Chapter Six

Her pussy throbbed with the memory of the previous night, nipples equally tender. There wasn't a part of her that wasn't aching from her captor's torment. She was curled up in her bed, wrapped in the blanket that was increasingly becoming an object of comfort for her. There were so few of those in this place. She would take what she could get.

While it was a relief to know she could at least have the normalcy of coffee, she wished it was from the little cafe she liked to frequent. There, she had made plans to travel abroad before graduate school, dreaming of the misted mountains and far-reaching forests that awaited her in Europe. Now, that was a fading aspiration.

Bunny briefly wondered if there was a point in holding onto the promise of rescue. As the hours passed, she could feel herself becoming listless with the loss of hope.

Why was he doing this? It was clear Demetrius could have anybody he wanted. She imagined a sea of women were likely falling over themselves for his attention. He was clearly wealthy and though she was loathe to admit it, astonishingly attractive.

But musing over his lack of a consensual love life wasn't how she intended to spend her day. She wanted to thoroughly investigate her spacious surroundings and familiarize herself with any routes of escape she could find.

Standing on shaking legs, Bunny winced as the cool air puckered her nipples. The rule she hated most of all was his insistence on her nudity. It left her feeling unbearably exposed.

Bunny knew it was an effort to break her further. It was obvious that his ultimate goal was turning her into an ideal fuck toy for him to use and abuse as he saw fit.

The worst part was how in line with her fantasies this was. Bunny had plenty of time to think this morning when she woke up. She had realized with a dawning horror that this was exactly what she used to think about when she masturbated. Her fingers would circle her swollen clit as she imagined complete domination.

She'd come hard to the idea of a collar and a simple life free of responsibility, unrestrained for once in her sexuality as she explored the burgeoning depths of darkness in her fantasies. Her therapist had told her this was normal for trauma survivors, that it was often the brain's effort to take back control that had been snatched away. It had taken her years to work up the courage to bring up sex during their sessions.

Bunny had always felt dirty concerning sensuality of any sort, the assaults she had faced in her childhood left scars deeply dug into her psyche. It was originally her intention to reopen these wounds, to bleed for the sake of healing. But, after a few trauma sessions, her therapist suggested they let sleeping dogs lie.

Sometimes trauma didn't have a resolution, and that was okay. It could be more damaging to attempt revisiting the horrors that haunted you than to simply try and leave things as they were and move forward.

That was fine by her. It hurt so fiercely when she though about it, she thought she'd die.

Bunny snapped out of her reverie. This wasn't the time for psychoanalyzing herself or reminiscing about sessions spent with soaked tissues on a soft couch.

She needed coffee and a plan.

The door opened into a long hallway. Bunny poked her head out to ensure it was empty and slipped out of her room undetected. The goal was to remain invisible to her captors.

She shuddered to think of either one seeing her in such a vulnerable state, even if Demetrius had already known her so carnally and Michael had witnessed her nudity the previous day. Besides, if they saw her they might question her incessant ferreting as she attempted to find ways to break free of this prison.

Her bare feet padded gently along the plush carpet, a welcome change from the wood in the bedroom. It was mercifully soft on her sore soles. The chase through the forest had left her in pain. Winter still had a hold on the ground, making it hard and unrelenting during the hunt.

The cavernous kitchen seemed to be empty of either assailant. With the coast clear, Bunny breathed a little sigh of relief and rushed to the black marble counters. There were mugs on a rack. Her hands were still shaking as she plucked one off and placed it under the spout of the automatic coffee maker before popping in a pod and pressing the brew button.

Bunny's head had begun aching again and this time she suspected it was from caffeine withdrawal. Like most adults, she was an avid consumer of the beverage, it had become a comforting start to her busy days.

She opened the fridge to locate milk or creamer, and almost dropped a glass bottle she had pulled out when she heard a voice.

"Finding everything okay?"

She whipped around to see Demetrius, arms crossed, leaning casually in the doorway. She tensed. "Yes, thank you." A quiet response she hoped would satisfy him.

"Make me a cup when you're finished. Two teaspoons of sugar, and two tablespoons of creamer. You'll bring it to me in my study, at the other end of the hall."

He turned and walked down the hallway in the opposite direction from the bedroom without another word, leaving Bunny speechless and bristling.

Was it not enough to violate her? Did he have to make her his servant, as well? Her face was flushed and her hands shook. This situation had stoked her ire in a way nothing else had as far as she could remember.

Besides, who the hell measured their creamer and sugar so exactly? Fucking sociopath behavior, She thought to herself.

Bunny realized her coffee cup was full and the machine had stopped dispensing. She pulled the mug from under the spout, deciding on a black cup rather than using the creamer she had found. The bitterness of the brew suited her mood. She then set about making another.

Once she was done, Bunny walked confidently down the hall and into his study. If he wanted coffee, the bastard could have it. He looked up at her with an infuriating smirk.

Bunny walked over and promptly poured the cup out into his lap.

Demetrius roared in pain as the steaming liquid seeped into his black slacks. She immediately regretted the rashness of her decision, even as she felt satisfaction at causing Demetrius even a fraction of the pain he had inflicted on her.

In an instant, she was on the floor, his hand gripped around her neck, his face millimeters from hers. His onyx eyes were lit up with a terrifying intensity she had not yet seen from him.

"You fucking bitch." He hissed, constricting her breathing and leaning up. His other hand whipped back, and then landed hard across her cheek.

Even with his iron grip restricting her movement, Bunny felt her head jerk from the impact.

Searing pain exploded through her face and a strangled howl erupted from her mouth. Her hands were around his wrist, nails digging deep in his flesh. She wasn't entirely sure why she was trying to dislodge him. With any luck, maybe he'd decide just to kill her. Bunny was no stranger to suicidality and was sure death would be a welcome exit from this horror show.

With a grunt, Demetrius stood, never loosening his grip as he brought her with him.

He dragged her over to the chaise lounge next to towering bookcases built into the wall. Bunny briefly admired them. The range of colored spines surprised her. She would have imagined he'd want a more cohesive aesthetic.

And then the realization that she was dissociating slammed her back into reality.

Demetrius sat down heavily and yanked her over his lap. She knew immediately where this was going, and fear began to pool in her stomach. He hadn't been gentle previously, but this was different. Right now he was enraged. Surely that would factor into how hard he was about to beat her.

She braced herself, breath ragged as she whimpered with anticipation. As expected, his hand landed heavy on her ass. It was sheer agony, blow after blow sending sharp pain rippling through her ass.

But it didn't last nearly as long as she thought. After a few blows, and once she was sobbing into the velvet cushion, she felt a coolness on her backside. She felt his fingers working whatever it was into her skin.

"W-what are you doing?" She sobbed, hiccuping through the sentence. A burning shame filled her body. Not only was she entirely exposed and humiliated, but now she felt horribly weak at her captor's mercy.

"It's a lotion infused with lidocaine. It'll make you less sore," He snapped.

Bunny felt immediate confusion. Lidocaine was a numbing agent. She had assumed part of the punishment would be the soreness she felt after the spanking. However, the lotion kicked in almost immediately and there was a little relief from the stinging.

Then, Demetrius threaded his fingers deep into her mussed hair with his clean hand, yanking her head back so that her back was painfully arched.

His lips to her ear, Demetrius whispered, "Don't ever do that shit again, or I'll tie you up spread eagle and let all of my friends have free reign with you to do whatever they want."

Bunny sucked in a fearful breath.

"Do you understand?" He barked, jerking her head back. She wailed before frantically struggling to shake her head in confirmation.

"Good girl. Go drink your coffee and get something to eat. I still have a surprise for you today." With that, he patted her ass, and she felt fury rising in her chest again.

"Demetrius told me about your little…. Accident earlier." Again, a voice startled her as she attempted to enjoy her coffee in silence.

Michael.

She blushed deeply, crossing her arms over her breasts and crossing her legs in what she hoped was a casual gesture instead of a desperate measure. "What do you want?" She asked flatly, staring daggers at the person she had formerly thought of as her shot at rescue.

"Wow, hey, don't get mad at me," He said with a laugh, "I'm not the one who decided it would be a good idea to fuck with Demetrius. I have to hand it to you, though. You've got balls of absolute steel, girl."

Bunny stared at him incredulously. She didn't find anything about this funny. "It wasn't an accident," She growled, "I did it on purpose."

"Well, yeah. Obviously. But I'm still going to call it an accident because the alternative is that you're dumb as hell… And I doubt that's the case." He said briskly, before pausing his speech as he walked toward the coffee machine.

She narrowed her eyes, tracking him as he strode across the room. As he began pulling together his coffee, he broke the silence again. "Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, right?"

"Are you seriously trying to make conversation with me?" She snapped.

He sighed heavily. "Look, I know this is… a lot. I get it. I'm not happy about it, either. Demetrius is a real fucking fucker. I know that better than anybody," He paused and glanced at her before continuing, "Well, except you."

"Then why do you work for him?" Her exasperation was clear.

"Well, uh, this is going to make me sound like a real piece of shit. And, honestly, I kind of am," He sighed, "The truth is, I like money. A lot. And Demetrius provides that. I'm not much of a good person, but at least I can admit it."

Bunny just stared at him, mouth gaping. "Are you serious? How morally bankrupt do you have to be before you're willing to let somebody do this for some quick cash?" She waved her hands at her naked body.

"I've filed at least three times in my life, as it turns out!" He quipped, winking.

Bunny screamed, turning and storming out.

"Hey, wait! What about the tour?" He called after her, and when she didn't bother to respond he followed it with "At least be ready for the surprise, Barbara! You're going to love it!"

She didn't give a shit about the "surprise." And she was certain she would, in fact, not like it. And she was suddenly fine with him calling her by her full name. The man was just as much of a psycho as Demetrius, and he could get fucked.