Page 59 of Born in Depravity

More tears seeped out. He gently swiped them away with his thumb. The action only made me cry harder. How could he run hot and cold in the span of half a second? I hated it.

I hated the confusion.

Most of all, I fucking hated that I didn’t hate his gentle side.

Not at all.

A stupid part of me still craved the protectiveness, the security of a big man strong enough to stand between me and the world.

“Do you know what this is?” he asked again, his eyes shrouded in mystery.

I hesitated. A part of me didn’t want to answer, damning all the punishment he would inflict on me, but another part … God, another part of me didn’t want to get hurt.

I wasn’t brave. No, I was a fucking coward, and I didn’t want them to hurt me anymore.

I shook my head.

His smile widened a fraction, approval lighting his eyes.

Stupid.

I hated him, but a small part of me wanted his approval as well.

“Good girl for answering me,” he cooed, and I looked down. He moved onto the bed, and then I remembered I was handcuffed to the bed, completely naked. I struggled a bit, but he placed one large hand on my shoulder.

I stilled.

He nodded, his eyes glowing bright from such a dark man, though I thought I saw something cross over his eyes when I felt the tears I’d been trying so hard to keep in tracked down the sides of my face.

“I’ll be quick about this,kotyonok. But you’re going to be my good little girl, aren’t you?”

I frowned. What the fuck was he talking about?

He grabbed the silver rod and moved down to my feet. I lifted my head a bit and watched him with wide eyes as he hooked each of my ankles with the black leather loops.

Fuck.

I didn’t know what this was, but I got a good fucking idea.

I shook my head when he looked up at me. His blue eyes took me in, and though they weren’t as hard as before, I wouldn’t call them soft, either.

I was scared shitless.

He opened the drawer from the bedside table, pulling out item after item. I should have explored this room before. I doubted I could have changed what was happening, but at least I wouldn’t be going into this blind.

Now, I didn’t know why he was pulling out what he was.

What the actual fuck?

Large white strips of cloth, at least a hundred in three packages; large popsicle sticks; and finally, a small white container of some sort that Mikhail placed on the bedside table.

He plugged in the cord connected to the white container and turned it on.

My eyes moved to him, and I was sure my confusion was written clearly on my face.

He sat down on the edge of the bed and cupped my face. I stilled, wondering where he was going with this, but he didn’t say anything, and I … I didn’t turn away from him.

His rough, calloused palm felt good against my skin, the warmth of it emanating out in a way that was almost comforting.

---