Page 65 of Consequences
“And yet, what happens now that you’re with the heir of the Amatos? If he gives an order that is contradictory to mine, what do you say? Since youlovehim…” Il Padrone’s emphasis onlovetears me in two.
“I—” Words fail me, and he knows it. Instead, he switches his attention to Benjamin, and I brace myself for what’s to come.
“Pick up the flogger. I want you to start. I’ll let you know when to stop. And no warm up this time.” I wait for the lick of pain, the heat I know is coming, but nothing happens. Time stretches on before Il Padrone says, with deceptive calmness, “Are you disobeying me, Benjamin?”
Fuck.Come on, Benjamin. Don’t make this worse for yourself, Little Mouse. I can take it.The words want to burst out, but I shove them down. Knowing I can’t speak kills me.
I hear Benjamin take a shaky inhale before the first sting of fire hits me. I bite back the curses, not wanting to make it harder on him, but fuck, he’s listening to Il Padrone and isn't holding back.
Finally, the pain breaks through and I can’t hold it back. “Fuck!”
Benjamin drops the flogger. The clatter echoes loudly around the room, his rough breathing the only counterpoint to it. Fuck, I wish I could wrap him in my arms and reassure him.
“I did not give you permission to stop.” I shiver at Il Padrone’s icy tone. It’s not even directed at me, but I know not to fuck with him when he’s in this mood.
“I…I can’t. Please, Padrone. Please,” Benjamin whimpers, and I struggle against the bindings, needing to get to him. Fuck this.
Il Padrone reaches out and grabs my throat, squeezing until I become pliant.Fuck.
“Tired of being Jax? Of pushing your will on others?” Il Padrone lashes out. Benjamin stays silent. I may love Il Padrone in a twisted way—after all, he made me—but right now? Right now, I hate him. To compare Benjamin to the psychopath who held us captive and tortured us…
“Please, Padrone. I’m sorry. You’re right. I shouldn’t have crossed the lines I did.”
“And yet you don’t regret it, do you?” Il Padrone asks calmly.
The silence is almost overwhelming before Benjamin says, “I…I don’t know. I don’t know anything anymore.”
Il Padrone grunts in acceptance. Whether it's in agreement or not, who the fuck knows. “If you don’t want to continue,I’ll give mercy—once again. Instead, you can prove your loyalty another way.”
“How?” Benjamin asks quietly, and even I fear the answer.
Chuckling, Il Padrone says, “Prove that you’re still a Martelli. Connect with each other. Show that you respect each other.”
I swallow hard. I know what he’s asking, and I’m sure Benjamin does as well. He’s not talking about having coffee together. No, he’s insisting we have sex, to show we trust each other with that vulnerability. For Benjamin, who never went through the process like us other Boys did, it's twisted, but fuck knows I understand why he's insisting on it. Especially given the way Benjamin engaged with Tennant before breaking up with me.
“Here? With you watching?” I wonder if I should be insulted at the horror in Benjamin’s voice, but set it aside. It’s a fucked up situation.
“Feeling shy?” Il Padrone laughs. “I know better than that. I heard about the tape with Tennant. But…if you want, I’ll let you have the room to yourselves.”
Of course, he would. He’s got cameras up. Whether Benjamin remembers that or not…
“Please, Padrone…”
I don’t know what he’s begging for, and hell, I don’t think he does either. All I can do is wait to find out if he’s decided the horror of having sex with me is worse than striking me.
Something must pass between Padrone and Benjamin because my bindings are finally released. I scramble to stand, shuffling around to face Benjamin. My heart stops as I take him in. His body is trembling, his eyes are red, and there's such a confused, lost expression on his face, it makes me sick to my stomach.
Il Padrone wakes Lio up and nudges him from the bed, leaving it available for us. I swallow hard as I look at Benjamin.He shifts awkwardly, his gaze moving from me to the bed, and then back again. I barely hear Il Padrone and Lio leave.
Stepping forward, I cup Benjamin’s cheek. Ducking down, I brush my lips against his, before pulling back to study him carefully. “Little Mouse, it’s alright. It’s you and me. Tennant would understand.”
With a short laugh, Benjamin shakes his head. “I’m not worried about that. I know he would. It’s just…”
“Weird?” I give him a lopsided smile, the kind I know used to relax him. Thank fuck it still does, even if it’s not fully. His shoulders lose some of the stiffness, and his face isn’t screwed up as tightly.
“Yeah. That.” He touches my cheek, concern shining from his eyes. “Will you…?”
“I’ll be alright, Little Mouse.”
