Page 70 of Bound To Me

“Yes, Daddy. I’m sorry,” I whispered into the empty space in front of me.

He exhaled a small laugh and began to slowly slide his hands from my breasts to my pussy. I closed my eyes and was suddenly all too aware of the small device in my ear that was my gateway to Elliott. I let out an involuntary moan as Michael slipped a finger inside of me, undoubtedly feeling how wet I was for him.

He continued as he began to rub my needy clit. “Why did youreallycome back, Jackie?”

My eyes shot open as his fingers moved quickly. “To be yours, Daddy,” I let out my panicked answer.He has no way of knowing—I’ve been so compliant. He’s fucking with you again. Don’t give in.

“I don’t think you’re that stupid,Jacqueline. What have you planned, hm?”

I shook my head as Michael continued to rub me, my climax near despite how scared I was.

“Nothing, Daddy. I tried to make it work with Elliott, but all I could think about was you,” I said in a half-moan. “Having you back in my life just reaffirmed my belief that I was meant to be yours. It’s fate. I love you.” Tears escaped my closed eyes and fell down my cheeks.

Michael suddenly stopped his frantic fingers and took my shoulders, then turned me around to face him. His dark gray eyes peered into mine, searching my face as if it gave away all of my secrets.

“I love you, Daddy,” I cried, reaching for him, but he flinched away and grabbed my hand with his.

He narrowed his eyes and shook his head. “Why?”

I blinked away my tears. “I don’t know,” I answered truthfully. “None of this makes sense, but all I know is that I love you and would do anything for you.”

Jackie from four years ago believed that. Even Jackie from a week ago believed that. I observed as Michael’s eyes shifted from fiery anger to profound sadness. I almost wanted to claw out the small spyware from my ear and drown it in the water, to live only in that moment with Michael forever—with a raw, vulnerable Michael who seemed to be just as torn as I was.

“No one has endured so much from me and still loved me. I can’t say that I’m even capable of loving you back, Jackie. I want to, but all I feel is anger.” His eyes slowly widened as he spoke, as if he had just realized this profound revelation. And my guard began to slowly crack, as if my heart was trying to burst through the hardened shell that I had carefully placed around it, safe from Michael’s reach.

“Why do you feel angry?” I probed, reaching my hand out to his stubbled, chiseled jaw; to my surprise, he didn’t react.

He shook his head, and his eyes were still widened with uncertainty. “I don’t know.”

Fuck. Don’t believe him. Don’t let one moment of vulnerability and softness overshadow years of his cruelty and torment. This is what he always does—he causes you pain and then reels you back in.The anguish and confusion I felt pierced deep into my chest.

“You’veneverloved me?” I knew there was a subtle hint of pain in my voice.

I sat in front of him, our eyes locked, feeling like he was truly listening and hearing me for perhaps the first time ever; it only fueled my doubt and confusion more.

He was silent as he stared at me, his eyes devoid of anger for once. “No.”

I shouldn’t have let his answer hurt me, but it did. The only thing I had wanted for years of my life was for him to love me in return. But perhaps it wasn’t love that I felt for him after all; perhaps it was only an unhealthy obsession and a desperate need for his reciprocation.

“But you’ve loved others?”

I wanted to keep him talking, hoping to find a reason not to go through with my plan.

“I loved Hana,” he responded immediately. “And Charlotte.”

I tilted my head. “Charlotte?”

He quickly averted his gaze, but a smile slowly spread across his lips.

“I found her right after my mum died. She was younger than me, by a few years, and I was instantly obsessed with her. She was the first woman I wanted to tie up, to hurt. I asked her to marry me and she agreed. That’s when I got to experiment—to try what I really wanted.” His sinister gaze landed back on me. “Rope. Handcuffs. My belt. She wasn’t too keen with any of that, though. She called me a monster. And I went easy on her—she had no idea what I was capable of. And shortly after…” He trailed off, looking down at my breasts. “She got pregnant. I was over the fucking moon. But she wasn’t; she wanted an abortion.Justlike fucking Hana.” He shook his head angrily. “It was supposed to be different with Hana.”

I was afraid for him to continue, but I only nodded as tears streamed down my face.

“What happened then?” I hesitantly asked.

His narrowed eyes bore into me with rage. The vulnerable and soft Michael was gone, replaced once again by the Michael I knew so well. It was frightening how quickly he could change.

“Abortion was illegal back then in Ireland, so I wasn’t worried. But she used an excuse to visit family in France to get one behind my back. She called me from France telling me what she had done. We had broken up, and she stayed away from me for months, leaving me to stew in my anger and contemplate all the ways I wanted to get back at her.”

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