Total pages in book: 58
Estimated words: 52739 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 264(@200wpm)___ 211(@250wpm)___ 176(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 52739 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 264(@200wpm)___ 211(@250wpm)___ 176(@300wpm)
"Has she been asking about us?" Thorn asked simply, and the other man shook his head.
I realized they were talking about Amber, but had chosen to stay quiet to find out more. Why were they even talking about her? I thought Thorn had condemned her to her fate, not kept tabs on her. It made me oddly jealous, and I pouted on his lap, trying to hide my emotions as well as I possibly could.
"She has," Carina's father confirmed. "Nothing I haven't been able to handle. Well, since it looks like you have your hands full..."
"Yes," Thorn replied tersely, ignoring the perfectly placed pun. "I'll talk to you soon, Van Acker."
The connection cut out, and it was just us in the room. I struggled to get off his lap and he let me, which disappointed me a little. His games turned me on so much I almost managed to forget the real reason I was there.
"Marchante," I reminded him angrily. "He didn't show for our lesson. The guard outside said he was gone."
"He is," Thorn replied nonchalantly. "I got rid of him."
I felt anger stewing inside me again, threatening to set me off and face Thorn like I never had before. But all I could do was stare incredulously as he got up from his chair and walked to a drink trolley in the corner of the room, pouring himself a glass of some expensive looking amber liquid.
"And what about your promises?" I asked him. "You said I would leave this place... That I'd be able to go somewhere with you. Were those lies too?"
He sipped his drink calmly, but I only got angrier and angrier as I watched him. I felt like a child throwing a temper tantrum, but I couldn't help myself. I stomped my foot on the floor until I caught his attention, crossed my arms in front of my body and glared at him.
"I hate liars," I told him. "I hate that you did this to me."
He set down his glass and turned towards me slowly.
"Are you finished?" he asked, a dark note to his voice. "Is your little rant over or is there more where that came from, little Rose?"
"I'm not done," I went on, throwing my hands in the air. "You promised me so much, just so you could rip it away from me? So you could hurt me? That's what you wanted all along, isn't it?"
"Careful," he warned me. "Don't say something you'll regret later."
"I won't regret a thing," I spat out. "I don't know why I expected better from you. You're a fucking liar."
He reached me in two long steps, his fingers wrapping around my throat and taking my breath away as he dragged me closer, staring down into my terrified face.
"Still no regrets?" he asked me darkly, and I shook my head as best as I could, filling my gaze with all the contempt I felt for him in that moment. "What a shame, my pretty little slut. I was going to go easy on you, but not anymore."
"W-What?" I muttered, but he squeezed harder, knocking the air right out of me. "Thorn! S-stop, please!"
"No," he ground out. "I won't stop. If you had asked before you just accused me of shit, you would know your teacher is being replaced by someone better."
He let go of me and I tumbled to the ground, his eyes darkly regarding me as he wiped his palms on his trousers.
"I..." I whispered, my hand at my throat where the skin burned from the rough touch of his fingers. "I'm sorry, I didn't know."
"And didn't bother to ask," he finished for me, smirking. "I'll make you regret your fucking temper tantrum, believe me."
My skin prickled with the possibilities, making me wonder if I'd done this on purpose. If I was so desperate, so needy for him, I decided to attack him for no apparent reason just so he'd punish me.
"You might want to be careful, little slut," Thorn went on sweetly. "Your punishments are fucking adding up. You don't want me to cut that pretty little throat instead of your tendons, do you?"
"I..." I was at a loss for words. "Thorn, I'm-"
"Sorry, yes," he chuckled. "Not good enough, I'm afraid. Now fucking strip."
Three
Harlow
I started taking my clothes off, my hands shaking as I undid the buttons of my leotard and pulled it off.
Thorn watched closely as I took my ballet slippers off, neatly folding everything and placing it on the chair next to where he stood, just like he had taught me. I didn't stop until I was shivering before him, naked and exposed to his watchful gaze. He smirked at me, taking a step closer and making me stand up straighter. He took my chin in his hands and tilted it up so I was forced to look at him.