Even if he couldn’t bring himself to go as far as he’d wanted, a deep impression had been made in her. He could see it. He could feel it on the shift of the air they both breathed in this dark, dank space. She had no idea how much worse it could have gotten if he was a different kind of man. She should be grateful she belonged to him and not Brian. Brian should never have unfettered control of a girl of his own. That could never go well.
“You can’t lie to me, kiska. I won’t have it. Do you understand?”
“Yes, Master.” It was barely above a whisper, but he heard it.
“You made a deal with me for your sister’s freedom and her financial security. I expect you to honor your end of our bargain. I already made arrangements with her school and called to have the apartment bill as well as her credit card bill and the water and electric sent to me. I gave her an allowance for the month and will continue to give her an allowance each month so she can have all the things she needs as well as some things she just wants. I will let you speak with her every day. I’m doing all I promised. But it comes with a price which you agreed to, a price you begged me to let you pay.”
“I know.”
“Do you?”
Anton put away the items that had been brought out of the box. Brian would have a fit if any of his dungeon rooms were left in disorder. When the room was back the way it had started, he inspected the welts.
Maybe he should have punished her the first time himself, but he’d wanted to watch her reactions, and he couldn’t do that standing behind her. He ran his fingertips over the welts. Brian had laid them in even careful lines across both her thighs and ass. They were perfect, like a well-trained artist’s brush strokes.
Her skin hadn’t been broken. Anton didn’t want her skin broken. At least not for now. He’d been sure she would tell the truth with the threat of a knife at her back. The one answer she’d given that he hadn’t been sure about, he’d thought about it so long because it had become as much about if he wanted to cross this line with her so soon as it was about whether she was telling the truth.
Anton untied her wrists and legs and caught her when she fell back into his arms. He carried her out of the cell and up to his room on the third floor by way of the elevator. She hadn’t spoken for a long time. He didn’t know if she was lost inside her own head or too upset or too scared. What if he’d already ruined things with her?
This was entirely new territory.
He laid her across the bed on her stomach. “Don’t move.”
She didn’t reply. He wondered if he should punish or reprimand her for that, but he decided to let it go. Unless he was willing to truly break her, if he pushed her any harder right now, he might destroy anything they could otherwise have.
Anton searched through the cabinets in the bathroom until he found the first aid kit. When he returned, she was still lying on the bed exactly where he’d left her. Silent tears moved down her cheeks, and her eyes were closed.
She jumped when he touched her lower back.
“Shhh, pet. I’m just going to put a cream on these welts to take the sting out.”
She relaxed again as he smoothed the cream across each thick rectangular mark. When he was finished he ran his fingers gently through her hair. His gaze drifted to a small table near the door. The table held a large black box with a silver satin ribbon and a small white square card tucked inside an equally small linen envelope. Annette hadn’t noticed it.
He’d gotten Janette’s help shopping for her sister. It had been an opportunity to observe her and at least get her tentative agreement to the arrangement. Spending the rest of the morning together had at least broken down some of Janette’s resistance. It was part of why he wanted her working at Dome. The more she was around him, the less likely she’d think her sister was in grave danger.
He’d brought the wrapped box as well as some other bags up to his room just before going down to the pool to find Annette. He hadn’t wanted to start like this with her. He’d wanted to romance her a bit, woo her, make her love him so that when she fully understood the chains wrapped around her heart and mind, she would welcome them.
“Kiska, do you like the ballet?”
The question startled her out of her crying. “What?”
Anton wiped the tears off her face. “The ballet. Do you enjoy it?”
“I-I’ve never gone before. I saw the Nutcracker on TV once, and I liked that.”
“Good. We’re going to see Giselle.” Anton got off the bed and crossed to the wrapped package. He placed it on the edge of the bed. “Get dressed. We’ll eat on the plane.”
“Now?”
“Yes, now.” He went to the large walk-in closet to select a suit. All of his suits were black or navy or a dark charcoal gray. He chose a black suit, gray linen shirt, and black silk tie. When he finished dressing, he went back into the main suite to find Annette had gotten herself together and was dressed in the stunning black floor length gown. It featured a short skirt underneath and then many long thin wispy layers of fabric layered on top of one another. Silver flecks were embedded in the black strips and it caused her to shimmer when she moved.
The gown had a plunging neckline that did her every favor in the world. A diamond necklace and bracelet and glittery silver shoes, completed the look.
Anton had friends in the St. Petersburg Ballet. They were performing in New York and had gotten him a box for the show. He normally traveled farther to see them. It was a novelty to have them so close to home—a relatively short ride on the jet.
“How did you know my sizes?”
“Your sister told me today. There are a few other bags in the closet where you’ll find other things in your size for around the house. She helped me shop.”
“Oh.” She looked down at her hands and then finally back up at him again. “Why are you being so nice? I thought you were mad at me.”
“I was. But we have tickets. I told you I didn’t want to start your training with punishment.”
“Okay, but we can’t go to the ballet.”
Anton felt an eyebrow arch up at this proclamation. “We can’t? That’s funny. I thought I was in charge.”
A shadow of fear fell over her face, and she quickly backtracked. “I-I meant you can’t take me out. What if I try to get away? And also… this.” She held up her diamond-free wrist, the one with the metal cuff that kept her inside the perimeter.
Anton crossed the room and input a code. The silver metal band sprang open and dropped to the floor. “You won’t try to escape or draw attention because me and the guys know where your sister lives. And I don’t believe you are that stupid. Are you that stupid, kiska?”
She shook her head quickly.
“That’s what I thought.”
“I don’t have any makeup. I can’t go to the ballet like this.”
“You should find some downstairs in the spa. All brand new. Go fix your face, and then we’ll go. And Annette?”
“Y-yes, Master?”
“My friends are well aware of my… proclivities. So you will address me properly in front of them. And you will call my male friends, Sir. Is that clear?”
“Yes, Master.”
“Good girl.”