Page 124 of Claimed
“Am I?”
“Yes.”
“But you were abadgirl. How else will I make sure you end up being agoodgirl?”
I shivered. “I swear I won’t hit you again in front of everyone—”
“I believe you, but that is not enough, Princess.”
“You said you would kill my friend—”
“And I meant it.”
My hand itched to slap him again.
He glanced at my fingers as if knowing their intentions too. “You don’t like when I threaten your friends?”
“No. I fucking don’t. And I damn sure don’t like when you think you can take ballet away from me—”
“I’m not taking it away. I’m just changing the location—”
“I will still dance in the ballet—”
“You will not.” Gianni lunged at me.
My instincts screamed at me to run, to get off the bed, to do anything to avoid whatever was coming. But as I scrambled back, trying to slip off the edge of the bed, his hand shot out like a viper striking its prey.
“No!” I gasped, twisting my body to the side in a desperate attempt to dodge him. My heart pounded so violently that it drowned out all other sounds, except for the blood rushing in my ears.
Gianni was so damned fast.
His fingers clamped around my wrist.
I kicked at his leg.
He blocked it with his arm and yanked me back onto the bed with a force that left me breathless.
The silk bedding rustled beneath us.
More panic surged through me.
“Get off me!” I thrashed in his hold, kicking out wildly, but he was a mountain of muscle, and I was nothing more than a leaf in a fucking storm.
“Gianni, stop!” My voice cracked as I fought against him.
In one swift motion, he raised my arms over my head.
Soon, the cold leather of his belt wrapped around my wrists.
I gasped, the realization of what he was doing sending a fresh wave of fear through me.
“No, no, no—please!” I wriggled from side to side as that belt tightened, pinning my wrists together with a final, secure tug.
Gianni didn’t stop there.
Next, he looped the other end of the belt around one of the ornate ivory spokes of the grand king-sized bed. The beltstretched taut, further pulling my arms above my head and tethering me in place.
I tugged against the restraint and the leather bit into my skin.
