Page 26 of Broken Saint

"How exactly has this transaction been handled?" she asked. "I haven't seen or spoken to my father in nearly five years, so I'm not privy to any details beyond the expectation that I marry the man he chose which he informed me of by… this."

She handed me a small, white business sized card with my name printed on one side. I flipped it over for more information and found no other details. "This is it? My name?"

She nodded, compressing her lips into a straight line. They weren't going to get very far if this was all she had.

"Why have you not seen your father in five years? That sounds highly unusual given our impending nuptials. I would have expected preparations. A ceremony would take time to plan."

She shrugged. "He's probably thinking this is Vegas, and we can have it done with no wait and through a drive-through if we prefer. Why waste money on someone he has written off?"

"And why exactly has he written you off? Oh, and I will not be getting married at a fucking drive-through window. When the time comes, we will do it right, in a church and with a priest and family and friends."

"That isn't nec—"

"It is. And you're stalling. Answer my question."

"What was the question again?" Her expression changed to one of innocence I recognized as total bullshit.

I didn't jump from my chair and snatch her off her feet, despite my inclination to do so. However, once our ground rules were established and she continued to act like a brat, I would show her exactly what I did with bratty submissives, and I had no doubt she would not enjoy it. I got off on inflicting pain almost as much as I did when I fucked with people's minds.

She would learn soon enough, though.

Instead, I bent one leg and propped my right ankle on top of my left knee while resting my glass on my right knee. My fingers itched to reach for my belt and remove it. I desperately wanted to watch her eyes widen with fear as she waited to see what I would do with it. In due time...

"I'm not here to play games with you." Technically a lie. But I wasn't here to play her games. We were only going to play mine, and whether she realized it or not, we were already mid-game. "And I'm not in the habit of repeating myself, Ms. Cullotta. I asked why you have not seen your father in five years, and I expect an answer. Now."

"I don't take orders."

"I beg to differ. From what I saw, you take them just fine. If you'd prefer me to do the asking after you've been tied to a bed and something shoved up your pussy, I would be happy to oblige."

The mask she'd so easily slipped over her face dissipated in a blink. Instead, I saw a flash of fire in her eyes and her mouth twist in anger. Good. This would be no fun if she simply acquiesced to every demand the moment I uttered it.

"So, you're going to be an asshole about this. Got it. As for my father, if you want to know why he does something you are going to have to ask him. He forced me to leave on my eighteenth birthday, and made it clear I would not be welcome to return until I did as I was told. Hence, why you are here now. And I don't know exactly what you think you saw this morning, other than me getting off."

I maintained my composure despite the anger her words elicited. "I don't know what kind of man you think I am, but one who tolerates that much disrespect is not me. Because you are obviously distraught over this arrangement, I'm going to allow it—for now. But you should know that in the future, you will be punished for your insolence. And in case you're unsure what that means, I can guarantee it will not be funishment. Now sit down, and answer my Goddamned questions with some respect. If your father has not taken the time to discipline you properly, I will. Until then, let’s set some ground rules. As in, I ask the questions and you answer. If you have questions for me, now is the time to ask. I cannot guarantee I will answer them, but this is your best chance." I placed both feet back on the floor and leaned forward with my elbows on my knees. "Tomorrow will begin your new future. You should expect everything to change."

---