Page 64 of Sin & Sapphire

“Don’t be such a baby,” Dmitri muttered, slapping the man’s cheeks to get his attention. “And you,” he said, turning toward me, “calm the fuck down.”

Good cop, bad cop. Got it.

“Now,” Dmitri said. “What’s your next target?”

“Tchérnov’s going to capture that bitch, and you fuckers can’t do a goddamned thing about it.”

25

ANA

Tonight,I’d earn myself a book. Or a deck of cards. Or anything to pass the time waiting alone and locked in my room all day, only for Valentin to beat me until I came when he got home.

I hated it.

I hatedthem.

I hated how they cared for me when they were done playing, as if once I’d let them abuse me, I became a precious toy, worthy of their time and attention.

But most of all, I hated myself. Hated how much I craved the short hours of their company in the evening. Hated the temptation to piss off Valentin so he would hit me harder, and I’d come harder. Hated how much it’d warmed my fucking heart when Angelo came home that night, Tchérnov’s blood still on his shirt cuffs. Hated how much it made me want to trust these men who kept me captive.

He’d killed for me. He’d hunted down the man who’d raped me, humiliated him, cut off his dick, then come home to me and held me sweetly while I cried my gratitude that one less monster would haunt my nightmares.

I couldn’t take another day pacing my room, bored out of my mind. When the sun started to set, I waited on the bed, naked, no longer ashamed of my nudity, and when I heard Valentin and Angelo enter the apartment, I dropped to my knees and linked my fingers together behind my back, praying to a god I didn’t believe in that it was good enough, that they’d give me permission to ask for a book.

A few moments later, the bedroom door opened, and to my surprise, Angelo looked down at me, his salt-and-pepper hair falling over his forehead and obscuring his warm brown eyes.

He cocked his head, his gaze raking over my body, before he stepped forward and pressed my face to his thigh. “Look at you,” he breathed. “Waiting and ready for me like a goddamned birthday present. Will you be my good girl tonight?”

No. Yes. Fuck!I couldn’t untangle wanting to be good because I was desperate and bored from wanting more sweet praise to fall from his lips.

“Follow me, angel,” he said. When I began to stand, he raised an eyebrow, freezing me in my tracks. “Crawl,” he commanded, and my entire body flushed with humiliation. It wasn’t enough for me to wait for him, naked and kneeling, like I wanted nothing more than to please him. He wanted me to prove it?

I shouldn’t have been surprised.

Shaking with rage, I lowered to my hands and knees, then put one hand in front of the other.

“Fucking perfect,” Angelo said, bending to stroke a finger along my jawline, before striding out of the room, not bothering to check if I followed.

Slowly, much more slowly, my muscles aching from disuse and the abuse from the casino, I made my way to the living room, where Angelo sprawled on the couch.

Valentin looked over from the bar where he poured amber liquid into glasses, a black eyebrow arched with surprise. The slow smile that spread over his face took my breath away. Valentin was gorgeous—high cheekbones, a jaw sharp enough to cut glass, and the warm affection in his gaze transformed his face into otherworldly beauty.

One slow, painful movement at a time, I moved toward Angelo. He set a pillow between his splayed legs and indicated for me to kneel there. As if in a trance, I obeyed, and he pressed my face against his thigh. The warmth he radiated through his pants comforted me, and I closed my eyes against the pain of giving up the fight in exchange for such a simple touch.

“Take my cock out,” he murmured. I don’t know why I’d hoped that simple obedience would be enough. Angelo wanted my submission, my very fucking soul.

My hands trembling, I lifted them to his thighs, tracing my fingers over the expensive fabric until I reached his belt. I paused, considering whether I was ready to take this step, to take him into my mouth. He said I’d have to earn his cock. Was that what he meant?

When he noticed my hesitation, his lips curled into an indulgent smile. “Yes, angel, you’ve earned my cock tonight.”

Warmth curled in my chest, a bizarre pride, before turning to nausea. A tear slid down my cheek as I realized how far I’d fallen.

Angelo cupped my face with his right hand, stroking this thumb over my cheekbone. “You can do this,” he encouraged me gently. When I tried to look over my shoulder at Valentin, his grip tightened, holding my gaze to his. “Get out my cock, angel.”

I slid my hands to his belt and unbuckled it, fumbling with the button and zipper, then the layer of fabric between my hands and him. When I freed it, Angelo ran his thumb over my lip, the soft touch burning into me like he’d branded me.

“That’s my good girl,” he said. “Now come closer and take me into your mouth.”

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