Page 30 of A Debt of Darkness

“Ivy, this is unnecessary.”

Yes, it damn well is.

I don’t have to be locked in the fucking room, but he’d have to treat me like a person. An actual person. Instead of the fucking pet hewants me to become.

“I don’t like seeing you unhappy, pet,” he sighs and I stiffen. “All I want is to care for you. Stop being difficult and accept your Master.”

Hell can freeze over first.

“Ivy, what’s wrong with letting me provide for you?” He almost sounds reasonable. I’m losing my goddamn mind. “I’m not cruel. I’m not hard. I want you to be happy. Let me take care of you.”

He walks across the room and squats in front of me. I crawl away and he shakes his head.

“You’ll leave me with no choice if you don’t behave. I don’t want to make things harder, but I will, pet.” His hand strokes my thigh and I despise the way it feels nice. Soft. Caring and considerate. “Be a good girl and behave.”

It’s the final goddamn straw. He’s too calm, too kind. It sounds too easy and simple, and every inch of me rebels against the idea. I lose all reason and launch myself at him, screaming and punching and clawing.

I’ve lost my mind, and I don’t care.

He’s much bigger than me, but he’s pushed me to breaking point and this is the consequence. My attack catches him by surprise and we tumble backward, crashing onto the floor. I land on top of him and the only thing I can think of is that I’ve got to keep going, certain this is my one chance to get free.

I’m hitting him as hard and fast as I can, oblivious to where my punches land as he yells at me to stop. He grabs a wrist and I scream as he yanks it hard, sending pain shooting up my arm. I scratch across his face and he roars, furious I’ve drawn blood and attacked him.

“I fucking said stop.”

“I fucking said no.”

Henry grabs my other wrist, and I writhe against him,trying to pull away from him. He’s too strong and he pulls me underneath him, pinning me to the floor. I kick and thrash and he waits, letting me tire myself out.

“I said stop, pet.”

“FUCK. OFF.”

“Not a fucking chance, Ivy. You’re behaving badly. Very badly. I should punish you for this. Severely.”

His eyes burn with anger, and their blue is dazzling. They should be pretty, they should soothe my soul. Instead, they’ve become the thing I dread and their gaze makes me uncomfortable—but I’m still drawn to them. I still can’t stop looking at them, and I hate the way they hypnotize me.

I still and he waits, expecting me to fight again.

Seconds pass and his grip loosens slightly.

“There’s a good girl.”

I spit in his face and it twists into a snarl.

“I fucking hate you. I hate you, I hate you, I hate you. And I hate everything you’ve done to me and I will never forgive you, Henry. Never. No fucking way.”

He draws a single, deep breath and it’s enough to scare the shit out of me. He’s livid in a way that’s quiet, measured, and terrifying. Henry is furious, but he’s not reacting, not lashing out. He’s got himself completely under control and I’m the one who’s spiraling wildly.

“Language, pet. Watch your fucking language.”

Fuck.

He’s hurt but he isn’t hurting me. He’s holding me and the middle, maintaining the status quo. Henry won’t let me go, but he isn’t pulling me closer, letting my emotions hurtle around the center of this storm.

“I want to go home.”

“This is your home. We’re married. Accept it.”

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