Page 132 of Loving the Liar

“Let me punish her.”

“Christopher,” he chuckles. “You’re going to go easy on her.”

I shake my head slowly. “I won’t. You have my word.”

Hesitating, he rubs his index finger against his chin.

“I won’t go easy on her. Let me prove myself to you,” I insist.

“She better not enjoy herself.”

I lean forward, knowing I need to close this right now or never. “If she does, it’s because of the little slut she is. Not because of me.”

He slaps a hand on his desk as he cackles a laugh. “This is your chance to prove me wrong. Show me how a Shadow punishes an Aphrodite.”

My breath gets stuck in my chest the second I enter the room. They put her in a cage.

She looks hazy, her eyes struggling to stay open as she sits in there, her fingers hooked to the crate walls on either side of her. She’s wearing that stupid dress they make all the Aphrodites wear here. And it’s completely see-through, so I know she’s not wearing anything underneath.

There’s no altar per se, it’s just what we call the place. It’s more like a sex dungeon than anything else, where Shadows can come play with their Aphrodites and have an audience. Anyone who wants privacy can go to the Aphrodites’ rooms. The altar is used for public punishments. There’s no true need to ever punish the women here, but it all comes down to the Shadows’ egos and the power they believe they hold. And Gabriel McLean’s ego got pulverized when Ella didn’t show up.

I shift between people, making my way to the woman who is meant to be my Hera. She’s in a corner, sneering at Ella. Megan tenses when I stand next to her, but she keeps collected.

“So, that’s why you kept calling me,” I mumble.

“I was desperate to invite you to the punishment,” she answers proudly. “Do you know why my dad called on her?” she taunts, her gaze still on Ella. Not expecting an answer, she adds, “Because you decided to cheat on me with her in the library. Your sweet Ella is being punished because of you. Don’t forget that.”

I’m not surprised she knows. We were in a public space, after all, and I disappeared from our table for a while.

“Yes, Daddy always punishes the people who hurt you, doesn’t he? Do you know why she didn’t meet with your dad?” This time she looks at me, narrowing her dark blue gaze. I smile, showing her I can be as condescending as she is. “Because she was with me. And now I’m the one who gets to punish her. I hope you enjoy the show.”

“What?” she hisses as her eyes widen.

I push past her to make my way to the middle of the room, Megan close on my heels.

“Hera,” Eugene calls. “You will stay at the back and not make a sound. Wives are not allowed to participate in activities with the Aphrodites unless specified by their Shadows. You can watch, but you can’t touch.”

“I—” she tries, caught off guard for once in her life.

“Step back,” the leader orders sternly.

She throws a deadly look at me, then Ella, but she goes back to where she’s meant to stand.

I take my time walking to where Ella is being held. She seems a little more alive than she was a minute ago, which is a problem now that she’s aware of where she is. My shoes click on the stone surface of the room, and I stand right in front of her cage. She can’t stand up. She can’t even lie down. All she can do is kneel and look at me with those beautiful baby blues full of tears. And it’s already getting me hard.

Crouching in front of her, I hook my fingers on the front of the crate, making sure I’m all she can see.

“I don’t care about why they put you here. You are being punished for running away from me earlier. You are being punished because you don’t want to stick it in your stubborn little mind that I’m the only person who will have you.” A tear rolls down her cheek, and I can’t help but smirk. “You will keep your eyes on the floor, or on me. You will obey without question. And under absolutely no circumstances will you come before I allow you. Is that clear?”

She nods, but her face scrunches. “Please, get me out of this place.”

I shake my head. “First, I’ll punish you. Then I’ll get you out.” I speak more softly when I add, “Stay focused on me. Pretend they’re not here.”

I stand up, unlock the crate, and open it. Snapping my fingers, I make sure everyone can hear me when I say, “Crawl out.”

Chapter Thirty-Three

Ella

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