Page 14 of Marek

I couldn’t let him hurt her.

I could see the pain in her eyes when she thought the club wasn’t coming for her. She told me all about it, and my heart grew soft for her, especially when she told me she was pregnant, and I could see her bleeding.

It broke my heart.

The moment I realized what Marek was going to do to her, I knew I had to stop it. I begged him to let her go, and in exchange, I would dance for him. He agreed, and he let her go.

She promised she would get me out, but I won’t hold her to that promise.

Not when I’m in the clutches of the devil himself.

He knows where she is, and if I don’t dance, he’ll go after her. Of that, I’m sure.

I guess I’m going to have to come up with a new plan, because it doesn’t look like I can avoid dancing any longer.

So, here I stand, my feet on the stage, bare and cool against the polished timber. Marek is below, his eyes still shadowed with an anger I can’t seem to read and he isn’t letting me stop. Overand over, he has me dancing, doing the moves that make him happy, launching up with ribbons tied around my body, twisting and turning, trying to be graceful when I feel anything but.

“You’re not trying,” he bellows, storming toward the stage where I stand, my face expressionless.

“I don’t know how much more you could possibly want me to try, I’m giving it my everything, can’t you see the damned sweat running down my face?” I shout back at him, crossing my arms, as if that would shield me from his wrath.

“I’ve seen you dance with passion, you’re not showing a single fucking ounce of that.”

“Oh, I wonder why,” I snap. “You keep me locked in a fucking cage, where I’m cramped up and stiff, you barely feed me, you treat me like a fucking animal, and you want me to show passion? I don’t know if you’ve ever felt passion in your life before, Master, but I can assure you that isn’t how it’s created.”

I expect him to roar with anger, to abuse me or torment me, but instead he nods slowly and then announces, “Very well. You’ll spend the nights before I need you to dance with me.”

My mouth drops open.

That was so far from the point I was trying to make.

“Over my dead body,” I grind out.

He grins, his mouth curling in a way that makes my skin prickle. “The choice is yours, Ellie Mae. You either stay with me, or you stay in the cage. Either way, you will dance. It’s up to you how rested you are.”

The thought of having a few nights away from that cage has my body screaming with want, but the idea of sleeping next to Marek has everything inside me terrified. I don’t think I can lie in a bed next to him and not contemplate plotting his murder.

My eyes widen.

Well, I mean ... it’s not a bad idea.

If he fell asleep, I could possibly take him out and get out of here.

“Fine,” I grind out, “but if you come anywhere near me, I’ll cut your dick off.”

His grin widens.

Fucking dick.

“Very well, now show me passion and I’ll give you a warm meal and a bed tonight.”

My stomach grumbles.

A nice meal would be good.

So, I do as he asks.

I give him passion.

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