Page 37 of Fallen Dane

His hand is around my throat in an instant. His grip is hard enough to make breathing difficult.

“I have never done a goddamn thing to betray you, Whitney.” There is a flash of pain in his eyes, and my heart breaks. “I have tolerated your lies and secrets, and still…”

Whatever he might say, he stops himself. His expression hardens, and the flicker of human emotion is gone.

“Look at the camera and beg me to fuck you.” He points to the black lens in the corner. “Smile for Harrison. Show him how much you love being punished by your husband. Are you sending him the footage from our home? Has he already watched every time I’ve fucked you?”

“Dane, I don’t know.” I moan from the intensity building again. “I just sent whatever files I could find. I can’t think fucking straight right now.”

Another orgasm builds and crashes over me. I cry out, my body jerking against the restraints.

“I’ll answer that for you. You haven’t sent him a goddamn thing. I’ve intercepted everything you’ve tried to send. It wasn’t the smartest move on your part to access my computer, Whitney.”

Shit. Harrison has received none of my emails. It’s only a matter of time before he does something that’s going to put mine and Sloane’s lives in danger. I’m fucked. That’s all there is to it.

“Tell me why you’re doing this.” He doesn’t turn off the vibrator. “Confess, and this stops.”

There’s no way I can tell him what I did. I can’t risk the Council finding out. They’ll execute me, and then who will protect Sloane? Dane will follow Council orders. He said as much already.

Another orgasm hits me. I cry out, my body convulsing in the chair. Everything hurts now. My pussy is swollen and oversensitive. The pleasure has turned to pain.

“Tell me, Whitney.” Dane’s voice breaks through the fog in my brain. “Tell me, and I’ll turn it off. Consider that to be the extent of my kindness.”

I want to. I want to tell him everything. But if I do, he will go to the Council. Especially now, after he knows I’ve betrayed him. I’ve played all of this so very wrong.

So I stay silent and let another orgasm tear through me.

“You’d rather sit here and suffer than trust me with the truth.” His voice is flat now. The repulsion in his expression is almost more than I can bear. “That tells me everything I need to know about this so-called marriage.”

“That’s not fair—”

“Tomorrow night we’re having Sloane and my sons over for a family dinner.” His tone indicates he doesn’t actually consider us a family. “I’m going to tie you to your chair naked just like this, and we’ll continue just as we are now.”

“No.” The word is a sob. “Dane, please. I can’t—”

“Then fucking tell me.”

I have to give him something.

“He’s blackmailing me.” The confession comes out of me. “Harrison is blackmailing me. He has proof of something I did, and he’s using it to make me send him your files.”

Dane turns off the vibrator and pulls it out of me slowly. It leaves an emptiness with it gone, even though I’m grateful it’s over.

“What did you do?” He crosses his arms.

“I can’t tell you that part.” I’m still crying, my body still trembling. “I can’t, Dane. But I swear to you, I was trying to protect Sloane. He’s threatening her. If I tell you what he has, you’ll have to report it to the Council. They’ll execute me. And then who protects my daughter?”

Silence stretches between us.

“That’s not your decision to make.”

“Please.” I have to make him understand. “Please don’t make me tell you. Harrison needs money. He’s hoping to find leverage against you so he can blackmail you into paying him. That’s the truth. Can that please be enough for now?”

He stares at me for a long moment.

“For now.” He tosses the vibrator aside. “But you’re going to tell me eventually, Whitney. One way or another.”

I’m shaking, still trying to catch my breath.