Total pages in book: 77
Estimated words: 73365 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 367(@200wpm)___ 293(@250wpm)___ 245(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 73365 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 367(@200wpm)___ 293(@250wpm)___ 245(@300wpm)
“He sold you to me, offered up your virgin pussy. What do you think of that, princess? That your father knew I would fuck you hard and make you cry, but he didn’t care as long as I wired him the money?” He runs his hands to my waist and squeezes.
It shouldn’t hurt me. But it does. Maybe it’s the exhaustion or the terror. Maybe I’m just weaker than I want to be. I don’t know. But my eyes water. And I don’t want to cry in front of these men. I don’t want to show them the weakness that lives inside me. Even so, a tear runs down my cheek.
Mateo swipes it with his fingertip and licks it away.
“You didn’t answer me.” He squeezes my waist tighter, his cold eyes holding mine. “What do you think of the fact that your father sold me your tight cunt for three million dollars?”
I bite the inside of my cheek and try to focus on the pain. That’s the sort of hurt I can deal with. The hurt Mateo is talking about—that’s one I can’t control. I taste blood, then answer him, “I think that it doesn’t matter what I think.”
His lips quirk on one side, as if a smile is trying to break free, and he runs his thumb along my jaw where the bruise is. “You’re smarter than I thought.” He turns back to Sonny. “She was majoring in biology, planned on being a veterinarian. Isn’t that right, princess?”
More hurt piles on top of me, burying me slowly. That future is gone now. Whatever dreams I had died when my mother arrived to pull me out of school. Or maybe they died when Ferdinand did.
“Yes.”
“But now you’re majoring in being a Fontana slut for me.” Mateo smiles, handsome even in his cruelty. “I can’t wait to give you your grades.” He moves one of his hands to my thigh and squeezes. “I bet you’d do anything for an A.”
Sonny laughs.
I turn away from Mateo, my gaze downturned as I stare at the table. That’s when I notice the knife.
It’s nothing fancy. A simple butter knife but with a sharpened tip. It would take a lot of force to kill a man with it, but you could definitely wound someone. And maybe that’s all I need to do. If I can use it to hurt Mateo at the right time, I might be able to get away. I could run. Maybe he’d find me, maybe he’d hurt me for trying to escape. But he’s going to hurt me anyway. He’s already made that clear.
“Princess?”
“Hmm?”
His hand moves higher, his thumb drawing circles on my inner thigh. “Do you think you have what it takes to stab me with that knife?”
I turn to him, my eyes wide.
He presses his thumb higher until it grazes against my panties.
It’s horrible, the way he touches me without invitation, as if he truly believes I’m nothing more than a possession. I don’t want to feel anything when his skin brushes against mine. I want to be numb. But I’m not. Heat, the kind that wraps around you like vines and sinks into your bloodstream with poisonous thorns, that’s what I feel.
He jerks his chin toward the knife. “You could try it. I might even give you the chance to grab it instead of breaking your wrist. You could take your best shot, princess. I won’t be mad.” His voice is almost a purr as he leans closer, his mouth at my ear. “Because then it would be my turn.”
8
MATEO
“You think it’s a good idea to just let her wander around?” Benny strikes a match and lights a cigarette.
“Where’s she going to go?” Red leans back on the couch, a glass of liquor in one hand and his phone in the other.
“I don’t know. But she might try to run, I guess?” Benny takes a drag.
“She’s a scared little mouse.” I shrug. “If anything, she’ll try to hide from me again.” Maybe I’d like her to try it. Her pathetic attempt last night was a fun game for me. Hunting her down was easy, and then all I had to do was wait. The fear in her eyes when she opened the door and saw me—fuck. I adjust myself in my pants.
Benny and Red share a look.
“Shut the fuck up.” I wave an irritated hand at them.
“Didn’t say anything, boss.” Benny takes another drag and offers the cigarette to me.
I shake my head. Every man has his vices, but tobacco isn’t one of mine.
“The boys know she’s off limits. They won’t touch her.” I decide to pour myself a drink to take the edge off.
“That’s what you’re worried about?” Red shoots Benny another raised eyebrow look.
“Knock that shit off!” I bark and splash a healthy amount of whiskey into my glass.