Page 8 of Unbreakable Vow

“Well, when you say it all like that it sounds a little bad. But I couldn’t help what I heard; I was just having coffee trying to look for a job. That’s not my fault.” I take a breath. “Trying to extort you, okay, I can give that to you, but really it seems to have worked out, right? We are both getting what we want?”

He stares at me like he’s not entirely sure what to make of me, and to be honest, I’m not sure either.

He’s set on this punishment thing, and I’m set on keeping all of my fingers and toes intact. I’ve seen enough mob movies to know how these guys get messages across. When they’ve been wronged, they take appendages. Or break bones.

Oh, gawd. I’ve never had a broken bone before.

My heart’s in a full gallop now.

“And this is how it will be while we’re… conducting our business? You’ll punish me whenever you see fit?” My stomach swirls. Saying no to this man means starting over again withfinding a solution. I’ve given him the only thing I had to barter with already. I’m now with fewer options than I had when I walked in.

“It’s how it is always with me. You’ll learn.” He nods and takes a step in my direction.

Before his foot is flat against the carpeting, I’m off. I run for the door. It’s locked though. I tug and try to twist, but it’s not budging.

A second later his tree trunk of an arm wraps around my middle and picks me off the floor as though I’m a simple chair in his way.

“Running makes it worse.” He brings me back to the desk and plants me on the floor, keeping his arm around my stomach.

“I’m not going to let you cut off my finger. Or break my arm! I won’t.” I try to wiggle away, but he has me completely trapped. The desk is in front of me and he’s pressing his rock-hard body to my back.

“Settle down,” he demands, sinking his free hand into my hair and pulling my head back until I’m looking up at his face, upside down.

“Please. I’m sorry I came here. Just let me go. I won’t say anything to anyone.” I’m completely fucked. I thought I was getting what I needed, but what I did was fall into the trap of a madman. I deserve whatever I have coming.

“Why do you think I’m going to break your bones?”

“You said you were going to punish me.” My voice comes out all weird with my throat being stretched this way.

He moves his hand to my hip. At least the pressure is off my middle.

“Have you never been punished before?” he asks, releasing my hair and spinning me around to look down at me.

I want to rub the sting away on my scalp, but it’s actually somewhat calming, so I leave it.

“How do you mean?” I ask. “Like by a boyfriend or by my parents?”

His jaw tenses. “One of your boyfriends hurt you like that? Broke your bones?” The mob boss quickly turns into a warrior ready to jump onto the battlefield.

“No!” I press my hands to his chest before he gets carried away with his anger. “No. That’s never happened.”

He eyes me, still uncertain if I’m telling the truth probably.

“My parents grounded me when I was in high school. And my father took away my cell phone once when he caught me talking to a boy at two in the morning.” Maybe mentioning the boyfriend wasn’t a great idea, but he seems to take the news fine. His breathing slows, and his heart isn’t slamming against his chest anymore.

Slowly, I move my hands away after I realize I can feel his heart beating beneath all the muscle he has. And there’s a lot of muscle.

“I won’t break you.” The words fall between us lightly. I stare into the intense storm of his eyes and my chest warms. He’s not giving me a line.

“Okay.” I nod, because I’m too dazed at how silken his voice was while giving his sincere vow.

“But I will bend you.” He grabs my waist and spins me back around to face the desk and pushes me between my shoulders until I’m bent over the desk.

“What are you doing?” I shove up, but he’s got me pinned down easily with one hand.

My body locks up when his fingers push my sweater up my back, and he hooks them beneath the elastic of my leggings. I kick my leg out, which he easily avoids and rips down my leggings, along with my white cotton panties.

Fire erupts in my face. Of all the days to wear comfortable panties!

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