Page 52 of His Property

I shake my head. “No.”

He eyes me skeptically. “You’re sure?”

“Yes sir, I’m sure.”

A minute passes, and I squirm while he burns me with his stare.

“Help me understand this,” he says, genuinely confused.

My face heats, and I glance over at Victor, despite being told not to. When I look back at Lorenzo, I inhale a shaky breath and prepare to tell a second person my darkest secret.

“I get turned on when I’m afraid… Victor gets turned on whensomeone elseis afraid.”

I watch for disgust to wash over Lorenzo’s face, but it remains blank, and he waits for me to go on.

“I know I look like shit,” I look down and gesture to myself, “but most of these bruises are from days ago when we hadn’t fully established what was good for both of us. The rest is from bondage and rough sex.”

He still says nothing.

“I know I’m fucked up.”

Lorenzo smiles, and even though I think he’s about to make fun of me, it’s better than the blank face. “Are you afraid that I’m judging you?”

I say nothing.

Lorenzo inhales a long breath and looks me up and down, more like he’s trying to study me versus ogle me.

He turns his head to Victor. “You lied to me. I asked if there was anything I should know, and you played it off like your behavior was due to your mother getting out of prison.”

What?

Lorenzo turns back to me. “Obviously, this beautiful woman was at least partially to blame.”

“I’ll let her go today,” Victor says, walking toward us. He stops when Lorenzo turns his head. “I’ll rest up and be good as new by tomorrow. Whatever I’ve done wrong isn’t her fault.”

Lorenzo tilts his head at Victor, and it’s Victor’s turn to be scrutinized. “Are you afraid for yourself or for her?” he asks.

Victor glances at me then stands tall. “I’m willing to accept whatever punishment you deem fit for me, but I don’t feel it’s right for her to pay for my mistakes… Sir.”

“Ah, so this is a matter of ethics?”

Victor doesn’t respond, and Lorenzo laughs. He steps up to Victor and pats him on the shoulder. He leans into his ear and whispers something, then he makes his way to the stairs.

“Let’s go,” he says to the man who came with him. “Victor, you and I will continue this discussion tomorrow.”

As soon as the men are out of sight, Victor goes to me. He sighs and flops onto the bed. “Fuck, that was terrifying.”

I sit down next to him, my muscles stiff with tension that won’t leave even with the men gone. “I didn’t know you were capable of being scared.”

“I like my life.” He laughs nervously. “I know better than anyone what happens to people who piss that guy off.”

Silence ensues for a moment while I think about what Lorenzo said. I fiddle with my hands in my lap, my eyes trained on them.

“You were scared for me too… weren’t you?”

I feel Victor’s eyes land on me, and I meet his gaze.

“There is no other ‘you’, Mae. I mean that. I’ve never met a woman like you.” He pauses a moment. “Killing you would be a waste.”

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