Page 109 of Vicious

I don’t know how I would have managed to arrange Baba’s funeral without Chase. If I’d had to see his body with the bullet holes in them, if I’d had to talk to the funeral director and tried to get anything resembling a decent urn with my zero dollars, I’d have lost my mind.

But it’s over now. I want to be able to think of something else.

Chase closes the cabinet door and turns to me again, a calculating look in his eyes. “Now? I was honestly going to wait until at least tomorrow.”

I shudder at the look in his eyes, biting my bottom lip. “I mean, it’s probably not a good idea to do anything vigorous,” I hurry to say, wondering what the hell compelled me to mention a punishment in the first place.

Maybe it’s the misery I feel over Baba’s death, which is front and center of my thoughts again; maybe it’s how much I hated the funeral and all the fakeness that had gone on during it. I don’t know, but a bit of pain sounds good right about now.

“We wouldn’t want Hunter to yell at us again.” Chase stops to laugh. “You know what? I called Hunter yesterday, and for some reason Stef picked up. She actually told me that maybe I should take better care of you.”

I eye him. “She did not,” I say. “She’s the reason I got beaten to a pulp.”

“She did!” Chase comes over to me and puts his hands on my shoulders. “I think mostly she was tired of Hunter leaving to come tend to you.”

I snort. “Maybe she felt guilty for completely screwing me over,” I say cynically, looking up at Chase and relaxing into the brief massage he gives me. “Either way, I could use a drink and maybe something more. Maybe.”

Chase’s grip turns harder, and I gasp at the sudden change.

“No drinks,” Chase says darkly. He leans in, bringing his lips close to mine. “I know just how I want to play with my xiao mao May tonight.”

Little kitty May.

I swallow hard, hesitating a moment before kissing back. “My stitches are only just now starting to fall out,” I say, backtracking because now I’m not sure of what I can handle. “I don’t know if it’s really a good idea. Maybe tomorrow. Or next week.”

“If you want to claw at me, that’s fine. But we’re going down there, and I’m going to tie you down so you can barely move, and then I’m going to do unspeakable things to you.” Chase nips my lip. “You won’t be able to even think about tearing your stitches.”

I whimper, the idea of it as compelling as it is terrifying. “Chase…”

He pulls me close to kiss me harder, and I grip his back. If he wasn’t wearing his fancy suit jacket, maybe I really would be clawing him.

I whimper when we separate, desperate to keep kissing him. I want this connection, but I don’t want to see what’s in store.

Except I do. My body is already getting warmer, and I can feel my cunt throb.

Chase grabs my arm and starts pulling me to the basement.

I dig in my heels and try to shake him off. “I changed my mind. I’m not going.”

Chase laughs and pulls me harder, almost causing me to stumble. “Nope. We’re doing this, Ah-May.”

I look at him, torn between arousal and fear and anticipation and who knows what else? I can’t make sense of my own thoughts, my own emotions. All I know is that I want him as badly as I want to just relax and drink myself into oblivion. Maybe this will be better, safer, but I’m not willing to stake my life on it. “What are we doing?” I ask warily.

“It’s a surprise,” Chase answers. He has to half-drag me down the stairs, and it’s only the fear of falling and hurting myself properly that has me cooperating even as much as I am.

But once we’re in the basement, I shake my head again. “No, Chase. Let’s have dinner. Or go for a swim. Or?—”

Chase shoves me violently in the direction of the back room, and I stumble in that direction. “No excuses. Get in there, Ah-May. You don’t have a choice.” He smiles darkly at me, and it sends a shock of that same fear and arousal through me.

I wonder yet again what’s wrong with me.

I let him herd me toward the bedroom cell, even though my skin prickles and I can’t help but wonder if he’s going to lock me away despite our spoken agreement. I should’ve gotten it in writing, for all the good that would’ve done with something that couldn’t be legally enforced—especially if I was locked away and in no position to argue it with anyone else.

I think about giving my safe word, just to see if he’ll respect it. The word is on the tip of my tongue. But I don’t say it, even as he pushes me down onto the bed.

I shudder, staring up at him.

Chase quirks his brows at me. “Problem, Ah-May?”

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