Page 55 of Gladiator's Captive
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Serena
Rager paced the room while Janet and I stood in silence, both Doc and I realizing how much trouble we were in. Outside in the hallway, Sayk’s and Ry’s voices rose, too muffled for us to make out their words, but not enough to hide the anger in it.
Sayk was angry. No, not just angry. He was mad with fury. I shot a fast glance at Janet and saw fear etched on her face, fear and anger, in equal measure. This and maybe something else.
But I had no time to ponder what dangers Janet would face when Rager paced the wall like a caged tiger, anger rippling down his skin like invisible sweat. His eyes shone with murderous intent and his facial features were contorted into a mask of authority so stern my entire body tingled with terror at the sight of it.
Finally, just when I thought the air in the room would spontaneously combust from the tension, the door opened to reveal the towering figure of Sayk. I didn’t dare take my eyes from Rager, but from the corner of my eye, I saw Janet swallow repeatedly, then she straightened her back, her soft face turning to stone.
She didn’t know when to back down, that one. I wasn’t making the same mistake.
“You disobeyed my direct orders.” Sayk finally spoke, his voice calm and controlled, his eyes set on Janet, his focus as intense as a burning flame. “And if it wasn’t enough, you pushed Rager’s mate to disobey as well.”
Janet opened her mouth to protest, but stopped when Rager cut her off.
“Janet shares no blame for Serena’s disobedience. She chose to disobey of her own free will and will accept her just punishment for this. Or she will face a punishment much harsher.”
My guts twisted in a knot as Rager’s tightly controlled fury settled on me. Somehow, his calm was even more terrifying than his anger. I could almost feel the pain on my backside from whatever Rager had in mind.
“Understood.” Sayk’s dark mood was an almost physical thing as he moved to the door and opened it.
“Better follow me of your own free will, Janet.” Sayk’s voice was deadly soft, and I noticed that for the first time, he had used Janet’s name instead of calling her Doc. She seemed to notice as well, because she moved, her head held high and her pace unhurried, but her eyes wary.
At least she did obey Sayk’s order. I doubted it would make much of a difference, anyway. Something told me Janet’s backside would end up even more sore than mine.
The door closed on our room and I was left alone with Rager. Green eyes like flames settled on me and I suddenly wished the floor would swallow me up.
“You disobeyed me again, even when you knew how dangerous Tartarus was.” Rager took a step toward me and it was all I could do to stop myself from getting down on my knees and begging for mercy.
“We were with Ry,” I protested, anger bubbling deep under my fear. This was unfair. He was the one who left me without saying where or when he would be back. He was the one who put his own life in danger fighting in the arena.
I realized that I was angry, too. I had feared for his life in a much more real way than he did. He was the one who had hidden things from me.
I was the one who should be angry, not the one who should be punished.
“It doesn’t matter whether you had an escort or not.” Rager shook his head and the fire burned even hotter in his emerald eyes. “I expressly told you to wait for me.”
“But you didn’t tell me you’d go out and risk your life in some pointless fight!” I protested, my voice stronger than I intended. Louder than what was wise.
“I am your mate.” Rager’s tone got lower as mine got louder. More dangerous. “I told you I would provide for you and I will. I do not need to justify myself as to how I will do so.”
The injustice of his words almost choked me. Almost. Suddenly, I wasn’t afraid of his punishment anymore. I was just an angry woman who had watched her man fight for his life.
And for what? Money? When he could have taken my mother’s necklace and paid for it safely.
No, I wasn’t having it. Not even if I knew he would punish me even harder for it.
“Yes, yes, you do!” I didn’t mean to shout, but I didn’t regret it, either. Not even when Rager’s eyes became as dark as night. “You risked your life in that arena without even thinking about what it would do to me. Well, let me tell you. It terrified me.”
As I said this my voice broke and I understood how true it was. Seeing Rager in danger had nearly killed me on the spot.
“What are you talking about, little girl?” Rager growled, but some of the darker edge had vanished from his gaze.
“I am talking about what I felt when I saw you in that arena, risking your life for money.” My voice had fallen low, all the bite gone from it as the memory of the terror came back to me. “If something ever happened to you, I would die.”
Rager closed the distance between us, his hand reaching fast as a snake, wrapping around my neck.
