Page 51 of Cruel God

I swallowed hard, an uncomfortable ache moving through my gut. Even though I was her master, and she my slave, I never lied to her. I never needed to…until tonight.

Cupping her cheeks in my palms, I met her gaze. “You trust me, don’t you, Butterfly?”

“Of course.”

“Then trust me when I say that it is safe for you—for us—to be seen tonight.” I held up a finger. “But—” I took the gold mask and placed it over her eyes, “—it’s a masquerade party, so you will remain partially hidden.” I winked at her and adjusted the gold mask. It was a simple design, with just the right side spreading down, covering most of her cheek. The few diamonds scattered around the edges were the only ornamentation on the otherwise plain, solid gold mask.

I tilted her chin, forcing her to look me in the eye. “You are mine, and it would do you good never to forget that.”

“I know, master. And I won’t.”

I smiled before placing a delicate kiss at the corner of her mouth. “Good. Now it’s time for the rest of our world to see what riches I truly possess.”

I led her to the open door before abruptly pulling her close, clutching her jaw between my thumb and forefinger. “Do not embarrass me tonight, Butterfly. This is what you’ve been preparing for your whole goddamn life.”

Chapter 18

With every step we took, I could feel her tension, her uncertainty. It was in the way she walked, how her shoulders remained slumped, her hand trembling in mine.

The moment we stopped in front of the locked door, Hope balked, her entire body shivering.

“It’s okay.” I turned to face her. “You will be safe as long as you stay by my side, okay?”Fucking liar.

She nodded, but I could see my words had done nothing to ease her worry. This was the first time in many years that she would put a foot out that door. So, I could understand how one step could seem so daunting to her.

I punched in the security code, and Hope jerked when the click of the lock echoed around us. She was too scared, too jittery, and I couldn’t have that. She needed to act the part I needed her to, and the way she acted now would ruin everything.

“Hope.” I grabbed her shoulders and squeezed tight. “Will you disobey me by not trusting me?”

Her eyes shot up to meet mine, but she was unable to speak a single word.

I straightened my shoulders and summoned up the bastard in me. “Listen to me, and listen well. Tonight you will act exactly the way I want you to. You will not be afraid, and you will be a good fucking girl, do you understand me?”

She nodded lightly and whispered, “Yes, sir.”

“Good, because if you don’t, your last punishment will seem like fucking child’s play. Understood?”

Her eyes remained downcast, and I shook her shoulders violently, my fingers digging into her flesh. “Do you understand?”

“Yes, sir. I understand.”

I let go of her shoulders and straightened my sleeves. “Now, you will walk beside me with the confidence of a woman who knows that you are exactly where you fucking belong. You will look no one in the eye. You will speak to fucking no one unless I tell you to. Is that understood?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Good.” I placed my fingers under her chin. “Now, I have a little something planned for us before the party.” I leaned closer and rasped in her ear, “Something very entertaining.”

Her eyes found mine, her irises flashing with intrigue. God, I loved how in tune she was with me. To some, our relationship might seem a bit unorthodox, but it was a relationship nonetheless. One I controlled. One I manipulated. One I ruled.

Just as we were about to take that final step over the threshold, I glanced down at the woman beside me. If it weren’t for the little game I had planned that made my blood hum with anticipation, I would probably sympathize with her. Feel guilty for keeping her locked up for so long. Hope had been through so much, survived more than most people in a lifetime. She had never set foot in the outside world for years, and now, today, I had to force her to take that step.

At least, I had something planned to take the edge off—and a way for me to fuck with those involved. It was so goddamn entertaining to play.

I took the first step out the door, watching her closely. When Hope took that step after me, she sucked in a breath, and I quickly grabbed her chin and brought her mouth to mine.

I kissed her hard, determined to take away her anxiety. She opened for me like every other time, giving me the access I demanded and allowing me to take what I wanted to. Her mouth was warm, her tongue like velvet against mine. I could easily forget all about my plan, pick her up and carry her back to the room where I’d spend the rest of the night fucking her, making her come repeatedly until she’d beg me to stop. Good thing I decided to arrange a little pre-party entertainment.

With a final sweep of my tongue, I pulled back and stared down at her lovingly. “You’ll always be my pretty little Butterfly. Never forget that.”

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