Page 47 of Killer Bones

He kisses my temple. “This is to be your collar from now on.”

I put my hand up and feel his forearm slide past, the hairs, his size, his taut muscles emphasize his masculinity. I want to wake next to him forever. The difference between how he treats me now and that fisting on the boat is remarkable.

We both know I’d not be able to take that much barely restrained aggression without breaking. We’ve discussed this more than once.

The man can be caring and tender. I saw that on Bloodbath Day.

He can also be scary.

“You’re okay with whatever I choose to do to you, tonight?”

This sounds ill-omened but I nod. “Yes. I’m happy.” Why is my heart racing?

I do have a safeword to use if I have to, but the fun in this is just to let him do to me whatever he wants to. He knows what kinks I detest, and we have set up boundaries. On the boat, in the middle of that chaotic tragedy, I would never have thought we would be here, doing this.

However, these guests are uber-rich and probably arrogant as fuck, and I do fleetingly wonder if he’s going to go OTT to impress someone.

“Good. I’m going to ignore you if you scream no or kick me. Make that, I will punish kicking severely, but please do try.”

Oh my. Do I dare to kick him? Adding it to my maybes. He stares from under his brow. I nod.

“Happiness is good, because the present is special.”

“My list?” I ask hopefully.

“No. I looked at that but chose something off-list. You’ll adore it. Stand up.”

A woman sweeps by with another woman crawling after her…and she’s naked apart from a red lace micro-bra, crotchless panties, and a few tattoos. Or are those brands?

Fuck. They are. That’s a freshly scorched brand on her ass and a smaller one at her shoulder. A horse-style bit gag is in her mouth, and as she sways by, I see her pussy lips have been sewn together.

Ohhh crap. What have I volunteered for?

Adelmo has seen her too.

“Well now. Something to aspire to?”

“No?” I squeak.

He laughs in that wicked manner I’ve come to tremble at…while excitement secretly threads my veins.

He can be tender. He can be cruel. His sadism matches my masochism like a hand in a glove.

But…his kinky-fuckery imagination hits the extremes some days.

“Let’s see what I can do to you that’s new and still make you come.”

He clicks a black leash to my collar.

“Crawl for me.”

I lower myself to the ornate tiles then crawl after him as he strolls deeper into the house.

We pass room after room before he pauses outside a pair of latched-open doors. Inside is a small dining area, half-filled with patrons. The lighting is dim. Knives and forks clink against plates, and the murmur of voices seems normal until a scream cuts the air. No one stills. No one pauses in their eating. On the stage at the rear, people are doing something I cannot quite see.

When we step inside, Adelmo unslings his fake sword, takes mine, and props them inside the door. He unclips my leash. It is only then that I see the gorgeous woman parked in the shadows near the left-hand door. She is utterly naked, gagged. And, somehow, she is hanging on the wall with her legs folded and her knees strapped to her stomach.

Her hands are bound in leather cuffs and hooked on the wall above her head.