Page 56 of Ruthless Keeper
I hide a grin. Bantering with her is fun; holding her is fun. While I have plenty of fun when I’ve punished her—something I won’t say out loud any time soon—playing with her body doesn’t give me the same satisfaction as copacetic times like this. Right now, we’re existing together with no issues, and I look forward to moments like these. They’re the best part of my day.
Unfortunately, all good things come to an end, and that’s precisely what happens when we step outside. Cain is standing on the path that we need to take, hands folded into the pocket of his suit, expression as blank as ever.
“Just the man I was hoping to see,” he says, his tone completely flat. He disregards Scarlett’s presence entirely, and I feel her go tense beside me. Her hatred for Cain vastly supersedes her hatred for me, and I need to get her out of his presence fast or things will escalate.
“What’s up?” I ask, an edge to my tone.
Cain’s gaze slowly flicks over to Scarlett. “How is your property doing?”
Scarlett hisses at that, and my stomach drops, as if I’ve fallen off a cliff.
“Scarlettis doing well,” I emphasize. “Her wound is—”
“Yes, very good,” Cain interrupts offhandedly. He’s still staring at Scarlett, and unease starts to slither through my gut.
This is going in acatastrophicdirection.
“Just had a couple of questions for you, Grey, if you have a moment.”
“Perhaps later.” When Scarlett isn’t silently fuming beside me. “I don’t want to—”
“Your property wouldn’t mind,” Cain says, giving special enunciation to the wordproperty. “It doesn’t have an opinion, after all.” Cain flicks a beady gaze back at Scarlett. “Does it?”
“Donotfucking call herit,” I hiss, ready to give Cain a piece of my mind, but then Scarlett finally parts her lips and starts speaking.
“I am going to destroy this place,” she says, quiet fury staining every world.
“Scarlett,don’t,” I say, but it’s too late. Short of choking her—which I refuse to do—I can’t stop her.
“I’ve met many bad men throughout my life—terriblemen, but none of them were quite as callous as you. I cannotbelievethat I’m saying this, but I hope my father kills you. I hope my brother kills you. If I get the chance, you better believe thatI will fucking kill you—”
I spin Scarlett around and clap a hand over her mouth, heart racing, fear taking root in my soul and spreading. Cain pushed her until she snapped, and her snapping… JesusChrist, Cain has grounds to kill her for what she just said. I’ll give my life before letting any harm come to her, but—
“Fascinating opinion,” Cain drawls. “You trulyarea Sharpe, aren’t you?” his tone hardens. “You just earned yourself amassivefucking punishment, Sharpe, fromme.And I’m not Greyson—I won’t tie you to a bed and play with your body. I will peel your fucking skin off while making you watch. You remember our sessions in the annex, don’t you, little girl?”
He strides forward, reaching out a hand, as if to snatch Scarlett from me. I spin us around, protecting her from him, staring downinto her wide, frightened eyes. My brain races at a million miles per second as I attempt to find a way to spare her, to backtrack, to get a goddamntime machineand—
“If you interfere, you’re damning yourself,” Cain growls. “Give the bitch to me. That is anorder, Greyson.”
That sparks an idea in my mind. A pretty fucking terrible one where Idodamn myself, but for a good cause. If I thought I could get away with it, I’d kill Cain right here and now—but then both ScarlettandI would be dead.
No, there’s only one way out of this. One way to protect Scarlett.
“Do not say aword,” I whisper at her. Her eyes are wide with sheer terror—tears are already swimming in them. She lets loose a tiny nod. I release her mouth and turn around to face Cain, keeping her behind me.
“You see her as my property—"
“Property doesn’t talk back,” Cain hisses. “It does not show this level of disrespect—”
“Scarlett is mine,” I emphasize, “therefore I should receive the punishment. It’s only fair. Her backtalk ismymistake, not hers.”
Cain pauses for several infinitely long, breathless moments, while Scarlett releases a muted squeak behind me. I don’t turn around to look at her. I keep my eyes on Cain, searching his features for a verdict. Upon his insistence that Scarlett is nothing more than property, he left a glaring loophole he hadn’t considered—that property can’t take punishments. Only the owner of the ‘property’ can.
Of course,Iknow that Scarlett isn’t my property—she’s a human who happens to bemy woman—but Cain doesn’t see it that way. And he’ll either have to stand behind calling her property and punish me, or change his mind and risklooking stupid.
“You have no idea what you’re getting yourself into,” he says quietly. “She’d get fifteen lashes with my whip. You will getfifty. It could kill you, and frankly, I don’t give a fuck if it does—”
“No!” Scarlett cries.
