Page 19 of Disciplined: His Forbidden Crush

“I only want you to obey,” Rafael replied calmly, not even bothering to look at him.

As the pain intensified, Summer could feel his resistance being chipped away, bit by excruciating bit. And yet, a stubborn fire burned in him, refusing to be extinguished. He would not give in to Rafael, no matter how much it hurt.

Fuck you, Summer thought. I won’t let you win.

He clenched his jaw, steeling himself against the unrelenting pain, determined to outlast whatever torment Rafael had in store for him. But the pain went on, growing steadily worse, and Summer’s resolve stretched thin.

“You asshole, Rafael,” Summer hissed, his legs still trembling from the agony of kneeling on rice. “You’ll pay for this.”

Rafael smirked and shook his head. “Your father gave me the right to do what I see fit to discipline you, Summer. You brought this on yourself.”

Summer bit his lip, trying to ignore the agony in his knees. He couldn’t fathom how his own father would allow this to happen. There must be limits to what Rafael could do, and he wondered just where those boundaries lay. Surely his father wouldn’t condone permanently injuring him or scarring his face. But if Rafael…well. What if Rafael decided to—

A sudden knock at the door startled him. Rafael’s eyes widened, and he pressed a finger to his lips, signaling for silence. Summer strained to hear who was outside.

“Summer, it’s Coco,” came a familiar voice. “Are you in there?”

Rafael drew his gun. It was the same heavy handgun that all Los Hermanos members were issued, and Summer knew first hand how much damage it could do.

“Who is that?” Rafael murmured.

“My friend,” Summer whispered, rice forgotten as he stared at the gun in Rafael’s hand. His breath hitched, fear and anxiety clawing at his throat, making it difficult to swallow. He knew Rafael wouldn’t hesitate to kill Coco if he thought it was necessary.

There was another knock at the door. “Summer?”

“She’s not going to go away,” Summer said desperately.

Rafael gestured for Summer to get up and quickly untied one of his wrists, leaving the other bound. He gripped the rope tightly as he positioned himself behind the door, out of sight.

“Get rid of her,” Rafael whispered harshly, his voice low and dangerous. Summer nodded. He bent to brush the rice from his shins, took a steadying breath, and opened the door, careful not to reveal Rafael lurking behind it.

Coco stood on the doorstep with a confused and concerned expression.

“Hey, Coco,” Summer said, attempting a casual smile. “I wasn’t expecting you.”

“Where have you been?” she asked, concern etched on her face. “You haven’t answered my messages.”

“Uh, sorry, my phone’s busted,” he said, trying to sound casual despite the pounding of his heart. “Everything’s fine though, really.” Coco’s eyes narrowed, clearly not buying his story. But before she could press further, Summer blurted out, “Actually, I’m going out of town for a week or two. Don’t worry about me, okay?”

“Summer, are you sure you’re all right?” Coco asked, her brow furrowed.

“Positive,” he reassured her, his voice strained from the effort of pretending everything was normal. “I’ll see you when I get back.”

She seemed unconvinced, but she smiled tentatively at him. “Okay. I’m glad you’re not sick. Call me when you get back into town, okay? We’ll hang out.”

Summer agreed and then watched his friend turn away. Her footsteps retreated down the hallway, and Summer shut the door with a soft click. The apartment felt eerily silent after her departure. He exhaled slowly, his body trembling as the adrenaline began to dissipate, and stepped away from the door. The tension in the room lifted slightly, but Summer couldn’t shake the lingering fear of what might have happened if he hadn’t managed to send Coco away.

“Good job,” Rafael murmured, a small, approving smile on his lips. For a moment, Summer felt relief that the encounter had ended without incident. He watched Rafael holster his gun, much to his relief. But as he looked down at the rope still binding his wrist, he realized he’d just given up an opportunity.

As the reality of the situation sank in, Summer’s heart clenched with regret. He’d had a chance to signal for help, to escape this torment, but instead, he’d chosen to protect the very man who held him captive.

He would have shot Coco. You couldn’t let that happen.

The despair welled up inside him, threatening to overwhelm him. He was trapped here with Rafael, and he had no idea how he was going to get out.

Chapter Eight

The trouble with Summer was that he had changed, and yet he had not. Rafael found the willful, flamboyant man Summer was now hard to stomach, but he could see beneath this exterior the sweet boy he had once been. And it was good, in a way, to know that Summer had this fire in him. His willful disobedience tested Rafael’s patience, but he couldn’t help but respect Summer for it. Despite the danger he faced for defying his father’s wishes, Summer was unyielding in his determination to be true to himself.

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