Total pages in book: 79
Estimated words: 73445 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 367(@200wpm)___ 294(@250wpm)___ 245(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 73445 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 367(@200wpm)___ 294(@250wpm)___ 245(@300wpm)
Mrs. H then said, “I’ll be back soon to escort Grace.” Without saying another word, she left the room.
“Escort me?” Grace asked as she approached the boxes that I had just placed on the bed. “Why not you? Do we have to be apart? Do I have to do something by myself tonight?”
I shook my head, hating that she sounded anxious. “That’s not how this works.”
I opened the boxes and instantly knew what the night would have in store from the attire and a single item placed on top of my tuxedo.
I lifted up the chopsticks and used them to point at the kimono that was in the box for Grace. “I actually have attended a number of events growing up around the Order like the one that will happen tonight. I’m pretty sure I know what’s going to happen.”
She held the kimono to her body and looked up at me, waiting for more explanation.
“It’s called Nyotaimori. It’s a Japanese practice of having a female—you—lying on a table completely naked with sushi, shumai, and sashimi pieces placed all over your body. The men in the room will eat off of you.”
Rather than being offended or horrified, Grace laughed, her green eyes sparkling with humor. “Are you kidding me? They want to cover me with raw fish? And you’ll all eat this raw fish off of my body?”
I had to smile at her reaction. “It’s a favorite here at The Oleander. The Order actually let the sons of the members attend many parties with a sushi girl as the centerpiece. It was the first time I’d ever seen a woman naked.”
She laughed again. “This is insane. I actually hope the fuckers get e-coli or something from eating off me. I pray I somehow give them the shits.”
My smile turned to a full belly laugh. And as much as I appreciated her lightening the mood, I also wanted to give her the instructions on how to make this situation easier on her.
“They’re going to prepare you in a freezer at first. To chill your body. You’ll also have to remain as still as you can and stare straight ahead. These men are like sharks. If they smell blood in the water, and even sense you’re upset or uncomfortable, they’ll try to break you right there on the table. Show zero emotion. None at all. Do you understand?”
When she didn’t respond right away, I took hold of her hand and squeezed until she looked me in the eyes.
“It’s important that you don’t give them what they want. They’ll want to see the humiliation and shame on your face. They’d love to see you flinch as they devour the fish inches from your private parts. And they will touch you. There is no way around that fact. I can’t protect you no matter how much I will want to.”
She squeezed my hand back and nodded. “I understand. And as objectifying as this is, I seriously doubt it can be worse than the branding. I got this.”
She picked up her kimono and walked toward the bathroom. She paused and looked over her shoulder at me with a warm smile that caused my heart to skip. “We got this.”
With sake in hand, I sipped as I kept watch over Grace. The sick asshole inside of me loved the sight of her nearly exposed and naked body adorned with colorful sushi and flowers. She was beautiful, and the way her eyes stared at the ceiling as she dutifully performed her role as sushi girl made her even more so. The woman’s strength fueled my own. I truly knew I would not be able to survive this without her.
But I also hated watching men walk up to her with their chopsticks, plucking fish off her like she was nothing more than a piece of fine china. Eyes lingered on her tits and her pussy for far too long, and I wanted to gouge their eyes out in retaliation for the act. I hated each and every one of them at that very moment, and there was nothing I could do to stop the party and what they considered to be the highlight.
My Grace for all to feast off of.
The only thing good about the night was that the other recruits were allowed to attend this event, so I at least got to see some friendly faces. They were actually respectful to me by trying to control where their gazes lingered. I appreciated the small display of loyalty.
Walker St. Claire was the first to walk up to where I stood with his own sake in hand. “How’s the Initiation going?”
“How do you think?” I answered tersely. “I’m ready for this hell to be over.”
“I’m not ready for mine to come up either. But I do look forward to being able to use the political gain I’ll get to my advantage.”