“Challenge accepted.” I grabbed for her wrists, but caught the fear in her eyes before she fought back. If putting her over my knee and giving her the spanking she should’ve had growing up would get her to obey me, then I’d take pleasure doing it every day until she learned.

I pulled her to the chair and laid her on my lap before wrapping one arm over her back to hold her in place. She was a wild one and hard to hang on to. When my other hand went under her to unfasten her jeans, it became almost impossible to keep my grip. I hit her once through her jeans.

“You motherfucker!” She jerked around until I did it again.

“This is only going to hurt you more the more you fight.” I got her jeans undone and leaned my side on her as I used both hands to pull the jeans down over her ass. She was lucky she had a thong on or the underwear would’ve gone, too.

“Stop!” She swung her fist back and hit the back of my head. I smacked her ass, causing her to straighten her body from the pain. “Fuck!”

When she went limp and cried, I smacked her again. Her cheeks clenched, but she offered no other reaction than that. I hit her bare ass a third time, but let my hand linger. What I wouldn’t have given to slide my fingers lower and soothe the pain she was feeling. My dick was already hard, but it jumped at that thought.

I continued to rest my hand on her ass until my breathing returned to normal. I started to remove my hand, but looked at her when she whimpered.

“Please, don’t hit me again. I’m sorry. Please.” I looked at her red cheeks when I lifted my hand and looked away when I saw the handprint. I’d lost control. How many times had I actually hit her?

I pulled her pants up and helped her to stand, but she wasn’t very steady. I lifted her into my arms and carried her to the bathroom. I set her down to lean against the counter and started the bath water. I couldn’t look at her when I turned around.

“Maybe soaking will do you some good.” I left, shutting the bathroom door behind me, and never looked back.

* * *

The lights from the car that turned into my driveway had lit up the room. The glass bottle in front of me sparkled with the contents urging me to pick it up. I didn’t know how I managed to resist the urge all night, but the empty glass next to it reminded me what my life would’ve been like had I picked up that bottle. Empty. That wasn’t true. My life was already empty.

I closed my eyes when I heard the door shut and took a deep breath when the footsteps got closer. I could’ve hidden the bottle before he walked in, but I deserved the lecture I was about to get.

“Hey, I’ve been calling you.” Tim walked in and turned the light on. “Why haven’t you answered?” His footsteps quickened as he walked to the coffee table and the slide of the bottle against the table was loud as he grabbed it. He was angry. “What the fuck are you doing?”

I didn’t answer.

“How many of these have you drunk?”

I didn’t answer. I kept my eyes closed and wished him away. He didn’t know what it was like to be an addict or a drunk. He didn’t have the demons I had or the history to know that just a few drinks or hits of whatever was on hand would ease the pain I was feeling. He didn’t know what that was like.

I loved my brother and was happy he never felt the pain I felt to cause those demons, but at the same time he’d never know what I was going through every day. He’d never understand the constant struggle it was to stay clean and sober. He’d never know what it was like to lose control and hurt someone else. I opened my eyes when the bottle landed on my lap.

“Kill yourself if you fucking want to.” He put a gun on the coffee table. “But, do me a favor and do it quicker than that shit will kill you. I can’t grieve for you again every day you fuck yourself up. I need it to be behind me. I need to be past it. I can’t do this anymore!”

I leaned forward and put the bottle back onto the coffee table, ignored the gun, and sat back, closing my eyes. I sat up and grabbed his wrist when he tried to go into my pocket. “What are you doing?”

“She isn’t staying here with you. She isn’t safe with you like this.”

“She stays.” I squeezed his wrist harder. “She stays.”

“Brody, what have you done?”

I shoved him and stood. “I haven’t done anything. I handled a situation is all.”

“A situation that made you go out and buy a bottle of your favorite whiskey.” He looked at my arms. “Did you buy anything else?”

I held my arms out to show no fresh track marks. “No, I haven’t, and you can see I never opened that. Calm down.”

He ran his hands through his hair. “What situation did you have to handle?”

“She was a brat.”

“A brat? A brat!” He scoffed. “How did you handle it?”

I scratched the back of my head. “I spanked her.”

He sat with a heavy sigh and shook his head. “How bad?”

“It’s a spanking. She’ll live.”

“Will you?” He stood and walked toward the bathroom. “How bad and how long ago?”

“It was after lunch.”

I heard him rummaging through the cabinet. “Fuck. It probably won’t help, but I’m taking this up anyway.” He walked out of the bathroom and held a tube up. “Give me the keys.”

“Fuck you.”

“Fuck you, Brody. Give me the fucking keys.”

“She’ll be fine. I told her to soak in the tub.”

“I’ll call him if you don’t give me the fucking keys. She isn’t someone you can fuck with like this.”

“Her daddy doesn’t scare me.”

It took him a few moments to answer, but he lowered his voice and took a step toward me. “No, but buying that bottle proves that you scare you.” He held out his hand. “Give me the keys.”

* * *

I heard the keys in the door and tried to sit up. It hurt too much, so I stood. That hurt, too, but not as much as sitting. I sucked my lips in and bit down to stop the whimper. I grabbed the bedpost for support and held it tighter when I saw it wasn’t the man I’d been dealing with.

“Hey, I’m not going to hurt you.” He held something up and placed it on the table. “I just wanted to give you that and see if you need anything else.”

I shook my head.

“He said it happened at lunchtime. I doubt he’s been back up here. Are you hungry?”

I shook my head again even though I was starved. The mention of food made my stomach rumble, and he smirked.

“I’ll bring something up. You can eat it when you’re ready.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “Uh, this is kind of awkward, but do you need help putting that on?”

I looked at the item he brought in, but I couldn’t tell what it was. It was too far away. I shook my head.

“I’m not sure if it will help or not since it’s been a while, but it might help. Um.” He looked at the table and back to me. “It doesn’t seem like such a big room until you have to walk it.” He picked it up and took a step toward me. “I’m going to put it on the dresser so it’s closer.”

I watched as he did what he said he would before he walked back to the door. He nodded as he walked backward out the door and shut it behind him. The sound of him locking the door allowed me to relax. I was alone again.

The few steps it took to reach the dresser hurt. I appreciated that he thought to bring it closer. I went to the bathroom to apply the ointment he gave me. I would’ve preferred to lie in bed to do it, but he said he was coming back. I didn’t need anyone to see the bruising I had or to witness the rubdown I was about to give myself.

When I came out of the bathroom, he had just walked back in. “I brought a few things that don’t need to be kept cold or warmed up, so you can eat them when you want.” He glanced toward my backside.

I couldn’t believe he was being so nice to me even after I punched him. “I’m sorry I hit you.”

He looked at me. “Apology accepted. I was trying to be friendly and to put your mind at ease, but I would’ve hit me, too.” He glanced at my backside again. “How bad is it?”

“I’ll live.” I walked to the bedpost and held on again. “Where is he?”

“He’s still here, but I’m staying for at least tonight. I’m making it a priority to be around here more. I don’t think he’ll hurt you again, but I’m going to be doing a better job of checking up on him.”

“When can I go home?”

He took a deep breath and shook his head. “That I don’t have an answer for.”

“Can you tell me why I’m here? He said it wasn’t for ransom.”

He shook his head again. “It isn’t, but I can’t tell you why.” He looked at the floor and back up to me. “Just don’t fight with him so much, okay? Do what he says when he says it, and you’ll be fine. I promise. You’ll get to go home soon.”

I didn’t believe him, but I nodded anyway.

* * *

“Come on. Everyone is doing it.” I sat on his lap and wiggled into it. “It isn’t abuse if I beg you to do it.”

“Laney, I don’t want to hit you.” Bryce stroked my face and kissed me.

“You’re not hitting me. You’re spanking me.” I moved and straddled him. “There are a lot of videos on the web that we can look at and research. You’re the one who wanted me to explore porn and what people do. There are many different ways to do it. If you don’t want to use your hand, I’m sure we can find something else.” I unbuckled his belt. “Some people use this.”

He covered my hands. “If I do this, it will be with my hand. I have no way of knowing how hard I hit you with an object.”

I squealed and got off his lap. Whenever he said “if,” he really meant “when.” I was excited to try something new. “Do you want me here or on the bed?”

“You want to do it now?”

“Yes, before you back out.” I took my jeans off.

“You’ve got the balls and everything?”

“Balls?” I tossed my jeans to the sofa and looked at him. “Are you asking if I’m going to follow through? I’m ready when you are, big boy.”

He smiled at the nickname, or maybe it was my innocence showing again. “There are some aides to help women have a better experience with spanking. Some use these balls that vibrate when you’re spanked.”

I smiled. “I don’t have those, but if I like the spanking, we’re getting ourselves a set.”

I pulled my underwear off, tossed it to the jeans, and watched his pants as his erection grew. I was happy to see that since I’d heard the best part of being spanked was the sex immediately after.

I took a deep breath and lay across his lap. It was a little awkward to get the position right. My ribs bothered me until I found the perfect spot. I took another deep breath and let it out. “Okay. Go.”

“I’m not really sure it works like that.”

“What else is there to do?” I gasped when he brushed his fingers up between my legs. “Oh, I like that.”

He smacked me, but it didn’t hurt. I bit my bottom lip so I didn’t laugh, but he felt the chuckle with my torso against his legs.

“Do you think this is funny?”

I hung my head down and touched the floor with my fingers as I laughed out loud. “Yes, I do.” He hit me harder. “Oh God.” I clenched not only my ass but my vagina, too. “Do it again.”

Before I’d gotten it out, he hit me. “I can’t believe I’m enjoying this.” He hit me again. “But, I believe you’re enjoying it a little more.” Again.

I was breathless and a little sore. “It’s a different feeling for sure, but how long is this supposed to last before we get to the wild sex?”

He hit me one more time, making me scream before he hoisted me over his shoulder and carried me to the bedroom. He got a few more smacks in on the way, but nothing that hurt. I laughed the entire way until he flung me onto the bed and joined me.