Page 115 of Cruel Riches

He smiled. It made his face look softer, but his voice was still laced with steel. “I’m not going to make you do anything, Alexis. You’re going to fuck me because you want to.”

“I would never want that,” I said, folding my arms.

“We both know that’s not true,” he replied, cocking his head. “Or did you forget the other day already?”

I scoffed. “You really think I’d willingly have sex with you?” I said in an acid tone. “I only did it last time to distract you long enough to get that knife. I didn’t wantit.”

That wasn’t entirely true, but I wouldn’t give Nate the satisfaction of knowing the truth.

The arrogant smirk vanished from his face, and he pushed me up against the wall, hands gripping my shoulders tight enough to make me yelp with pain. “You did, and you’ll do it again,” he said thickly, voice threaded with violence.

A mixture of fear and fury spiraled inside me, making my blood boil. I mustered up every ounce of bravery I had and spat right in his face.

“Never,” I hissed.

Nate didn’t even blink. He simply wiped my saliva from his cheek and traced his wet finger down my face, as if he were gathering up tears spilling from my eyes. “You’ll give in,” he said, eyes glimmering with amusement. “Then you’ll be my little fucktoy for as long as I want.”

I shook my head, feeling sick at the thought of giving anything to this man. “Take me back to the bunker,” I muttered. “I’m not going to clean myself up just so you can degrade me.”

He let out a short, irritated sigh. “I won’t tolerate this attitude of yours for much longer,” he said, like I was a child who needed correcting. “So don’t fucking test me.”

“I said I won’t do it,” I mumbled.

Anger flashed in his eyes. “Do you really think this is a choice for you? Do you want me to get those clamps and the battery again?” he asked, lifting his hands to wrap them around my throat.

Panic prickled down my spine at the thought of the agonizing electrical shocks I experienced down in the Blackthorne tunnels. “No.”

“Well, you’re going in that bathroom and cleaning yourself up either way,” he said, pressing his fingertips into pressure points on the sides of my neck. “Just let me know what it’s going to take. Clamps or no clamps?”

Pain ricocheted through my system as his fingers pressed even deeper. “Let go,” I choked out.

“Answer me first. Are you going to go in there right now, or do I have to make you?”

“I’ll go,” I whispered, realizing there was no point fighting it anymore. Like he said, he was going to get me in that bathroom either way. I might as well pick the path of least resistance in order to avoid extra pain.

“Good girl.” He smiled and stepped back, dropping his hands to his sides.

On trembling legs, I stepped into the bathroom and removed my clothes. Surprisingly, Nate closed the door a moment later, giving me some privacy.

I turned the shower on full blast and used the sound of the running water to mask my frantic search through the bathroom. There had to be something in here that I could use as a weapon. A razor that I could pick apart, perhaps, or even an old toothbrush that I could hide in my clothes for later. I’d heard stories of prisoners fashioning toothbrushes into shivs in the past. It would give me something to do in the bunker later, and eventually, it would be sharp enough to stab Nate in a vital organ again.

This time, I wouldn’t miss.

I went over the bathroom five times, heart sinking every time I failed to turn up anything useful. After the last attempt, I sank to the plush bathmat, covered my mouth with my hands, and let out a strangled cry of frustration. There was nothing in here that I could use.

A sour taste appeared in my mouth, and I got up and stepped into the shower, shoulders slumping with defeat. I should’ve known that Nate wouldn’t shut me in here without making sure there was nothing I could use against him.

All I could do was accept my fate. As soon as I was clean and made-up, I would be assaulted and violated. My body would no longer be my own—it would just be a vessel for that sick, twisted asshole to use and abuse for as long as he wanted.

I stayed in the hot shower until my fingers began to wrinkle. Then, with a heavy heart, I finally got out, and with slow, halting movements, I used the makeup Nate had left on the counter to make myself look presentable. Concealer under my eyes to hide the dark circles, foundation and blush to cover my sallow skin, and gold eyeshadow with a tiny amount of white eyeliner on the inner corners of my eyes to give them a bright, healthy glow.

When I was nearly done, Nate stepped inside, casting his gaze over my naked body before raising it to my face. “Drink this,” he said, holding out a glass of orange liquid. “Colette just brought it up. She made it for you.”

I frowned. “What is it?”

“Some old family recipe of hers,” he said. “Fresh-pressed juice with a bit of ginger and some herbs. She said it has all the vitamins you’ll need to feel better as soon as possible.”

“Oh, so you care about my health now?” I said, looking at him in the mirror as I neatened my eyebrows with a small brush.

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