Page 41 of Love on the Run

Hot shame infuses my face. My entire body pulls taunt. Him telling me he required much of me tonight takes on new meaning. My best friends for life, the people who are more important to me than everyone save him our child and my family are being tormented for helping me and being brought here to see my total submission, no, humiliating debasement by my husband because he thinks they helped me to escape.

Sensing the change in me. He says in a cold voice, “See to your pets’ needs and meet us in the dining room, please.

Feeling his foot lift from my neck, I don’t breathe out in relief. No, I don’t even want to get up if it means facing my innocent friends and Prosper, who risked everything for me.

“Flower.” A hard, clipped tone says my name commanding me in a way signifying the repercussions if I don’t heed the warning in his words.Your friends will suffer.Is left unsaid. I just wonder how much they have been suffering already. I don’t let the heady scent of sex permeating the room or them finding pleasure with these men fool me into thinking they aren’t miserable in every other way.

I know too well the difference in finding pleasure in Akchiro’s arms only to fall into despair by how he treats me at other times.

When I stand, I turn to face my friends. All of them are beautifully attired in dresses similar to mine. The body hugging couture creations leave nothing to the imagination. I see why Prosper’s words were muffled. She has a mouth muzzle on.

Bridgit is all but swallowed up by Takashi. He seems the most protective of the three. Ryu the more fun loving of the Takeda brother’s eyes flick over me. None of the tender kindness he held for me before is there. He is as angry with me for what I did to Akchiro as my husband is.

Pulling my gaze from his, I look to the other man who is equally as tall as my husband and maybe an inch or two taller. His hard chiseled features hold no softness, only a brutal, cruel beauty and dead eyes. Akchiro may be a sadist, but this man is more than that, deadlier, colder. Where my husband softens for our son and used to for me, I doubt this man softens for anyone. He assesses me as if I am nothing more than what I’m now — a submissive. A plaything for my husband’s pleasure.

Beside him Prosper eyes are wide with anger, maybe terror and unshed tears. That’s my girl. She’s always been the strongest. I hate everything about what is happening to her.Prosperity Shipmoore is not the chick to bend, and something tells me that this guy will not stop until she breaks.

Just as Akchiro cups me by the elbow to lead me in the dining room, I do a double take realizing who the man is — Tsuyoshi Tatsumoto, called the yakuza prince and Mei’s brother — Kiyoshi’s fiancé until she ran off with her secret love and assistant when they came to visit.

“Why the fuck are you looking at him?” Akchiro grounds out in my ear, snatching me into his body all but dragging me into the dining room.

Saying nothing I try to swallow back the fear ratcheting up my spine until we are alone in the quiet dining room.

“Why did you give Prosper to him?” I don’t look at him as I whisper the words noticing the room is scaled down from the normal seating. There are only four places set. We will be serving the men in an intimate atmosphere then I can only assume be expected to kneel.

Akchiro takes his position as host before responding. “Retribution.”

Instead of taking the hostess seat I move to kneel beside him. “Ie, you will sit in my lap.”

He eases back spreading his hard thighs. I sit. My heart trips over itself. This is where he will test me. This is where I will be made to atone.

My breathing speeds up again as I realize that little show with his foot on my neck wasn’t shit.

“You will calm yourself.” He growls close to my ear.

Turning inward seeking comfort from him for reasons I cannot even fathom I look up into his inscrutable eyes.

“Hai.” I whisper, biting my lip to keep it from trembling. He tracks me like a dragon would its prey.

“Hai.” He affirms tugging my lip from between my teeth with firm pressure on my chin with his thumb.

He kisses me briefly and oh so gently.

The low hum of voices makes him pull away as his brothers and Tsuyoshi enter with their pets — my best friends.

All the men take their seat siting with the women just as Akchiro and I except Prosper and Tsuyoshi. He makes her kneel beside him.

Her eyes rain fire upon the rest the men, sparing none of them her look of disdain.

Silent staff bring out the first course of food. We serve the men. Prosper is made to stand and serve before kneeling again.

“Hana.” Dragging my eyes from my friend, I look at Akchiro to see he’s offering me some of the soup I served him. Opening my mouth, I savor the deliciousness that tastes like a burst of spring on my tongue.

My eyes widen as I watch the cruel yakuza unzip the muzzle and feed my friend until she finally shakes her head no more.

He leans toward her whispering something I can’t hear. She nods and he moves back in his chair making room for her to sit in his lap.

The dinner progresses with the men talking about and toasting their recent alliance, forged from the failure of Kiyoshi’s marriage to the Tsuyoshi’s sister which allowed him to step in and wrest control of his yakuza faction from his father. His taking Prosper was an act of good faith to solidify the alliance of the two powerful families.

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