Tess sliced at my hands with her nails, choking in my hold. “You always were pathetic. Making up for your lack of cock.” Tess’s hands suddenly stopped fighting me, dropping to squeeze my erection.
I swayed; my forehead crashed against the tiled wall.
No. No. Yes. Yes.
The monster tore at my brain.
Headache.
Lust.
Need.
I shoved my h*ps into her hand, making her cry out in pain. Her cries made me pant for more—made me f**king delirious.
Her eyes popped wide. “So you do have a cock. You must’ve had cosmetic surgery, you bastard, because when you raped Blonde Angel you were infested with spiders and the size of my little finger.”
Confusion collared the beast and I blinked. Holy shit, I’d been so close. She didn’t see me. She didn’t know it was me. And I refused to take her when she was so far out of my reach—so removed from the truth.
Her hand squeezed my cock, deliberately hurting. But I was beyond pain now. I wanted pain. I wanted her to punish me, so I could come so f**king violently I’d pass out. My vision went black.
Not yet. You’re so close. Get it together.
Somehow, I did the hardest thing in my life.
Dropping her, I kicked her away, almost doubling over with the need lacerating my blood.
“I told you. Don’t f**king touch me.” I had to finish this. Now.
Even sprawled on cold tiles, lost in a sea of darkness, Tess glowed like a cosmos or brand new galaxy. She looked fresh and completely unbroken. She licked her lips, saying in the coldest, strongest voice I’d ever heard. “You know what I just realized? I’m not scared of you anymore. So f**k off and leave me alone.”
She’s close. So close.
Happiness and joy spread from my heart, battling back the monsters inside. Just a little more.
I cursed my shuddering body as I loomed over her. “Not f**king scared, huh? Then what are you still doing here? Give me what I want, and I’ll let you go.”
Ask what I want. Please f**king ask what I want. Then I wouldn’t suffer guilt when I raped her. I’d be free to do whatever the hell I pleased.
Her eyes went from grey to star-bright.
Fierce awe shot into my heart.
“I want my freedom.”
Yes. I’d done it. She’d demanded it. She’d claimed it. I backed away, fumbling for the door handle to run.
But then her fierceness fizzled; a small cry crawled from her mouth. “No wait! I’m sorry. You’ve always wanted to f**k me. Do it. A trade. Then I’ll know I owe you nothing. Do it and leave me in peace.” She sucked in a breath, eyes glassy with tears. “Please, swear if I give you what you want, you’ll let me go. Promise you’ll never come for me again. Promise you won’t make me hurt any more women or sell me or ruin my life. Please!”
She crawled toward me, latching onto my trouser leg. “Please. You wanted me to beg? I’m begging. You told me I would one day. And it’s come true. I’m begging you to end this once and for all. I’m giving you what you want in return for freedom.”
She climbed my body. I knew I stood no f**king chance of saying no. I would ruin her all when she’d been so damn close.
Her tears rained, sobs taking over her voice. “Please. Promise me that this will be over. How many times do I have to pay?”
Her hands fumbled on my belt buckle. “Do it. Do it!” Tess cried, almost crazed with the thought of being free.
I groaned as she squeezed my length, dragging me forward by it like I was a plaything. Every place she touched scorched my willpower. I almost came on the spot at the thought of getting what I wanted so badly.
I wanted to f**k her like the criminal she thought I was. I wanted to hit her and bite her and use her with no remorse. I wanted blood and bruises and pleasure.
And I wanted Tess to scream. But I wanted her to scream my name. Not some f**king kidnapper’s.
The ultimate ownership of her pain and screams belonged to me—not them. And I wouldn’t, wouldn’t, let her take that from me.
With a howl, I knocked her hands away from my c**k and threw her over my shoulder.
Her softness and tiny fists pounding my back twinged the last remaining thread of my self-control. I had just enough to do what I had to. Just enough to end this. For good.
I dumped her into the overflowing bath.
Slamming to my knees, she had time to grab a breath before I grabbed her skull and shoved her underwater. The liquid crashed over her face, sucking her down like eager death.
Her scream broke the surface in forms of large frothy bubbles. Sound ricocheted as the noise left its bubble, escaping into the air.
Tess went wild. Her legs kicked, smashing into the soap dish and ornaments around the bath. Water sluiced everywhere, drenching my trousers and shoes. I held her down while my headache turned my vision to tunnel.
I held her down as my blood mixed with the water thanks to her sharp nails on my arms.
Every second I drowned her, I thrust my h*ps against the bath, bruising myself, deliberately bashing delicate flesh against hard fibreglass, trying to teach the beast in me a lesson.
This was the bastard I was. This ass**le who drowned the woman he loved.
Ten seconds.
Tess was berserk, fighting with everything she had.
Fifteen seconds.
Her fight stuttered, succumbing to lack of oxygen.
My heart felt like it would explode and my brain disintegrate—I let her up.
I couldn’t catch my breath.
This was it. This was the moment where everything I’d done better work. If it didn’t, I had no other hope.
Such a short amount of time left. Come on, Tess! My hands clenched, hanging onto my last shred of discipline. The last defence against the beast from f**king her senseless.
Scrambling to my feet, I backed away. Grabbing the last item I needed from my pocket, I kicked off my drenched shoes and trousers. Standing in black boxer-briefs with my c**k standing so f**king stiff, I braced myself for what was to come.
Tess exploded out of the tub like a mermaid queen. Her skin was white, blonde hair clinging to her br**sts and shoulders in molten gold. Her chest rose and fell as she went from drowning to surviving. Everything about her said fighter.
But it was her eyes I latched onto.
They were otherworldly. So f**king manic.
“You bastard!” She flew at me.
I backed up, crashing against the wall. She slapped me, kicked me, pummelled every inch. Every strike made me want to grab her hair and force her to her knees. I needed to be inside her. I needed to release this overbearing burden inside but I locked my hands behind my back, holding tight to the final key. I shut down my thoughts, my needs—I let her do whatever she wanted.