Page 9 of Pure Vengeance

“You can’t.” It’s a stupid thing to say. I’m not sure there anything in the world this man can’t do.

“Oh. But I can.” He grabs the elastic band of my panties and yanks until it breaks. The material slides down my hips when he shoves them, and they pool at my feet.

“And I will. Now hold your fucking dress.”

CHAPTER FOUR

Claire

This is insanity.

He’s going to whip me?

My heart slams against my ribs painfully.

“If I have to rip off the dress, you’ll walk through this house naked until I get bored of seeing your tits and ass.”

I believe him. My utter humiliation would give him such pleasure.

Slowly, I gather up all the material of the skirt. I’m suddenly glad I decided not to wear the tulling that goes beneath it to make it look more vintage.

“You’ll let me go after?” I try to twist a little more so I can see him. My cheek is pressed against the wall, and he’s too far in my periphery to make him out.

“I didn’t say that.” Metal jangling gets my attention, and I don’t hear what he says next.

Leather ripping through the loops of his pants overshadows whatever he’s trying to say.

My heartbeat bangs so hard in my chest, I feel like I’m going to pass out.

“Take a breath, Claire.” Finally, his voice cracks through the deafening panic. “Slow, that’s it, that’s a good girl.” His tone softens. “See. There’s air, you just need to go slow.”

I close my eyes, pushing more tears down over my cheeks.

He moves back a little, still not letting go of my hair, but more air comes in.

“You have such a pretty ass,” he says once I’ve gotten the panic under control. “I almost feel bad for what I’m about to do to it.”

The words kick my anxiety back into a full gallop, but a white-hot pain slashing across my ass cuts it off before it can overtake me.

I scream as the second lash hits.

Another and another crisscross my ass no matter how I wiggle or how hard I fight him; each one lands perfectly. He’s a master at this, and he’s not wasting any time with lectures.

Over and over again, he whips his belt across my ass, then moves down to my thighs.

I scream.

Beg.

Holler.

My throat burns from it, but no more than my ass.

“Please!” I bellow. “Please stop!”

“If I hadn’t turned, you might have actually gotten something important with that shot,” he says, laying into me again and again.

I won’t apologize.

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