Page 31 of Bleeding Blackheart

When she starts to quiet down, I pull her off me and look into her eyes that are lost somewhere in the past. Just like the first time I brought her into my house, I scoop her up in my arms and head out of the apartment to get the hell out of here and never return.

We’re twenty minutes away from our motel when I start to panic. I’m used to Montana being quiet, but she’s like a zombie. Seeing her friend’s old place did something terrible to her, and I need her to go back to the annoying little brat I’m used to.

I already fed her, and it’s too early for sleep, so I make an attempt to revive her with the only thing I can think of. “You wanna go shopping?”

She looks over at me for the first time since we left the apartment and raises a brow. “What for?”

I look down at her dress. It’s beautiful, but I’m not sure it’s her style. “For clothes.”

She turns away from me and sighs. “I have clothes.”

Realizing I’m going to have to make her, I pull off the main road into a parking lot not too far from where we’ll be resting for the night. After I get her out of the truck, I wrap an arm around her, remembering that I need to start treating her less like a hostage and more like my lover now that we’ll be around people I don’t know. Can’t have anyone trying to rescue her from me.

Still too upset to care, she lets me hold her close while I lead her into the building.

It’s a local leather shop with items for men and women, but I’m not here for me. We’re greeted by some girl near the front door, but I wave her off, letting her know we don’t need assistance while I take on the role of being Montana’s stylist.

My little fox looks up at me while I flip through things and frowns. “I don’t feel like trying anything on.”

I let go of her just so I can start building a pile of clothes. “Well start feeling like it. You’re going to try on whatever I tell you to.”

She pokes out her lips. “But why?”

Whining Montana is new to me. I’m used to Brat Montana. Brat Montana is who I prefer. Not this whiny little bitch. “Because you’re dressed like Little Bo-Peep. Andwe’re supposed to look like a couple. I need you to look like a woman I’d actually be in a relationship with.”

She rolls her eyes at me.There’s my little brat.“So this is about how you want to dress me, you misogynistic prick.”

I saw how confident Montana looked the first time we went shopping when she tried on the outfit I wouldn’t let her have, and I know that the shit I’m picking out is exactly the type of clothing she’d wear, and she knows it too. But I can’t go too soft on her or she might think she has the upper hand. I still need to punish her for how she behaved in the diner. But right now, I want to have a little fun.

I brush her hair out of her face. “Yes, this is about how I want to dress you. And I’m buying it so just be grateful.” I pick up a few more things and hand her my selections. “Go ask that lady for a fitting room. Come out and show me how everything looks.”

My little bunny scowls at me and makes an aggravated noise. “I can’t wait to get away from you.”

I take a seat nearby to wait for her. “I’m counting down the seconds.”

14

Montana

Istand in the fitting room looking at a bunch of shit Blackheart picked out for me. I don’t know what his problem is. He’s the one who picked out my clothing the first time we went shopping, and now he’s suddenly not satisfied. The man needs meds, and he needs them badly.

I’m still so upset about this afternoon. When I was in Charlotte’s apartment, it’s like it was last Friday night all over again. I need a distraction, and trying on clothes doesn’t seem so bad.

I pick up the first item he picked out for me, and it’s a black leather mini dress. It’s hot as hell, but it pisses me off that he wants me to wear this for him. Still, leaving this here would be ridiculous especially when he’s paying. I slide out of my sundress quickly, leaving on my bra and panties, and slide into outfit number one.

My fitting room attendant slips something under the curtain, and my mouth waters at the gorgeous leatherpumps in front of me. They’re soft leather with pointed toes, and they’re my perfect size. Her singsong voice makes my skin crawl. “Your gentleman picked these out for you.”

Of course he did. And he may be mine, but he’s anything but a gentleman. I slide into the heels and look at myself in the mirror. Everything fits like a glove, and I almost feel like I did a month ago when I was a single young woman going out every night and enjoying my life. I pull my hair out of my dress collar, letting it dust my shoulders while I pull back the drape to show my crazy cowboy how I look.

Blackheart smirks and swirls his finger in the air for me to turn around. I plaster a smile on my face, trying to look happy. I need to act like I’m happy to be with him even if I’m not. All it takes is for one person to think I’m a woman in danger and then I’ll be at a police station getting picked up by my father in no time.

He whistles at me and grins when I face him again. “Beautiful. We’ll be getting this.”

He just called me beautiful. I almost say thank you when I remember I’m supposed to be mad at him. Instead, I give him my back and head back to try on option number two.

I slide into a pair of jeans that are exactly like the ones Karissa styled me in the first time I went shopping with Blackheart. He found me a lace-up top to go with. It’swhite with matching white laces, and it makes my boobs look twice as big. I try on my boots with this outfit, and when I go to show him how it looks, he blushes like a schoolboy. “I like this too. Try on the next one.”

I get back behind the curtain and put on a white leather mini skirt with a matching white leather vest. A pair of white leather boots are slipped under my curtain, and all I can do is chuckle knowing he’s the one who sent them in here. When I go back in front of him, he curls his finger at me, urging me forward.

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