Page 98 of Dreadful
“I’m afraid I’ve given you the wrong impression. I’ve let you think that I’m weak enough to use. You’ve underestimated me. Do you think I’msweet, Tallie? I thought that about you. But neither one of us is sweet, are we? I see you,vipera. You’re the snake in my garden—”
She laughs outright, making me pause. “Your garden is full of death, Severino, and you don’t even see it. I’ve watched you enough to know who’s theactualsnake in your garden.”
“Who, then? Tell me.”
I’m still behind her, so I can’t see her clamp her mouth shut. But the way she stills all over tells me what I need to know.
“Nothing? Hmm, maybe I should up my game.” I withdraw my cane and walk around Tallie to face her again. Her eyes widen at the bulge in my jeans that I can’t hide anymore. When I roll my cane over her center again, I only focus on her clit, playing her like a bow to a violin. Her moans tell me I’m on the right track. “Why did you kill the driver, Talia?”
“Why didyoukill the capo?”
My hand stills. “How the fuck did you know about that?”
I should’ve played it off, but I’m too shocked to pretend right now.
“It was a hunch, but you just confirmed it. I was your maid the other night at your little ‘family dinner.’ Claudio asked you about Vinnie. You looked away when you answered.”
“So?”
“It’s one of your tells.” She swallows heavily, and I know I’ll need to right her soon. I’m surprised she’s lasted this long, but I’m getting somewhere, and I don’t want to move her yet. “You can’t hide your emotions when you really care. And when you lie, you never meet someone’s eyes. That’s what happened at the dinner. I haven’t been able to find him, and you weren’t able to say when you last saw him. I put two and two together.”
“A clever little spy, aren’t you? What else do you know?”
Her breasts rise and fall underneath the wool of her sweater dress as she tries to catch her breath.
“Ask…ask the right questions, and maybe I’ll tell you.”
“Madonna mia, piccola vipera testarda.”
“‘Stubborn little viper.’” She laughs. “Cute. That’s another tell, by the way. You slip into Italian when you’re emotional.”
I shake my head and move my cane from her pussy to her ass cheeks again, right on the rounded flesh just above where her cheeks and thighs meet. My gentle slap of my damp cane against her skin apparently makes the strike more deliciously painful because she hisses into a groan.
“Sever…enough…I need…to come.”
Fuck, she’s finally hit her limit. She won’t use her safe word, but I won’t have her passing out on me, not when she’s finally started talking. I can’t let up, but I can’t keep her in this position anymore.
“And I think we need to escalate things.” I press the tip of my cane on the two buttons that will lower her slowly. Before the chains can move, I position myself underneath her body to hold her bridal style as the chains loosen. Once she’s resting in my arms, her head lolls against my chest.
I want to say to hell with all of this and take her up to my bedroom so I can care for her properly. But she is the second-most stubborn person I’ve ever met, and Ineedher to answer me. I’ll do what I can now to keep her dripping and needy for me enough that the answers flow from her. After that, I’ll give her exactly what she deserves.
The chains that held her up clink against the concrete. I hold her parallel to the ground just a little bit longer so her body can properly adjust without passing out or causing her a pounding headache. Her breaths finally normalize, and her gorgeous green and gold eyes flutter to look up at me again. Satisfied that she’s okay, I clench my teeth to bite back the groan for the pain in my chest and ankle as I lower her to kneel on the ground. She slouches without me holding her, and I use her exhaustion to my benefit as I quickly reposition the cuffs and chains.
When I press the buttons again, the chains slowly lift her by the waist and arms, keeping her upright without forcing her to do it on her own. Her knees are still spread apart, and her bound hands hang above her head. The hem of her dress drapes over her upper thighs, hiding her vulnerable cunt from me, and she rests against her bicep. She’s nearly spent, and I haven’t even made her come.
Yet.
I pull out my razor from my pocket, and her breaths still. A satisfied smile lifts past my grimace as I kneel on one knee. Once I’m settled, I take the hem of her dress and begin to cut upward.
“Sever…no.”
There’s a pitch to her voice that wasn’t there before. She’s been on the edge of fear and pleasure this whole time, but right now…right now it feels like the scales have tipped.
“You don’t like this? You have the power to stop me. Safe word or answers, Talia.”
She bites her lip hard enough to lighten the deep rose shade. The redness in her face from the inversion blanches away. I wait with the blade ready to slice up her sweater dress. Just when I think she’s going to give in, she shakes her head.
Frustration tightens my jaw. “Have it your way,vipera.” I cut up the center of her dress all the way to the chain around her waist. The blade slices through the fibers like butter, and the two halves of the skirt splay to the side, revealing her eager pussy dripping onto the concrete. As much as I want to stop and sate us both this time, I move to the top of her dress and take her neckline between my fingers, readying the razor to split the garment in two.
