Page 35 of Sacrificing Zoriah

“To keep me safe.”

“Yes, ma’am. The gate will be locked, and the alarms will be set. If it goes off or if you are in any way afraid, go to the safe room in my office. It will notify Ben and I if it’s opened, so don’t panic if you forget your phone. Just shut the door and I can lock it from my phone. Okay?”

“I have a weird request,” I say.

“What’s that?”

“Can I… just hang out in there with the door open? If something happens, I can just shut the door. The house cameras are in there, so I’ll know if something is wrong,” I explain.

“That would be fine,” he smiles. “I don’t want you holding up in there all the time though. It’s not healthy, and it will only feed into your desire to lock yourself away. Okay?”

“Yes, sir,” I say sweetly. I immediately freak myself out, but he catches me before I can panic. “I don’t know why I said that. I’m…”

“Shhh,” he says softly as he holds my face. “Is it comforting for you to call me sir?”

“Yes,” I admit.

“Then I would be honored to hear it from you,” he says. “You can be respectful and obedient but independent all at once. Giving me control doesn’t make you weak. Understand?”

“I do. I just… I feel like allowing things like calling you sir… the brutal throat fucking… not having a way out… I’m afraid by allowing it with you, it means that I asked for it with the cult. I feel broken,” I admit.

“You are not broken, but I do understand why you think that,” he says. “Take the day to really reflect on all of this. Find out what you want, but do not consider how it makes you look. Just figureout what Zoriah wants. No one else matters when considering consent… I will say that there is absolutely nothing you could say or do that would justify what they did to you. Just because you give yourself to me doesn’t mean you wanted to be hurt by them.”

“Okay,” I sniff. “I’ll try to write my thoughts out. It will make it easier to explain.”

“That would be perfect,” he smiles. “Go get some rest, because I know you’ve been staying up all night, and eat when you wake.”

“How did you know?” I ask.

“Because we have cameras,” he says. “Ben has caught you for three nights in a row with your reading light on.”

“Oh,” I say. “I just felt bad that I was keeping you up.”

“By not sleeping, you are keeping Ben awake,” he says bluntly. “He has sat up for three nights in a row to keep an eye on you.”

“What? Why?” I ask.

“Because you are depressed, mi amor. We want to keep you safe, and if you are not sleeping, you very well could make rash decisions like harming yourself or leaving the house,” he explains.

“Oh,” I say quietly. I turn to Ben, but before I can apologize, he puts his hand over my mouth.

“Zoriah, I care a lot about you. Do not apologize for how you cope. All we are asking is that you talk to us,” Ben says as he drops his hand.

“Yes, sir,” I say. “Fuck, why do I keep saying that?”

Ben grabs my chin and tips my head back so he can lean in. He is nose-to-nose with me now, and my breath catches. “Respect is not wrong, Marigold.”

“Did you just call me a flower?” I ask, confused.

“Yes,” Ben laughs. “A marigold represents stubbornness and determination. You are a stubborn little brat; you have never stopped fighting for your own stability. If I have your trust, it’s because I earned it. So… Marigold.”

“Can I call you Kudzu, since you are stubborn and impossible to get rid of?” I ask sweetly.

“Sure,” he says with a grin. “If you want me to put you over my knee and spank that pretty little ass of yours bright red.”

“Down, boy,” Roman laughs. “You need consent for that.”

“I… have a lot to reflect on,” I laugh as my face heats with a blush.

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