Her Dom (Beauty and the Captor 3)

It was certainty. A certainty that Derek and I had both suffered enough, far more than any person ever should.

I’d hit rock bottom. I’d seen a glimpse of a future without Derek, either because he was dead or because he couldn’t bear to look at the baby I was carrying, and I refused to accept it.

I was done being afraid. I was done wondering what was going to happen. I was going to find some way to keep Derek alive, and we were going to be together. And somehow, he wasn’t going to be reminded of where the baby came from every time he looked at him. No more fear and no more uncertainty.

“You’re right, I’m going to get through this,” I said, and it felt good to hear so much determination in my voice.

The nausea had already subsided. I moved to stand, but Derek wouldn’t let me. He carried me back to the bed and left me sitting there to retrieve a glass of water from the bathroom. I drank it down obediently, keeping my head down as a plan began to formulate in my mind.

Derek had weapons in the bedroom closet and a computer. I’d caught a glimpse of them when he’d opened the door to get his clothes yesterday. I would have to find a way to get a hold of one of the guns. I’d sneak it with me when I left with Michael, though hopefully, I wouldn’t have to use the gun on him.

Instead, I’d insist on stopping for food at some run-down diner an hour or two into the drive. From there, I’d excuse myself to go to the bathroom and slip out the back door. I’d have to get onto Derek’s computer to learn how to hotwire a car. It would be best if I could hotwire Michael’s car so he’d be stuck there, but any car would do. Then I’d drive close to the meeting spot, walk the rest of the way and still have hours to wait for Derek—and Mateo Lopez—to arrive. Even if Michael informed Derek I’d ditched him, there would be nothing either of them could do about it.

No doubt, it wouldn’t be easy, but it was simple.

Now all I had to do was keep Derek from realizing what I was up to. I’d continue to object, pose alternative ideas—whatever I could think of—to keep him from cluing in. I had to pull it off. Derek could not know what was going on in my head this time.

That was precisely what I did. I told him I didn’t want to worry about the baby until after this was over, and he didn’t press the issue. And then I proceeded to object to his plan and pose ridiculous ones of my own over the next three days. I even managed to earn myself a spanking twice for unruly behavior—followed by incredible sex, of course.

He was buying it. On the last day, I slowly transitioned to begrudging and teary-eyed acceptance of his plan. It hurt him when I cried, but I couldn’t risk raising his suspicions now. The sun had already begun to set, and there were just a few hours left before it would be time for Michael and I to leave.

Michael—I felt bad for what I was going to do to him, too. Though I was still uncomfortable around a man who’d seen every dark side of me, I couldn’t bring myself to hate him. Actually, I was kind of starting to like him. He’d kept his presence as unobtrusive as possible, but when I did see him, when he told me stories about places he’d been or things he and my aunt had done, well, he was a rather difficult person to dislike. Derek was going to be angry with him when I escaped, but hopefully, he’d forgive him when everything turned out OK.

“Lie down on the bed, Pet,” Derek’s voice cut into my thoughts as he walked into the bedroom.

I’d been kneeling, naked, at the side of the bed. I thought he’d gone to get food, but there was no food and no tray in his hands. Perplexed, I hurried to obey, wondering what he had in mind.

He approached until he stood next to the bed, but he didn’t join me.

“As your master, you have to obey me, correct?”

Uh oh. He couldn’t possibly know. I’d done such a good job hiding my plan. “Yes,” I answered with as little guilt in my tone as I could.

“When I tell you to do something, you have to do it, right?”

“Yes, Master.”

“And when I tell you not to do something, you have no choice but to obey?”

Damn it, this wasn’t good. “Yes, Master.”

“Good. I’m glad we understand.” He sat down next to me and his hands glided over my body from my shoulders to my ankles. Light, teasing strokes that made my body relax into the bed.