Page 23 of Vow of Vengeance

Instead, I stare, breath trapped in my lungs. I exhale, breathing out, “Whatisin the box?”

“Let me show you.” He lifts the lid so freaking slowly until—finally—the box is open.

I drift a little closer and stare at its contents.

Nestled in a silver velvet casing is a series of pink…things. Each replicating the previous one, but growing in size. Their shape reminds me of an upside-down IUD—like the one my mom dragged me to the clinic to have inserted when she found out about Carter. Or the shape of an anchor, with a curved handle at the bottom, coming up into a carrot-shaped point. They’re hot pink and made of what looks like silicone.

The only thing my little virgin brain can imagine is, “Are they vibrators?”

“No," he smiles. “But they do vibrate.” I stare at the case he holds before me, and he says, “Touch one.”

“No, thank you.” I shrink away, tucking my hands beneath my thighs and pressing my back to the door again.

He chuckles softly to himself.

There’s a square button on his car door, and it’s one I hadn’t noticed before. He presses it now. I watch in amazement as the dark windows are further tinted with dark frost and dim lights come on from overhead, filling the car's cab with warm light.

It'd almost be a romantic space if I weren’t trapped inside with a kidnapper and his toy box.

“I want your full attention.” His voice is thick. “Now you can’t even see out.”

“And I can’t get out either,” I mutter back.

His plan failed because now, my full attention is not on him but on the pink elephants marching across the black, velvet-lined box.

What’s he planning on doing with those?

A shiver tears through me, and my whole body tenses, knowing he wants to put those things inside me… and I remember my earlier promise not to fight him tonight.

I will break that promise if he brings any of those pink things anywhere near one of my orifices.

Finally, he speaks. “You haven’t been keeping your promise to me.”

“What gives you that idea?” I lie, keeping away from him. “I’m here, aren’t I?”

“You are. But if the doors worked any other way, you’d have flown out of here. Also, after promising me you wouldn't, you got out of the car earlier. You need a reminder of who is in control here.”

His words—giving off a sense of protection, assertiveness, and someone looking out for me— bring back that warm, wet feeling.

I deny it, push it away, sniffing my dislike. “Oh, I know who's been in charge since the caveman days,” I breathe out. “The p-a-t-r-i-a-r-c-h-y. A society led by men.”

“Are you having a spelling quiz by yourself? If you like games, you’llloveplaying mine.” He points to the smallest toy in the case, angling it close for my inspection. “This goes in your ass, and you’ll wear it all night to remind you to obey me.”

My asshole tightens, and my butt cheeks clamp together. I stare at him blankly. I want to push his hand away, but I don’t. I scratch the words out of my bone-dry mouth...

“You’re not doing that to me! You must be joking,” I croak out.

“Do I seem like one to joke about power and control?” he asks.

“No,” I say.

“You put yourself in danger.” His eyes lock on mine, cupping my face with his free hand as he does. “And I’ll never let you off easily when you do that.”

Power and control. Someone to look out for my safety. It’s what I’ve been craving, right? So, why am I now so terrified? He’s a man obsessed with sex and power; he knows what he’s doing.

He’s prepared to dominate, bringing along his box of toys. Even the smallest one seems immense. Swallowing hard, I eye them. “Why so many of them? And why do they get bigger?”

That sexy, wicked grin of his comes over his face. Is that a dimple on his cheek? Combined with his now wild curls that frame his face, I almost forget how dangerous he is.

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