Now
I knew where Michael would be. I wanted to find him before he could find me. A week had passed since our last encounter, and Elliott and I had stayed hidden in our Santa Monica hotel. I had replaced my phone since he had taken my last one, but Michael continued to call both of us through a blocked number, leaving cryptic messages about how I still belonged to him and how I would soon be back with him again.
So I let him believe that. I showed up, suitcase in tow, at the beautiful Los Feliz home he had purchased for us. With my heart racing and tears already streaming down my face, I rang the doorbell. The tears were real, mostly because I was scared, but I wanted him to think they were for other reasons.
My heart dropped to my stomach when he answered the door wearing nothing but his joggers. His body was glistening with sweat, and his lips curled into a smug smile as he took me in. I hated that my body still felt weak at the sight of him.
“Sweet Jackie. You’re back.” His deep voice was laced with mockery.
“You were right, Daddy. I belong to you. I tried to make it work with him, but you were so fucking right. I still love you more than I’ll love anyone,” I cried, my whole body shaking with sobs.
Michael glanced over my shoulder, then looked down the street, as if he expected to be raided.
“You know what will happen if you come through these doors, Jackie. You will be my pet. Is that what you want?” His eyebrows were raised expectantly.
I paused in confusion. Why was he asking me? Did he know I was trying to trick him?
“Yes, Daddy. Please,” I begged, terrified to my core.
He narrowed his eyes at me. “Get on your knees and beg like a good girl, sweet Jackie.”
My jaw clenched but I did my best to appear as the sweet, naive Jackie that Michael had known so well. I got onto my knees in front of him and looked down at the ground. “Please, Daddy. Please let me be your pet.”
“Eyes on me,” he snapped.
My eyes flickered up to his. The pull to him was becoming stronger, but I knew better this time—I had my guards up and locked, with the image of Elliott and our plan being my saving grace.
“If you come through these doors, you will never be allowed back out. Do you understand?”
Of course I understood; he meant the doors literally and figuratively. And I wanted him to believe me when I nodded my head and widened my eyes. “Yes, Daddy.”
He grinned and put his hand to my chin.
“Crawl inside. Then undress and get on all fours.”
Oh God. This better work, or else I’m royally fucked .
I crawled my way inside, my cheeks burning with embarrassment. I heard the door close and lock and felt Michael’s presence hovering behind me. I got back onto my knees, shrugged off my jacket, and began undressing. My surface wounds were scabbed and almost healed, but they were somehow stinging as I pulled my clothes off.
“Do as I said, Jackie.” He was angry as he bit the words out.
My body was shivering as I got back onto my knees and dropped my hands to the floor. I could hear the whooshing of blood through my ears, the pounding of my heart practically knocking me over.
“Who do you belong to, sweet Jackie?” he growled, still hovering behind me.
“You, Daddy,” my quiet, quivering voice answered.
His hand shot down to my ass, a hard and sudden slap making me whimper.
“Did you fuck him after you ran off to him?”
I expected his question, but I still began to sob before I answered. “Yes.”
He slapped my ass again.
“God, you fucking whore,” he growled before bunching my hair in his hand and pulling back hard. I only saw his hateful eyes for a moment before I shut them tight as he spit on me.
“Stay,” he ordered me like a dog as he let go and walked into another room.
This is going to work. This has to work , I kept repeating to myself. It was only a minute or so before he came back with his hard cock bobbing up and down as he walked, and with a leash and collar in his hand.
“If you’re going to behave like a bitch in heat, then that’s how I’ll treat you.”
He pulled me upright onto my knees by my hair and quickly latched the collar around my neck. The leash was already attached, and he wrapped it around his fist before giving it a tug. He laughed as I let out a whimper.
“Oh, sweet Jackie, my little pet. I underestimated you. You have some fight in you after all,” he began, staring down at me with a spiteful glare. “You tried to get rid of me, didn’t you? You nearly kicked me out of that restaurant yourself. And what was I supposed to do, hm? You gave me no choice. Quite clever.” He laughed and it only terrified me more.
“I’m sorry, Daddy. I was wrong. I will never try to leave you again,” I said feebly as I stared up at him.
He scoffed. “Oh, I’ve heard that from you before. And then I made sure of that, didn’t I? With my name marked all over you, there’s absolutely no way you could leave me, even if you tried.” He snickered as his eyes scanned my body as he hovered above me; I wanted to spit at him. “I can’t fucking wait to taste you again. But first, you need to be punished.”
I expected this, but that didn’t stop me from bawling and begging him not to. “Please, Daddy. I’ll be a good girl. Please don’t,” I cried.
He began to laugh; I wondered if he was going to mark my body again. I couldn’t imagine him doing anything worse than that, besides killing me. But we weren’t going to let that happen. I just needed him to believe that he was in control of me again; I needed him to let his guard down.
“What punishment do you see fit, hm? Maybe…” He trailed off before slapping me hard across the face and I gasped as the pain stung across my warm cheek. “I don’t know, baby. You take a beating so well. Sometimes I think you like it.”
I don’t like it. I don’t deserve this. Don’t let him play with your mind, Jackie .
“Fucking you roughly isn’t punishment, is it?” he continued, then tugged on my leash to bend me forward on all fours; I knew better than to move from that position. I waited, expecting a blow, as he walked behind me and slapped my ass again. he was the typical one. His legs lowered to the floor and his finger suddenly invaded my pussy, easily sliding it in. I felt mortified that I was wet for him; there was no way, in any situation, that I wouldn’t be, and that may have been punishment enough. He began to rub my clit with his wet finger and I bit my lip to refrain from moaning.
“Jackie, baby. You’re dripping for me. Did that bulky dryshite not satisfy you the way I can?”
My cheeks burned again; that was so far from the truth.
“Yes, Daddy. You’re the only one that can satisfy me,” I whispered to the floor.
He chuckled and then removed his finger from me. He stood up and tugged on my leash, then began to walk down the hall, forcing me to crawl behind him.
“You know what your real punishment will be, sweet Jackie?” he asked as he opened one of the bedroom doors and walked into a dark, empty room. “I’ll keep you in here, alone, with only your fucked up mind to entertain you.”
This won’t be so bad. At least he won’t carve me up again.
“Please don’t, Daddy,” I cried, hoping I sounded convincing.
He dropped the leash and suddenly the door slammed shut, leaving me alone in the darkness. I heard his footsteps disappear down the hallway and I began to call out for him. “Please! Daddy!” I stayed where I was like the good girl he expected me to be. “Daddy!” I continued to cry.
Only a minute later, he appeared in the room again, the faint light from the kitchen down the hall casting a glow on his shadow. I knew that he was holding rope in his hand. I started to panic, as the sight of Michael with rope instantly triggered a warning in my mind.
“No, please,” I begged, actually terrified, even though I knew I would be out of there soon. I do know that, right? What if this doesn’t work?
“Quiet, Jackie,” he ordered as he began to tie my wrists together in front of me.
“Please. Please, Daddy,” I continued.
It was dark, but my eyes were beginning to adjust, and I swore I could see a smile on his face as he focused on the rope. I didn’t bother to resist—I needed him to think I had surrendered, that I wanted him and would do anything to be with him.
“Fucking pathetic, as always,” he scolded before using another piece of rope to tie my ankles together.
My cries continued as he finished, then he rolled me onto my front, my face flush to the floor, and he positioned my knees to force my hips in the air. I wailed as he thrust his hard cock into me, his nails digging into my flesh seemingly with the sole purpose of hurting me. He grunted loudly, his hips pounding quickly against me.
“You don’t deserve to come, you whore,” he growled into my ear. “But I’ll come all over you and let you sleep with it clinging to your ruined body on the cold, hard floor.”
His words stung deep in my chest and I continued to sob. He’s going to die. Be strong .
Michael suddenly pulled out of me and pushed me onto my side, then grabbed my legs to position my back to the floor. His warm cum spurted all over my flesh and I closed my eyes, not wanting to give him the satisfaction of my frightened eyes meeting his.
“You’ll remain here until I’m satisfied you’ve suffered enough for your behavior.”
My eyes remained closed as I heard him get up and walk out the door. For a few moments, everything was silent except for the pounding of my own heart. But then I heard his voice in my ear.
“Are you okay, Jacqueline?”
A tear fell down my cheek as I whispered, “No. But I will be.”
* * *
Seventy-two hours earlier.
“How the fuck does this work?” I stared at a tiny little dot in Elliott’s hand.
I had just completed an intense, three-day self-defense course led by Elliott, a seasoned fighter with years of experience. It didn’t surprise me; Elliott had many hidden talents that I was sure I’d discover in time. Although we still had a lot to learn about each other, that had to wait until we got Michael out of our lives.
Elliott insisted I be prepared for any situation that might arise. Despite my doubts about my ability to handle Michael if it came to that, I felt more confident that I wouldn’t go down without a fight.
“I’ll place this one inside your ear canal so you can hear me,” he said, holding up a tiny piece of metal. “And the other,” he continued, displaying an identical piece, “will serve as a microphone. I’ll be able to hear what’s going on, and you’ll be able to hear me.”
I looked up at him and narrowed my eyes. “That shit’s gonna get lost inside my ear.”
He laughed and shook his head. “No. I’ll make sure it sticks.”
“But…” I shook my head.
Elliott gazed down at me with a look of concern. “But what, baby?”
How do I tell him about how I’m terrified Michael is going to do his worst to me? That he’s going to toss me around, hurt me, possibly kill me?
“But what if it falls out during…like…” My cheeks reddened at the thought of Michael and me having sex and Elliott hearing it.
“During sex?” Elliott didn’t look bothered at all.
I sighed nervously and nodded. “And if he’s rough with me?”
His jaw clenched as he looked down at the healing scar on my shoulder.
“You don’t have to do this, Jacqueline.”
It was probably the 800th time he had said that to me in the last few days; we had discussed that I would probably have to have sex with Michael to really convince him I was still utterly obsessed.
“I know,” I huffed out. “But I need to.”
I didn’t mean to get angry at Elliott, but he didn’t seem confident in me. Either that, or he was scared shitless. “Sorry,” I added, crossing my arms.
The truth was, I was scared shitless and I wasn’t confident in myself. I fucked up everything else in my life—what was stopping me from not fucking up this time?
Elliott shook his head at himself and wrapped his arms around me. “No, don’t be sorry. I’m sorry. I won’t keep questioning you. You’re the strongest person I know; I know you can do this.”
I sighed as I looked up and stared at his earnest, sweet expression; I found it ironic since we were talking about murder. His piercing blue eyes looked at me with such confidence that I almost believed his words.
“How are you okay with all of this? With the things I’ll have to do to make this work?”
He seemed to think for a moment. “Because if it means getting rid of Michael for good, then it’s worth it.”
The amount of pressure I felt to do this right weighed heavily on my shoulders.
“And the code word again?” I asked for what seemed to be the 70th time.
Elliott gave me a sad smile. “Red.”