Punished Into Submission (41 page)

“I lit the fire in the bar.” James says, as I rip my hand from his grip. “Simon threatened me. He told me he would hurt everyone, if I didn’t do it. My dad is dying of cancer and they needed the money to help him.”

“You did what? Have you told Hunter?” I basically shout, pointing to the door that leads into the ballroom.

“No, but that’s not all I did. I let Simon back into the house after he and Hunter had a fight. It wasn’t America and Hunter you heard having sex.” When he stops and looks up at me I feel sick. I know what he’s going to say and I didn’t want to hear it. I put my hand up and hold my stomach as I step back.

“Get away from me.” I shout as I turn my back to him.

“Please. I am sorry. I will tell Hunter the minute I see him.” James says, and then I hear departing footsteps.

I look out over the pool and think about the beach this morning. I wanted to be there again, and I wanted to be there with the man I was falling in love with. I watch the waitress walk up the stairs with a tray of drinks; she smiles at me and keeps walking. Her heels stop clicking and I sense it before I see it.

I hear his footsteps but don’t turn around.

“Mr Ford, can I offer you a drink?” the waitress asks, with a hint of flirtation in her voice.

“No, thank you. Kat, would you like one?” Hunter asks.

I don’t turn around, but I shake my head no.

I continue to look out at the sunset. The fairy lights over the waterfall are beautiful, everything lights up at night. It’s breathtaking. My dress blows in the breeze, and suddenly I want to do nothing more than run through the waves of the ocean. I step back, and hit a strong wall of muscle.

“I want to run into the ocean,” I whisper.

“Kat, I have to tell you something.... I...”

I turn and wrap my arms around him.

He looks nervous.

Scared.

“What is it?” I rock on my toes, so our lips are so close...

“You only have three days left, and things have gotten a little out of hand lately. I have feelings...”Hunter stops, mid-sentence.

I want him to say those words...

The words that I feel...

“Hunter, I think I’m falling in love with you.” It escapes my lips before I can stop it.

Hunter captures my face in his hands. His warm hands, the ones that deliver punishment, deliver commitment, deliver tenderness, and deliver love...

“This can’t happen, Kat.” Hunter’s voice is broken. “You are leaving with Sailor tonight.”

With that, he kisses my forehead and walks away.

Leaving me more broken than I was before.

In more pain than anyone could ever feel.

He leaves me submissive...

~*~*~*~*~*~

I
take myself up to my room to collect my belongings. Hunter has just told me in so many words that I am totally alone in my feelings for him. The one time I let my guard down, I get burnt. It is funny, because as much as I told myself I didn’t like him, I was almost sure I felt some sort of love connection for him from the first time he held me during a nightmare. I really, truly believe that he is hiding something from me, because he can’t not feel anything. I am not some idiot that falls in love with my Master, on one sided feelings.

Against better judgement, I open the letter left for me on the bed.

––––––––

M
y dearest Kat,

I wanted to write to you because I knew I wouldn’t be able to find the words to say them otherwise. I spent the afternoon thinking about the past three and a half weeks and how much you have changed and how much you have changed me. We fight our demands every day, and every night they come back to haunt us. It’s a vicious circle that will never end. Because I know he will never apologise, I want to say sorry for everything Simon has done to you. He is a monster and bitter at the world for many things with no reason. He breaks everything he touches and deserves to live a lonely, miserable life; you deserve better than him. However, I am just as guilty for the pain. What I am about to tell you will change everything for you in the future.

My heart skips a few beats and I feel for the edge of the bed to sit down before I fall. I don’t want to keep reading in the fear of what he might reveal. But, I must know what he is talking about. I want to run to him, to kiss him, to bring myself to my knees for him...

Sailor sent you to me so you would become his submissive. He wanted to take you to Paris to work for him in a palace we have opened together, but knew you wouldn’t be any use to him as a Mistress. He wanted you for himself but knew you wouldn’t break for him, for he has tried for years. I thought it would be a great test for my strength and abilities, but you Kat, have blown me away. What I feel for you is hate, greed, temptation, vanity, envy, wrath, patience, guilt and pride. But most of all, love.

Please know that I never meant to hurt you like this. But you deserve to know. Maybe one day, when everything we have known is gone, you and I can be together in hell like we talked about. We can watch the devil cringe at our antics.

Yours truly.

Hunter

––––––––

I
feel sick.

I run to the bathroom and vomit. This isn’t happening to me. It can’t be. I can feel him on my skin; touching my face, smelling my hair...I retch again.

I need to get him off my skin; get him out of my mind. I stand up and turn the shower on full, and jump in straight away; I don’t even wait for the water to warm up. I need to get clean. I rip at my gown, wanting to remove it. I can’t stand it; I can’t take anything touching me any longer.

When I’m naked, I let the now hot water drown me. Take me away and cause me newfound pain. I need it to cause me pain to hide the inside scars I carry every day. They lied to me. Sailor was my protector, my shelter, and my life...My trusting person. He used me. Hunter knew all along and never told me; why would he hide that from me? I trusted him. I loved him.

It hurts.

It slices me open. New wounds caused by people I love.

It opens old wounds even bigger...

I scrub every inch of my body until my skin is red and burning with new rage. When the water runs cold, I get out and wrap the towel around my body. I wipe the condensation off the mirror and look back at my reflection. I no longer see the weak, vulnerable girl I once was. Hunter taught me so much in so little time, like he promised. He taught me each in sin, each feeling...How to live again, how to live without fear, how to take control...

He taught me how to love.

But he never taught me how to forget.

I walk back into my room and dress quickly, choosing to wear jeans and shirt. I need to show them that I am not scared of anything anymore. Not them, not my father or my mother, not my past or even Simon. While I can’t stop the past from catching me, I can stop it from ruining me. I put my delicate hair up, making it a messy bun.

I grab my bags and head downstairs. Angel sees me and comes rushing over with a drink in hand that spills as she speed walks. I try to ignore her, but it doesn’t work that way. She just follows me calling out my name. I carry my bags out to the front of the palace and place them on the sidewalk.

“Where are you going?” she asks, stopping in front of me.

“I need to get out of here.” I put my bags down and take out a pen from my bag. “Give me your hand,” I say, pulling her hand and turning it palm up. “I need you to call this number and tell them to come and get me.”

I write down the number and throw the pen back in my bag.

“Kat, please tell me what’s going on.” Angel looks at the number then looks at me.

“Please, I will explain later, I promise.” Lie, lie, and lie.

She nods as we both head back into the palace. I head for Hunter’s office where Sailor and Hunter’s loud voices can be heard.

“You ruined everything, you son of a bitch. I was trying to protect her, she is not strong enough for this,” Sailor says.

“Oh come on, Sailor. You knew she would find out soon enough. Your nothing but a gutless fuck, you know that. If you told her the truth, she would have been able to handle it.”

“That’s not your call to make. I have looked after her, I have fed her, and I have shown her our world. It’s me who sleeps with her every night while she has fucking nightmares about her past. You know nothing; all you know is what it feels like to have that fucking dick of yours inside her tight little body.”

I round the corner just as Hunter swings his fist; it connects with Sailor’s jaw and drops him to his knees instantly. I stand there, watching as Hunter grips Sailor’s shirt and brings his face to his, his chest is rising and falling so hard.

“You know nothing, Sailor. You know nothing,” Hunter says, before punching again and again.

I just stand there and watch as my once best friend gets beaten by the man I love. Sailor doesn’t say anything or fight back. He kneels in front of Hunter, submissive to his Master. I’ve never seen Sailor like that, ever.

“Stop,” I command loudly.

Hunter looks up instantly. He stops hitting Sailor, but doesn’t let him go. I walk towards them with pace. When I come chest to chest with Hunter, I reach down and pry his hands of Sailor’s shirt before pushing him away.

“I’m...I’m so fucking sorry. This was never meant to happen,” Sailor says quietly, before he spits blood onto the plush carpet.

“Everything about you is a lie, Sailor. I loved you like nothing else in this world. I trusted you with my life and you broke that. But I know why you did it, and I understand. But, I’m done. I’m done being your prize; I belong to no one, least of all you.” I lean down and kiss his head, before pushing mine over and bringing my heels into his crown jewels. “You do your dealings without me, Sailor. Keep your friends close and enemies closer from now on because you’re going to end up with one hell of a party at your funeral.”

Sailor groans when I finally release the pressure on his package.

I turn to Hunter who is wrapping his hand. His eyes flicked to mine. This man that owned more than my body for weeks now owns the only piece of my heart I would ever give out.

“Why?” I question stepping closer to him.

Hunter doesn’t speak.

He stares at me, his eyes on fire, and his body radiating heat.

I suck in a deep breath and close my eyes to try hold the tears I swore I would never let fall again.

“Kat, I love...”

My eyes fly open at his words.

The warm saltiness falls down my cheeks instantly. I can’t stop them anymore; those emotions aren’t in check and I never know if they will be again. My walls have fallen and I’d be damned if I was going to build them again.

“You fucking lied to me, you son of a bitch.” My hand balls into a fist and a moment’s notice I hit him.

Hard.

Blood drips from his lip before he wipes it away. My heart constricts tightly at the thought of causing him pain like this. Hunter cups his jaw, before turning his gaze back to mine. Tears continue to spill down my cheeks; it burns me like never before. Not only did I love this fucked up man, but also I hated him at the same time. I was now unsure of which was the stronger feeling.

“I guess I deserved that. But, Kat, I need you to know what I feel.” I stopped his furthering words with my hand.

“No, you deserve more than what I just did. I trusted you; I gave you parts of me that no one, not even that piece of shit,” I say pointing to Sailor, “has seen. You lied to me. If you knew, you should have told me.”

“What? And have you run away and get into more trouble? I wanted to protect you, I have done some pretty fucked up shit myself, and Kat, and I wish I had someone there to help me. You know what your problem is? You are too fucking headstrong,” Hunter bites, but steps towards me so we are chest to chest.

His hands come up and cup my face, as mine do his. We stand there staring at each other, holding onto something that is dangerous, broken, and all a lie.

“I love you. You fixed me, and then broke me all over again.” The proximity between us is intoxicating. It’s a magical pull. “Kiss me goddamn it.”

Hunter leans his head to mine. He rubs his nose up and down mine as my breathing accelerates. I lick my lips and wait for the presence of his mouth upon mine; the longer I wait, the longer I worry it won’t come. I close my eyes, as those tears run freely. As I feel them fall, Hunter licks each drop of emotion off my skin.

“Don’t cry. You are stronger than that.” Hunter’s lips meet mine, but only for a moment. “Fight, Kat. Fight for what you want and what you deserve. You’re better than this.”

He kisses me once more; I feel it from my hair to my toes and everywhere in between. It’s raw, it’s passionate, and it’s fucking love.

When he lets me go, he steps away, hiding the person I saw seconds earlier.

“You stay the fuck away from me. Go fuck with someone else’s head and stay the fuck out of mine, Hunter.” Confusion eats me alive and so does temptation and lust.

I can’t believe this is happening again. He was dismissing me. And I’m submitting to him. I’m a submissive to Hunter Ford. Yet to everyone else, I’m a dominating Mistress who takes what she wants. I turn to leave; I needed to get the fuck away from this place. I needed to run like Hunter said in his letter and like he had once warned. Sailor was still curled in a fetal position, cupping his aching balls and retching. I must have aimed just right. As I continued to the door, I saw a picture of the church on Fourth Street. Memories of every sin floored me instantly.

I turned back towards Hunter, I needed to put my guard back up, and regain whom I once was, mixed with whom I want to be. I couldn’t stand to be the broken girl I was before. Hunter had taught me how strong I could be and how I could take on the world.

I noticed Hunter eyeing the same picture, probably thinking the same thing I was.

“You forgot the most important sin.” I smirked, even though my tear stained my face.

“And what was that?” Hunter asked, looking confused.

“Revenge.”

Hunter’s eyes widened.

Recognition registered.

“You know what they say about revenge, Hunter?” I stepped towards him, bravery finally kicking in.