to my dry chest. Her rib cage didn’t move. She was holding her breath.

“You should be.”

I reached for her again. I might be in too much pain to do what I had originally intended, but I still needed to teach her a lesson. I pulled at her shorts as she began squirming and fighting again.

“Meyer, stop! Please!”

I growled. “What did I tell you about that word?”

She swallowed. I wanted to feel that throat work while my lips pressed against it. Feel her jerk as I drove into her, the contraction of her pussy around me as I came deep inside.

“I’m begging you, Meyer. Please. Don’t do this. Don’t hurt me anymore.”

“Dad, please, don’t hurt me anymore. I promise I’ll be good.”

My father’s hand swung for me again, and I heard the sound of a hand slapping against a face, but it wasn’t my face. I was pulled out of the way at the last moment, safe in the arms of the only woman I’d ever known as my mother.

“Goddammit, Eva, what did I tell you about coddling him?”

“He’s a child!” Eva’s voice was thick as she dropped me to the ground. When I looked up, I saw my father had her jaw in his hand, his face a mask of fury. “I won’t let you turn him into another you. He deserves a better future.”

“You are not responsible for raising my son. You’re a body, nothing more.” His hand shifted to her hair, and he dragged her behind him as he left the room. Just before he left, he turned to look at me again. “This isn’t over, Meyer. You’ll learn your lesson eventually, just like she will.”

I pushed off her abruptly, pulling her bonds loose so she was free. My skin was clammy and cold, and my heart felt like it had migrated to my throat. Madeline fell to the floor at my feet, curling into a small ball. I panted as I looked down at her, trying to reorient myself to this room. This timeline. The woman in front of me, vulnerable and tender, still with some hope left for the world.

I had to get away from her.

My heart thudded as I stepped back from her. “Don’t expect such consideration in the future.”

I walked to my wardrobe, pulling on the first clothes I could find. I didn’t care what I wore. Just something that would allow me to get out of this room in a decent state. I heard scurrying as Madeline pushed herself into the corner, too stupid with fear to find a true hiding space. I pulled a shirt over my head and looked over. Her head was turned against the wall, and she was whispering furiously to herself.

“…hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will…”

“If you fight me tomorrow, I’ll follow through,” I said, and she jumped. Her face was hidden behind her hair. I slammed the door as hard as I could as I ran out of the room.

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