Page 10 of The Prey

No. Not right now. I suppress them as best I can, hoping to bury the memory of her hands, her punishments, her skin against mine but they still linger right near the surface.

I need something else to think about. Something to distract me. I don’t mention the fact that she’s been gone off and on for months and never cared to know what was going on before today, mainly because I don’t have the tolerance to deal with any more of her bullshit.

“If it’s that big of a concern to you, then I'll tell you. I’m attending a business meeting and taking Ms. Silver with me to assist.”

Her eyes narrow, and she cocks her head to the side. “Assist with what...and why on earth would she need to remove her clothing to help you?”

“Not that I require your permission or need to share what I do or do not do with my staff, but I’m taking her to Pound of Flesh. And before you rudely interrupted me, I was having her try on a few dresses I had picked out.”

As badly as I’d love to tell her that I was getting ready to fuck Elyse, I don’t. I have no doubt in my mind that she would murder Elyse just to spite me if she thought for even a moment that the girl was competition.

Tanya smiles, all sadistic curiosity. “You’re taking that innocent little thing to Pound of Flesh? Have you lost your mind?”

I shrug. I have to wonder about that myself.

Tanya’s gaze sharpens, and her grin widens, white teeth flashing, sharp like a shark’s. “Oh...no...are you going to sell her? In that case, things might be different. She’ll fetch a pretty penny. Especially with how innocent-looking and doll-like she is. The men will eat her up and spit out the bones.”

I want to deny it. To shove her away from me and make my escape, but I don’t dare. It will only encourage her to sink her nails in a little deeper. “What I do with her is my business. If I want to sell her, I will. If I want to use her to draw someone else's attention, I will do so. She’s my property.”

Her eyes narrow, and I realize I’ve given too much away. Like always. I hate these fucking games. I repeat myself so, maybe, even if Ely fights against it, Tanya will know. “She is my property and, therefore, out of your reach.”

4

Sebastian

With a shrug of her shoulders, she steps closer, surrounding me and choking me with her perfume. That, mixed with the proximity of her body, makes it difficult for me to breathe or focus on anything but keeping myself from vomiting. “Maybe for now she is, but think of this. Wouldn’t it be more fun to sell her off and get yourself someone with a little more experience? Someone who can handle a good, hard fucking? Remember, I know exactly what you like and how you like it, and that girl isn’t going to deliver. You’ll break her in two by the time you finish with her.”

I swallow hard and meet her cold eyes. “I’m good. Haven’t you heard? I’ve made an art out of taking a girl’s virginity. They wear my cuts on their skin, showing them off, seeking me out to parade them around. So no, I don’t need anyone with more experience. Virgin or not, I fuck them how I want, and they beg me so pretty to do it.” I put enough bite in my tone that I expect her to retaliate in some way, but all she does is smile, blinking at me lazily, like a cat coiling to pounce.

“Darling…” She cups my chin in her warm hand and forces my head back. We are almost the same height with her heels on, but while I’m looking down my nose at her, this is anything but a submissive stance.

With her thumb under my chin and finger anchored behind my ear, she’s firmly in control. “Why did you have to be so damn beautiful?”

I speak slowly since she’s still holding my chin, and it takes effort to get the words out. “You mean, why didn’t your father sell you to marry me instead of Mitchell? Isn’t that what you always wanted?”

She hums. “Maybe...you weren’t much to look at as a child, but after witnessing the man you’ve grown into, I can’t disagree. Your father was old even when I was young. It was a business arrangement and nothing more. There were no feelings between us. He had his dalliances, and so did I.”

I flinch, and she smiles, knowing she’s struck a nerve. “I’ll let you get packed. Make sure you bring your weapons; you’re going to have a hell of a time protecting that little thing once they find out she’s a virgin.”

She flicks her fingers from my face, dismissing me like I’m a crumb beneath her nail, and turns to head for the door, her heels clicking loudly against the hardwood.

“No one is going to find out. They won’t get the opportunity to.”

She shrugs but doesn’t look back. “Maybe I’ll call some old friends, let them know what’s coming their way.”

Of course she would do that. Anything to spite me.

In the hall, she pauses and turns back, throwing me a smirk. “Good luck with that one. Nosy little thing, isn’t she?”

I race to the door and glance down the hall to the stairs, but find it’s empty. Was Elyse really out here listening to us, or is Tanya fucking with me? It’s a fifty-fifty shot at this point.

Heaving a disgusted breath, I face the stack of clothing on the bed. “It’ll suffice. We’ll only be gone a few days.”

Something in the back of my mind warns me to leave Ely here, that taking her will only cause more trouble. I can’t leave her to Tanya’s mercy, though. She’d just end up being used by her to betray me.

No. She is mine, and she’ll stay with me. There is no other solution.

I square my shoulders and shove thoughts of Tanya out of my head. Time to pack my own bag. The housekeeper offered, but I don’t want her to accidentally find the weapons cabinet built into the bottom of my closet. For as long as I’ve been living back in the house, my closet has been off-limits except to put away clothing, which is mostly Elyse’s job, anyway.

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