Buttons and Lace (Buttons 1)

“Sounds fair. But there’s one problem.”

I already knew what that problem was.

“He doesn’t have anyone. No family. No friends. No wife. No kids.”

“Everyone has someone.” Even I had someone at one point.

He shook his head. “He’s ruthless for a reason. He doesn’t love anyone or anything—except power.”

“It’ll happen. We just have to wait for it.”

“Wait how long?” he asked.

My entire lifetime, if I must. Revenge was a marathon, not a sprint. It took time and planning. It took unyielding patience. It had to be just right. It had to be perfect. “As long as it takes.”

Chapter Eight

Pearl

I couldn’t move.

Everything hurt. Some things were broken. There was a lot of blood.

Agony.

I passed out a few times, and they injected a stimulator into my system, forcing me to wake up with a jolt. My heart palpitated so hard I almost went into cardiac arrest.

They were far worse than Bones ever was. They took turns tormenting me, beating my head against the wall before they shoved their hairy cocks into my mouth.

It was the worst night of my life.

It made every other day with Bones actually seem tame.

I couldn’t handle any more of it. I thought I was strong. I thought I was unbreakable. But I quickly realized just how weak I was. I was folding under the pressure, caving. My dreams were full of nightmares, and I couldn’t even find escape in my sleep. Every minute of being alive was torture.

Suicide was my only option.

Unless I could persuade Bones to care for me. If I could get him to appreciate me, even love me, he would grow so jealous he would never let another man touch me. He would feel terrible for hurting me. Maybe he could see me as an equal. Maybe he could pet me instead of slap me.

Maybe everything could be different.

Bones gave me five days to recover. He didn’t stop by my bedroom and demand sex. He didn’t shove his big dick into my mouth and demand me to suck him. He gave me peace.

For the first time.

I knew I had to take advantage of his mercy and push it as far as it would go. I had to make my move, to manipulate him into thinking I was something worth protecting, not hurting. But what did a man like that want?

He loved my feistiness. He loved my defiance. I had to keep those in order to make him happy. But I had to change something. I had to approach him differently. I had to prove I cared about him—even if I loathed him.

***

I came down to dinner one night in a nice dress I found in the closet. Someone took care of my laundry, placing all my clean stuff where it belonged. Every night, they came for my hamper, and every morning, they returned my clothes.

The dress was burgundy, looking good on my skin as well as pairing nicely with my hair. I did my own makeup and hair, trying to make myself look as beautiful as Francine made me look.

I hoped it was enough.

Bones sat at the table with his phone in his hand. He read off the screen, scrolling through it like it was an email.

I took the seat beside him, purposely letting my knee touch his.

He looked up when he noticed me. He eyed me up and down, unable to hide the surprise on his face. “You seem to be feeling better.”

“I just needed a few days to recover.” A plate was set in front of me, and I ate with the manners of a queen.

He kept watching me. “The guys told me they had fun.”

“I suspect they did. But I didn’t.”

He chuckled. “Not surprised.”

“I didn’t have fun because they weren’t you.” I tried to sound as convincing as possible.

“Oh, really?” he asked. “You’re just as repulsed by me.”

“Yes.” I had to keep this story believable. Otherwise, it would never work. “But they didn’t do things the right way. They didn’t take me the way you do. They were boys with no idea what to do when their dicks got hard.” I kept up the act by eating, pretending everything was perfectly normal.

When he fell quiet, I knew he was entertaining the idea.

“When you hurt me, I don’t like it. In fact, I hate it. But sometimes...” I brought the glass of wine to my lips. “Never mind.” I took a long drink, needing the alcohol to steel my nerves.

“No,” he whispered. “What?”

“Sometimes...it feels good.” I only managed to say that by my determination to survive. I had to do this in order to protect myself. I had to do this if I wanted any kind of future where I wasn’t being whipped.

His eyes darkened with lust.

I cut into my meat and ate quietly. “They aren’t real men. They aren’t what I’m used to.”

His hand moved to my thigh under the table.