S omewhere between Kelly roping me and stretching my anus I found my escape, finally breaking down and telling him everything .

Rolling my eyes back to the blank sheet of paper on the nightstand, I debated my repercussions .

Kelly had a simple request. And I could have easily jotted it down with the black pen that sat diagonally across the paper. But I wasn’t even sure I knew the correct answer to the one detail I purposely left out of my story .

My body had since cooled as I lay staring up at the ceiling, exhausted .

Kelly had dried my well of orgasms and my legs were still jelly. Pulling my sweaty hair off my forehead, I giggled with pleasant memories of the different ways Kelly filled my orifices .

Closing my eyes, I rolled gently onto my side, curling into a fetal position .

My head spun. Kelly’s salty taste still lingered on my taste buds, leaving me intoxicated on him. Smiling, I remembered how he stuck his fingers into my mouth, forcing me to taste myself on him. It had turned me on then but did little to prepare me for what he did next .

Reaching behind me, I touched my anus tenderly. Flashbacks to the intense burning sensation of when Kelly worked a plug past the tight muscle was a feeling like no other—something I wouldn’t forget. But when combined with his cock thrusting into my pussy, I couldn’t hold back. I wanted him to know, needed him to finish, so that it would stop .

Screaming my secrets into the air, I finally admitted, “I’m making deliveries for Madam .”

Tucking my chin deeper into my chest, I listened to the faint beat of my heart, counting off a minute, recollecting the events that eventually led me to be here, alone in bed, left with only my thoughts .

I could still feel the sharp pang of Kelly’s fingers digging into my flesh when he stopped everything. Stunned at what I told him, Kelly froze .

No longer pummeling me with his hardness, I was afraid of the box I may have unintentionally opened. Though he was still hard and inside me, my jaw hung open, panting through his throbs pulsing against my inside walls .

And I would be lying if I said I wasn’t afraid there was a chance he would hang me out to dry, leave me tied up, unable to move and free myself after he spent over an hour violating my most intimate places—many areas of my body I reserved for only myself .

Breathing through the pain, blinking away the stars, I panted, “That’s how I found out. When I saw Timothy. He was there .”

The details of who Timothy was with didn’t matter. Nor did the fact that he had the front of his pants open. I knew what I’d seen, understood what was happening, and my gut told me that what I admitted to Kelly was the truth .

Timothy Parker was conspiring to bring down Kelly Black with Madam .

I sighed and opened my eyes .

Holding my wrists in front of my face, I studied the marks left behind. The red lines and chaffed areas of raw skin were like an ancient script telling the stories of an underground world I was now officially a part of .

The corners of my mouth curved into a satisfied grin as my chest filled with pride .

In that moment of thrashing against the restraints—feeling the rope digging and cutting into my flesh—I fully committed to trusting Kelly with my life. I let him rocket me out of this atmosphere, taking me into another world where stars filled my vision. Then, just when I was about to explode, he withdrew, turned off the engines, and let me free-fall back to earth .

Sucking in a fresh breath of air, a weight had been lifted off of me .

I felt cleansed .

I felt free .

And in that moment, I knew what Kelly meant when he told me, “Control your mind. Control your life.” Because after that, I finally found my escape—the escape I had been looking for but didn’t know where to find .

Reaching to my neck, I thought of being collared, thought how much this pain and pleasure had gotten to me. I couldn’t deny the attraction, the draw—the high . Like an addict, I knew I was hooked .

But when I glanced at the blank sheet of paper, still waiting for my answer, my forehead wrinkled and I felt trapped .

I couldn’t tell him the exact locations of my deliveries. Not because I didn’t think he should know, but because they were changing. I didn’t know the answer—didn’t have anything to add to what I had already told him .

Flopping onto my back, I hugged my knees to my chest .

Not only did I feel weak and exhausted, but every bone and joint in my body was sore. Including my vagina .

And strangely enough, my thoughts had never been clearer .

Kelly would have to accept the information I knew, the story I’d already told him .

Closing my eyes, I brought my arm close to my nose. The scents of rosemary and eucalyptus overloaded my senses. And with each inhale, the more alive my memories of Kelly working the essential oils into my chaffed areas became .

After he succumbed to his own release, everything about him changed. From the color in his eye to the relaxation of every muscle in his body. In seconds, he’d gone from aggressor to defender and I couldn’t escape the warm feelings swirling around my heart as I watched him tenderly address the inflamed areas of my body, smoothing away the evidence, breathing life back into those very same areas afflicted by his passionate assault .

Despite the cuts, and in spite of the bruises, I was left with only feelings of love .

Over and over I replayed the evening. And as more images of him flashed behind my lids, the more I was being turned on all over again .

I was thirsty for more. More of what he’d already given. It was a thirst that would be hard to quench. I knew it, and I was sure he did, too. This was only the beginning .

Flinging my arm out to the side, I reached for a pillow. Snatching it between my fingers, I lifted it off the bed, bringing it over my face. I laughed into it uncontrollably and didn’t stop .

Feeling anxious, I was already experiencing withdrawal .

With the creak of a nearby floorboard, I flung the pillow off to the side, my heartrate flying through the roof. My eyelids flickered open, quickly finding Kelly standing over me. He was showered and dressed, looking handsome and irresistible in his pressed collared maroon shirt with dark gray slacks .

Feeling inadequate and a little bit lazy, I pulled the angel-white satin sheets around my body, wrapping my naked chest up into a silky soft burrito .

Kelly was methodical with his movements, taking his time to roll up his cuffs to expose his muscular forearms .

My nipples tightened at the sight and I wondered what it would take to get him out of his clothes and have his way with me again .

He glanced at the nightstand and I knew what was on his mind. When his eyes found their way back to me, his pupils dilated .

Hoping that blank piece of paper would be enough to make him want to punish me, I asked, “Where are you going ?”

Breaking eye contact, I watched his lips flatten into a tight line .

My mind raced to speculate his intention. From the way he kept glancing over at the nightstand, I knew he’d been hoping for some sense of direction by the time he returned .

Perching myself up on one elbow, I angled my body to Kelly. “Look, if the Madam finds out that I told you about the deliveries — ”

“—she won’t .”

“Then come back to bed.” My voice was soft, submissive .

He lifted his head, glanced to the door, then turned to sit on the edge of the bed. Rubbing his freshly shaven face inside his hand, he leaned forward with his elbows on his knees, clearly deep in thought .

Extending my arm, I reached out and touched him. A jolt of electricity shot down my arm, shocking my core with his radiating strength .

Lifting his head, he asked, “What are you delivering for her, anyway ?”

Shifting my eyes across the room, I murmured, “I don’t know .”

I felt his back muscles tighten beneath his shirt. I hoped I sounded convincing. Because I didn’t have it in me to tell Kelly that I knew Madam was transferring massive sums of money to a shady character like Emmanuel. My situation was already dangerous—an excitement I found invigorating—and those choices were my own, decided upon way before Kelly ever came into my life .

“And you can’t tell me where you make the drops, either?” His spine twisted as he glanced over his shoulder .

Fixing his gaze on me, I felt my breath catch somewhere between my chest and mouth. Swallowing down the temptation to come clean and tell him the past locations, I said, “What are you planning to do ?”

He quirked a brow .

“Who will you go after first? Madam or Parker ?”

His eyes danced with mine and there was a glimmer in the corner that made me guess who it would be .

“Kelly.” I sighed. “Don’t do anything stupid by going after Parker .”

He didn’t flinch. Didn’t bat an eye. And I knew then that Parker was the last person on his mind. “Shit, Kelly, no .”

When he nodded, I knew I was right .

“You’re going after Nash, aren’t you ?”

He held my eye for a minute before finally breaking away. “All the signs point to Nash being the killer.” Reaching out, he stole my wrist and lifted it up for both of us to see. “Both Maria and Sylvia had identical marks .”

Inside I crumbled .

The marks I requested were for me to know what to look out for on Alex—to prevent something happening to her. The last thing I wanted was to be reminded of how a dead woman had also received similar bruises from activities I was now turned on by .

Closing my eyes, I worked to control my mind .

We were in this together now, whether we liked it or not. What Kelly did affected me, and vice versa. It was important I reminded myself of this—reminded him that I was his and he was mine. Beyond the contract. It was important we trusted each other to the highest degree .

“Bella, ” he pressed his hand to the side of my face, stroking my cheek with his thumb, “everything points to him .”

My blood pressure spiked despite my constant attempts to calm my racing heart .

“And that also includes the pattern he has of dating interns .”

My brows pinched as I thought about Alex. I hated that we weren’t talking to each other. This wasn’t like us to go more than a day without saying we were sorry, laughing our mistakes off. And it hurt knowing that Kelly was right—right about Alex fitting the same deadly pattern as Maria .

“You have the marks now.” Kelly dropped his hand from my face and began tracing the lines on my arm from where the rope had tied me to the trestle. “It’s up to you to tell me if Alex has them, too .”

Licking my lips, I kept my gaze focused on Kelly’s index finger moving across my arm. “You can’t let this go, can you ?”

Kelly lifted my hand to his mouth, peppering gentle kisses over each one of my knuckles. “I can’t. If Alex has gone to Mint with Nash then it’s only a matter of time—” His brows pinched as he frowned .

He didn’t have to finish his thought. My mind was already there. I knew exactly what he was going to say and understood the implications .

Kelly continued tracing the marks on my body, left behind like a tattoo inked into my skin. I couldn’t wait to see Alex’s face when I showed her what I’d done. I was initiated, and like any rite of passage there was no going back .

But, knowing Alex, I sincerely doubted she would be as turned on by getting bound and hit as much as I was. She was a sweet thing, and not anything like the feral monster that hid inside of me. Once damaged goods, always damaged goods. And that just wasn’t Alex. It was me. That was why it was so hard for me to believe Nash had found a way to convince her to be his submissive .

“Alex isn’t anything like me.” I lifted my gaze to Kelly. “She isn’t into this sort of thing .”

“But you’re not certain .”

Dropping my gaze away from his, I shook my head. “There’s a chance .”

Hooking his finger beneath my chin, Kelly brought my eyes back to him. “Find out. Let’s know for sure. Time is running out.” He twisted toward the nightstand and picked up my cell phone. “Call her.” He handed it to me. “Take her out .”

“What? Now?” I stared at the screen, thinking back to when Alex told me Nash started acting weird after Kelly’s last visit. “It’s late .”

Kelly nodded .

“And do what ?”

“Anything. Just get her away from Nash .”

My pulse slowed to a crawl. “So you can do what ?”

His pupils shrank to the size of pin heads. “It’s time he and I have another little talk .”