Page 10 of Broken Surrender
I huffed out a breath. If he truly had footage of me burying John, then I had nothing. A chill ran through me. I had killed my husband, and yet this man had pinned me against a wall, once again destroying the power I thought I had. They were all the same, stepping on people like me to get what they wanted, flaunting power when they had none.
True power came from within. And this man had stolen mine.
But I couldn’t let him walk all over me like John and my ex had. I had to get ahead. If I had to kill this man too, then I would do it. I had to outsmart him.
“Lena Dalton,” he said, smiling. “What’s going on in that pretty little head of yours? It’s a pity that your husband wasn’t as smart as you are. But trust me when I say thatI am better than you.”
I narrowed my eyes, seething, and he laughed; my anger was a joke to him. My skin flushed. I lowered my eyes. I could pretend with him too—just like I had done with John—if that’s what it took to get ahead.
“For the foreseeable future, I will train you. Whenever I want. Wherever I want. Whatever I want. You will learn to give yourself to me. Willingly. And you will be mine, Lena Dalton. Completely, and utterly mine.”
“You’re a joke,” I hissed.
“Spread your legs.”
Without thinking, I opened my thighs, and he stepped forward, putting a hand on me. “Already warm,” he said. “Was it killing him that got you off, or is it me, Lena? Knowing that I’ve been watching you. Waiting for you. That I saw this opportunity, and I came to use it.” He put his mouth on my ear. “Does it turn you on to know that you’re mine? That you have absolutely no escape?”
My spine shivered at the touch. He dragged his teeth along my lobe, giving me goosebumps. My body kept reacting, but I told myself that it was because he was disgusting. Because I didn’t want him near me. I closed my eyes, sucking in his spicy scent.
“You’re worse than he is,” I whispered.
“Remember, little puppet,” he grinned, “I’m better than you.” He trailed his hand to my ass, gripping my lace-covered cheeks, then pushed down on the fabric, pressing to my hole. I flinched, drawing away from him, biting my lip.
“You don’t like your ass being played with?” he asked.
I shook my head, holding my breath.
“You have a way out,” he said. He stepped back, giving me space to breathe. I opened my eyes, taking him in. His hands were confident at his sides, like this was nothing to him. He was pure dominance and control. “You can always leave your fate up to law enforcement or the Marked Blooms Syndicate. But trust me when I say that you will be punished justly. Your husband may have been a despicable man. But you, Lena Dalton, are a murderer.”
I snorted at him. Murderer? Did this man see the bruises healing on my face?
“The first time I make you come,” he said, massaging my ass cheeks, my insides melting, though I stayed still, urging myself not to move, “it will be with my cock in your ass. And your pussy will be dripping wet for me. And you will beg for my cock. Your mind will be screaming for me.”
Everything inside of me wanted to tear him apart, to show him how much I hated him, how he had stolen this moment of victory from me. But I couldn’t do anything.
Still, those words flashed in my mind:Do something.
I ran forward, clawing at his eyes, but he quickly grabbed my wrists, pulling them together in front of me, my muscles shaking with pain. He yanked me closer, pushing his erection against my thigh. My pussy clenched. What was wrong with him? What was wrong withme?
“My name is Desmond Callen,” he said, “and from this moment forward, I own you.”
CHAPTER 4
Desmond
The next evening, I had an agenda to fulfill. And when it came to Corinne, the less I saw of her, the better. On the surveillance footage, she paced the basement room, and though I had installed large screens that projected blue skies and grass fields on the walls, she had them powered off.
I unlocked her door, then entered.
“Finishing up my evening cardio,” she said, her cheeks red with heat. “How much fast walking can I do in this room?” She lifted her activity tracker watch. “You know, Leonard even brought me apples today. Can you tell it’s my health day?”
Leonard was the only one in our new house staff I permitted down here. I pulled out a small device, about the size of a button, black and thin.
“I have to go on an errand,” I said. “But I’ll be around.” I handed the device to her. “Click this if you’re in trouble.”
“Or if I’m bored?”
I scowled. “If one of them—”
