Page 53 of Pas de Trois
“She’s staying in Vigo’s bedroom. She slept on the floor last night. That’s how I found her this morning…passed out on the rug. She must have been too traumatized by all the things my brother did to her to sleep in his bed. She wouldn’t even use his bathroom. It’s impossible for me to see what you see in her. I see nothing but a weak little girl.” Her hand slips over my fingers on her thigh, gripping them, drawing my hand up farther. “But if you do me this service, I’ll consider moving her to a new room. Perhaps then she can rest and recover.”
A frustrated groan vibrates through my chest. “You’re cruel.”
If I thought I felt sick before, my gut churns now with the thought that Anya is enduring such torment in Vigo’s room. It makes my heart hurt, as though Renata has reached inside and plucked it from my chest herself. It’s all the worse because I already know I’ll do what she wants to get Anya out of that room.
“You’re interested.” Renata smiles as her gaze flicks down over my crotch.
“I’m not interested in you.”
“But you’ll obey me,” she says with all the confidence in the world—she knows she has me trapped in this.
I nod in response, but it’s so slight I don’t even know if she sees it until she drags my hand a little higher. She lets go and raises an eyebrow at me, a silent command to keep going.
I hate this.
I hate this so much.
My stomach clenches when my fingers slip up her hip and under the hem of her red blouse. My spine prickles with a warning to stop this madness when I reach for the button of her pants. I start shaking as I lower the zipper. And my heart leaps with relief when she shoves my hands away and suddenly stands. I look up at her as she looks down at me and she grins with sick satisfaction spread all over her face.
She reaches down and pats my head with her hand. “Good boy.”
“I fucking hate you,” I seethe.
“I know you do. I like that energy from you, though. Hang onto it.” She crosses her arms. “The collar has sensors. As long as you remain in the house, you’ll hardly notice you’re wearing it before long. There’s a minimal perimeter around the house. You can go as far as the fountain in the front and into the garden out back. If you breach that perimeter, I can assure you that you’ll die. There will be enough electricity in the shock to stop your heart in moments and I will send no one to revive you. Otherwise, you’ll be mostly free to move about as you like. Though you’ll stay far away from Anya if you know what’s good for you.”
I smirk, narrowing my eyes at her. “You shouldn’t trust me to roam freely in your home.”
She bends, lifting my chin and holding my gaze. I can feel her warm breath as it dusts across my lips. “I trust that you will do anything to protect that whore you call your lover. This is not Mikhailov Manor. There are always people in my home who won’t hesitate to kill you on the spot if you step out of line. Consider this collar your fraction of freedom here.”
Her eyes dance as they flicker over my face and the light reflected there can’t hide her emotion. This woman is grieving, hurt, lonely, desperate. I take stock of that and store it in my mind, knowing I can use that information to exploit her with affection, obedience, and care.
If I have to, I will charm her, seduce her, make her love me enough to let her guard down. And then I will use her to find a way to save Anya.
