Chapter 14
Chapter
Fourteen
Any sleep she’d gotten had been fitful, but the long soak in the bathtub filled to the brim with soapy bubbles and steaming hot water had been good for her, and Ally was sure she could handle whatever was coming next.
Fairly sure anyway.
Since she didn’t really have a choice, she was going to have to handle it.
Glancing out the window, she saw it was still light out, so it couldn’t be too late. She was expecting that the team Mateo’s boss was sending in to rescue her would come after dark.
Were they already out there?
Maybe she’d have to wait a whole other day before they got here.
Mateo hadn't been clear on a time frame, although he’d implied she wouldn't have to wait long after being sold to be rescued.
From her point of view, this house should be easy enough to break into to get her out.
Miles and miles of jungle surrounded them, but what did she know about rescuing people who had been sold?
Nothing.
Absolutely nothing.
So anything she thought was merely her own wishful thinking.
Maybe the jungle made it harder to get to her, and she’d have to spend days here.
Walking around the beach with King and going on his yacht didn't sound all that bad, but she was sure it was going to entail more than strolling through the shallows, dodging waves, and sipping cocktails on a fancy boat.
A knock at her door had her turning away from the window.
She’d found an entire wardrobe filled with clothing.
It was nothing she would usually wear. Every single piece of it was suggestive, including the skimpy nightgown she currently wore, which showed her backside when she moved, and barely contained her breasts, small though they were, but it was better than nothing.
One thing noticeably missing was underwear.
No panties, no bras. And she was sure that wasn't a mistake.
“Coming in, princess,” King called out, and a moment later, her door was unlocked, and he strolled into the room. His round body was clad in an expensive-looking tuxedo, and he beamed at her as he carried a white, lacy dress in his arms.
It wasn't a wedding dress, was it?
No. Surely he wasn't planning on marrying her. He was calling her his princess, not the queen, which meant he didn't see them as having any sort of equal partnership. Besides, the marriage wouldn't be legal if she were coerced into signing it.
“It’s time for you to get ready for our dinner guests,” he told her, all bright white teeth and sparkling eyes. The man certainly was a happy guy, considering he was the kind of monster who thought it was acceptable to purchase another human being.
Ally knew better than to ask what guests he was talking about, so she merely crossed to where he was standing and took the dress from his arms.
“You’ll be the star attraction tonight, my little princess.
Everyone is coming to see you, and they’re all very excited about it.
” As though a switch had been flipped, the smile disappeared, and darkness crept into his eyes as he reached out and roughly tangled a hand in her hair, forcing her to her knees before him.
“You’ll be on your best behavior, won't you, princess? You’ll do anything our guests ask of you without complaint.
I would hate to have to punish you when you’ve only just arrived. ”
Was she supposed to answer?
He hadn't given her a clear indication that a verbal response was needed, but he’d also never gotten angry with her like this before, other than maybe that first moment back in the room at the warehouse.
Deciding it was safer to remain silent, Ally just fixed her gaze on King’s shoes, clutched the dress in her arms, and waited.
Apparently, that was the correct response.
“Perfect, my sweet, beautiful princess. I knew you’d be my good girl.
You’ll please everyone tonight, so perfectly submissive, so perfectly obedient.
Everyone is going to love you, and you're going to give them all such a good time.” The fingers that had been tangled in her hair loosened and stroked her head. “Such a good girl.”
A tent began to grow in his pants as he hardened, and she wondered if he was going to make her attend to his erection right now.
She knew she had to do whatever it took to keep him placated until help got here, but she didn't want to touch him.
Didn't want to take him between her lips and suck him off.
Certainly, didn't want him shoving himself inside her.
But what choice did she have?
Whatever he wanted, she had to give to him.
When his hard length nudged her nose, Ally couldn’t stop a shiver rocketing through her. Any hope that he wouldn't notice was gone because he gave a soft laugh.
“You're excited, too, aren't you, princess? You want to be a good girl, take care of your King, and make sure he’s happy. I am, sweet girl, so very happy with you, you're everything I dreamed of and so much more.” Bumping his bulge against her face a few times, he then took a step back. “Not now, princess. Later. I promise you that you can take care of me later. When we have an audience. Then you can show everyone what a good girl you are. Now put your dress on, fix your hair and makeup, and I expect you downstairs in thirty minutes. Our guests are already arriving, and I don’t like keeping them waiting.”
With that, he turned and walked out of the room, pausing at the door to give her a longing look like he was rethinking his position, but then shook his head and disappeared out the door, leaving it cracked open.
Even though she’d love to try to make a run for it since she wasn't locked in, if there were guests here, then there was no way she could escape undetected. Her best bet was still to play along, keep him happy, and wait for rescue.
You’d better not have been lying to me, Mateo. You’d better be sending in someone to rescue me, because I can't handle this much longer.
Sighing, Ally pushed to her feet, still holding the dress, and laid it out on the bed while she pulled the nightie over her head.
When she looked at the dress King had brought for her to wear, she saw it was mostly white tulle in a ruffly skirt, that again would barely cover her backside, and definitely not when she had to walk about, with a lacy halter-neck bodice and a plunging neckline that would leave little to the imagination.
Tugging the dress over her head, she headed to the bathroom, where she made a quick visit to the toilet since she wasn't sure if she’d get a moment to herself once she went downstairs, then applied way more makeup than she usually would.
After that, she curled her long red hair so that it hung around her shoulders and flowed down her back.
If she positioned it to the front, it would provide a bit more coverage for her chest.
Satisfied she looked as King would be expecting, she went back into the bedroom and over to the wardrobe. The only shoes were heels, so she chose a white strappy pair that would go with the dress, then walked to the mirror and gave herself a scrutinizing onceover.
Did she look the part?
Would he be angry with her?
Deciding something was missing, Ally went back to the bathroom and rifled through the accessories left in baskets inside the vanity cabinets.
There was a huge white ribbon that she decided to tie around her head like a headband, using some bobby pins to keep it in place.
The collar was still around her neck, so she didn't add a necklace, but she did put a gold bangle on each wrist, making her wonder what Mateo had done with the diamond and pearl torque bangle he’d taken from her at the warehouse.
She’d done the best she could, now she had to hope it was enough.
There were only a handful of minutes to spare before she had to be back downstairs, and she had to find her way, so Ally hurried out of the bathroom, through the bedroom, and out into the hall.
No one waited for her, and the desire to try to run was strong. But it would be pointless and would only end in her being punished, so instead, she tried to remember the way back to the staircase.
The sound of voices chattering and laughing helped guide her, and soon she was at the top of the grand staircase.
Below her, men in tuxedos and women in fancy dresses—covering a lot more of their bodies than her dress did—milled about, and she tried to keep her head held high as she made her way down the steps.
As soon as she was down them, King came hurrying over to her. “Princess,” he greeted her loudly, touching kisses to both her cheeks, before attaching a diamond encrusted lead to her collar. “You have the place of honor tonight,” he gushed as he led her through the growing throng of people.
Humiliation would have had her keeping her gaze locked on the floor, even if self-preservation didn't. Stopping every so often to greet someone, King led her into a huge ballroom with a live band playing down one end, and a small platform at the other, near a set of French doors opening up onto the veranda.
Once he had led her to the platform, he took her elbow and helped her step up onto it, then he tugged on her lead until she went to her knees. Unhooking the leash, he instead attached a much shorter chain to her collar. One that kept her down on her knees.
“Remember to be my good little princess,” King reminded her, his dark eyes glittering with a foreshadowing of the rage she’d experience firsthand if she let him down tonight.
Pressing a bruising kiss to her lips, he stood and disappeared into the growing crowd, leaving her alone and vulnerable, a toy about to be played with, and all she could do was hope that she wasn't destroyed in the process.
August 20th
7:12 P.M.
There was no going back.
He’d sealed his fate, and he could only hope that he’d made the right decision.