Page 58 of Lukas

Chapter Twenty-Three

Not beingable to see or hear anything—knowing they were discussing her fate—ate at Reina. What had she done? These people were the mob, for God’s sake, and she’d stolen from them. They weren’t going to listen to her reasoning. No doubt every person who was stupid enough to steal from them had some sort of sob story about why they did it.

Whether they got to tell it before they ended up dead in a gutter was a different matter.

Reina knew how La Cosa Nostra worked; she’d grown up with them her whole life. They were strong and protective of those who were loyal to them. Ruthless to those who betrayed them. She felt another tear she couldn’t wipe leak out from under her blindfold.

Just like Lukas—strong and protective, until he was betrayed. He was the epitome of La Cosa Nostra. Why hadn’t she just told him long before now?

She thought she could get in and out of the server room without anyone noticing, was getting out even if she didn’t have the data she needed to prove what Peter was doing. But, evidently, they’d added more security, because she hadn’t been in there more than five minutes before she was caught, literally, in the act of stealing from them. At the very least, that would be a severe beating, the type that left broken bones and internal injuries.

She knew the reason she was here only embarrassed and trussed up like a Christmas goose rather than seriously injured was because Margo knew Lukas cared about Reina.

Or used to care about Reina. Another tear leaked out. If she could slump to the ground in despair she would, but Victor’s bindings kept her back ramrod straight and her legs spread wide.

She blinked rapidly as the blindfold was ripped off her eyes and the headphones removed from her ears. The people who had caught her were leaving the room.

Lukas crouched down in front of her, brown eyes cold. Empty. Almost like he didn’t recognize her. Her stomach filled with a rolling, twisting despair. He removed the ball-gag.

“Lukas…” Her voice was hoarse, broken. “Please let me explain.”

“No.” His voice booked no argument. “The only thing that will change your fate is if you didn’t steal the from these people of whom are highly connected to me and my family. Did you or did you not?”

“I did. But—”

“No. I don’t want to hear about it. Explanations have no place here. You stole. That’s all that matters.”

“Are they—you—going to kill me?” Fear doused her in an icy downpour. She clenched her jaw to keep her teeth from chattering.

“No, and I’m not going to let them have their own brand of justice either. Your punishment will be here at the club tonight.”

She wasn’t going to die or be injured in ways that she might never recover from. She relaxed slightly in her bindings. “Thank you.”

“You won’t be thanking me in a few minutes. Do you remember Timothy and Melinda’s punishment scene the first night you sneaked in? The group has agreed that will be your fate. You will be paddled by each club member you stole from, your ass plugged with ginger lube, paddled again by me while you hold yourself in diaper position, then fucked by me as you ask for forgiveness.”

Oh God.

“And you will not safe word, Reina. One, because if you do, you’ll face mafia justice rather than this much less painful version.” He reached down and grabbed her chin so she was forced to look into his flinty eyes. “But you will also not safe word for me, because I am commanding you not to. What will happen to you tonight will be at your limits, but you will take it for me. Do you understand?”

“Yes, Sir.” The words came out of her mouth automatically, but she knew they were true. She would do this, would bear this, to try to make things right with him.

“Lukas…”

“No. Tonight I am your master, not Lukas.”

God, that should not turn her on, but it did. Even worse, she knew he could see it. “Master… I hope you will let me explain, not tonight but sometime.”

His eyes remained cold. “You’ve had six weeks to do so. And I have no doubt that your brilliant mind could come up with some very clever reasons for why you did what you did, but regardless of your reasons, you lied to me, Reina. Every time we were together, there were lies between us. Believe me when I say you’re—”

Margo broke in from the door. “We’re ready with the stocks and have quite a crowd out here waiting, Lukas.”

Reina was glad Margo cut him off. She didn’t want to hear how they were over, how she’d ruined the best thing that had ever happened to her. There was no way she’d get through the next few hours if he said the words out loud right now.

Just knowing they were true was bad enough.

He gripped her chin between his thumb and finger. “No safe word. You talk to me only. And you damn well convince them you’re sorry.”

“I am.” She longed for one second of closeness from him, but despite his physical nearness, he remained aloof.

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