“Too soon for pleasure,” Thomas said as he took a few steps away.
Stefano replaced his hand with the blade and began rubbing the knife up and down in a slow and sensual manner. He inhaled again, brought his lips to my ear, and whispered, “I smell you, naughty girl. I can smell those naughty juices of yours. I have a feeling we are going to have great fun paying your dues.”
I began to cry harder—more out of shame and humiliation this time rather than fear. My body hungered for more, and I hated myself for it.
I was his. His.
No. Wrong.
I was theirs. Theirs.
There was nothing I could do. Nothing I could say. My cries grew louder and echoed off the walls of the empty room. It was a symphony of misery. A chorus of terror. And as I looked at the Bennato Brothers, I realized they would be the men orchestrating it all.
Thomas left the room for a brief moment and returned with a thin gray wool blanket. He tossed it to the floor and smiled. “Your first item of comfort.” He then left the room without saying another word.
Chapter Three
Hailey
I stood alone with Stefano. Although he looked nearly identical to Thomas, he had a thin scar that ran down his left cheek. It was subtle but just enough to make them appear different.
“Thomas has some business to conduct and to inform our massive security of our new situation. So, if you even think there is a chance of escape, I would get that thought out of your head right now. You can run, but we’ll hunt you down, and you won’t like the consequences for that act. Every single man who is involved in the hunt will have his chance to punish you. So, the choice is yours.” Stefano smiled, but not a warm and inviting smile. No. A smile of evil. “But there’s no reason we can’t begin grooming you to be the perfect wife now while Thomas is busy. Our obedient good girl.” Stefano removed the knife from my panties.
He raised the blade to meet my eye level. Glancing at it, I could see it was coated with my signs of fucked-up lust and twisted sexual need.
It glistened with sin.
Stefano was right. I was a naughty girl. Yes, filthy. So fucking wrong. I should be screaming. Demanding freedom. I should be fighting to escape, but instead I was nearly coming on a weapon used to kill.
There was a sparkle in Stefano’s eye and a smirk on his face as he put the blade back in its holder on his belt. “I advise you to be a good little girl. Do you understand?”
I nodded and softly said, “Yes, sir.” I didn’t want to die. I didn’t want to suffer either and be miserable the entire time I was here. I didn’t. I could do this. I could earn my comforts. I already had one. I had a long way to go to furnish this room, but I knew the only way to survive this ordeal was by focusing on one comfort at a time. I could do this. I had no choice but to do this. “What are you going to do to me now?”
It suddenly dawned on me that I was still standing with my arms at my sides. Like I was a private in the army standing before a general.
Yes, sir.
No, sir.
Whatever you say, sir.
Only this time, the private was wearing nothing but a pair of white lace panties. I didn’t have to look down to know my nipples were hard, and I didn’t have to press my legs together to feel the leftover wetness from the kiss of the knife.
Stefano took hold of my hair again and circled it around his hand. He then guided me out of the room as if my hair was a leash and I was his mangy mutt. We walked down the hallway, and I noticed that there were cameras placed in strategic places. Was Thomas watching? The security team? I could practically feel their eyes burning holes into my exposed flesh. When we reached the bathroom door, Stefano turned to me with seriousness washed over his face. “We are going to start filming from the minute we walk into the bathroom. Thomas will be watching every single moment once he’s done with business. He doesn’t want to miss a thing. He wants a close-up recording so he can truly examine how grateful you are for your life and his mercy. Are you going to be able to behave and act as he would expect someone who wants to earn items of comfort would behave? I’m serious when I tell you that what you do from this point on is crucial. So, will you be able to do exactly as I say?”