Page 2 of Einar

Ican hold on and survive now thatRubyknows about the bruises.She’llcome to my rescue, just like she always has.She’smy big sister and has always looked out for me.EvenwhenI’mthe one responsible for landing myself in this mess.

Roberthasn’t said a word since he grabbed me, but then he never does until he gets me to hisplayroom.

He’saUnitedStatesSenatorand makes sure that none of his perversions become common knowledge.Robertknows that he wouldn’t survive the scandal his…preferencesentail.Themansion we live in employees a large staff that are in and out of various locations all day, so he had a special room made to indulge in his vices.

Muchto my dismay, if only one person in this godforsaken house was trustworthy and not terrified of my husband,Imight have been able to escape without involving my precious sister.

Theclicking sound of the latch on the hidden door at the back of our closet makes me flinch.Whichin turn, causes the hand in my hair to tighten and twist, brutally pulling and forcing my face up so he can see the expression written there.Mygaze drifts over his face, wondering how something so handsome can be so evil.HisclassicalRomanesquefeatures, dark brown eyes and dark hair dusted with silver at the temples hid so much.

So.Very.Much.

“Isee that talking to your sister has revived some of your spirit.Idon’t know whether to allow you to speak to her more, soIcan have the pleasure of breaking you all over again, or to forbid you from doing it anymore, as your disobedience vexes me greatly.HaveInot given you everything a woman could ever want?HaveInot taken years to painstakingly train you to be the perfect wife and toy?”Hisicy words rip into me, cutting at the fraying edges of my mind.It’salways far worse for me when his words are slow and measured versus his normal, loud outbursts of rage.

Hedrags me the rest of the way into the playroom and throws me against theSt.Andrewscross positioned in the middle of the floor.Painexplodes in my shoulder where my body hits the hard surface of the disgusting sex toy.Takingslow measured breaths,Iforce myself to breathe through the pain, wishing it … all of this away.Nevertheless,Iknow it’s only the beginning.

“Strip!”

Hisharsh words make me flinch, butIdon’t hesitate to begin removing my clothes, closing my eyes asIdo.

Oncenaked,Iraise my arms and spread my legs, assuming the positionI’vetaken many, many times before.

Ashe securely fastens the cuffs around my wrist and ankles,Iallow my consciousness to drift into that gray, in-between place.It’sthe only thing that has saved me from completely losing my grip on reality.

Thefirst strike of the cane against my shins comes as a shock.Thepain emanating from the strike flows across my mind, attacking it and feeling like shards of glass have been shoved into my skull.

“Youwill thank me for being a good husband and taking time out of my exceptionally busy schedule to remind you of all the thingsIdo for you.Howlucky you are to have such a loving man at your beck and call.”

Hesneers before backhanding me across the face so hard my head snaps to the side.Thesensation of wetness trickling down my chin tells me that he’s busted one or both of my lips again.It’sa small wonder he’s never knocked any of my teeth out.

Secondslater, he grabs my cheek roughly, running his fingers through the blood dripping from the corner of my mouth. “Oh, my dear wife, howIlove this look on you.”Iclose my eyes as those words flow through my mind. ‘Godhelp me’ is allIcan think when he rears back, slapping me again.Hislaughter is allIhear as dark spots appear before my eye starts to swell shut.Hekeeps asking me something, but with the ringing in my earsIcan’t hear him.Thisdisobedience just enrages him further andIbecome nothing but a human punching bag.ButRobertis smart about my so-called punishments.Hehas learned through trial and error just how hard to hit me without doing permanent damage.Althoughhis last punch to my side has me moaning aloud; a rare soundInever allow myself to make whenIfeel something crack.

Tearsstreak down my face, blurring his handsome outline in front of me.Cussing,Ihear him pick up the discarded cane and brace myself for what’s next.Thecane whistles through the air, an ominous foretelling of the painI’mabout to feel.Thethrobbing in my shin is a pale echo of the suffering yet to come.Robertcontinues to rain strikes down upon my body, never striking the same place twice, and after every impact of the cane, he stops just long enough to demand the humility of my words.

“Thankyou, husband.”

ChapterTwo

ROWAN

WednesdaydawnsandIcan barely move.Infact, any movement, no matter how small, sends shards of pain all over my entire body.

Iraise my head and look around.I’mstill in the playroom, butRobertdidn’t leave me tied to theSt.Andrewscross this time.AfterIpassed out from the pain, he must have unbuckled the restraints and let me fall to the ground.It’sobvious he left me whereIlanded, sinceI’mlying in a small pool of my own blood.Breathingis difficult, but that has become the norm, asIfelt more than one rib crack while he was hitting me in the torso.

Atleast…

Hedidn’t leave me trapped on the platform.It’shard to recall how many times he’s forced me to come-to while still strapped to that torture device.

Slowly,Iease into a sitting position, panting through the pain in short, sharp little breaths, sinceIliterally can’t take a deep one.Fearslices into me becauseIknowRobertwon’t take me to the hospital because of my ribs.

Pausing,Iforce myself to calm down and assess the state of my body.Freakingout won’t fix anything and will only waste my time.Ifthere’s anythingIlearned from my mother, it was that breaking down never solved anything.Withthe lifeIlead, ifIhad a weak mind,Iwould’ve been dead a long time ago.

Methodically,Irun my fingertips along the sections of my ribs that sustained the most damage while forcing myself to take small, even breaths.I’vehad cracked ribs before, soIknow what that feels like, from the inside and out.Ifeel an inkling amount of relief when my inhales don’t result in a dry, hacking cough, my heart racing, or cause me to be overly short of breath.Mylungs have become weakened from years of asthma attacks, as well as these regular beatings from my husband.

Dueto my asthma,Imust be exceptionally careful.Mylack of an immune system means thatI’mat a higher risk of infection.

Bracingmyself,Iforce myself to stand, muffling the groans that result from my body protesting any movement.Idesperately need a hot shower.Thecongealed blood on my face is grotesque and the heat will alleviate some of the tightness in my body.Ittakes me far longer than it should to shuffle my way out of the playroom, through the closet, across the bedroom, and into our opulent bathroom.

Foronce,I’mgladI’mstill nude.IdoubtI’dhave the strength to get any clothes off in my current state.Iease into the stall and sit on the seat built into the wall.Ifiddle with the controls until the water is steaming hot and hitting me in all the right places.Thesole boonRobertgranted me last night is that he didn’t rape me before, during, or after my punishment.Alack of vaginal pain tells meIwas spared that particular wifely chore.

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