STUCK 2

Chapter 32

She was least aware of her surroundings. It was probably the counter mechanism of her brain to stifle  the intensity of her emotions, some of the most piercing being guilt that had now engulfed her whole.

Yet she realised the warmth of the bathtub when she was put in it, her supposed husband embracing her in his arms, thoroughly cleaning her as if she had lost the ability to do it herself. 

In a way, she had, her emotionlessness visible enough for every functional eye to see. It was the kind of phase Donavan had witnessed before, when she would find herself spiraling down the depth of depression and wretchedness. 

Donavan was aware that she deserved it, she should have thought endless times before pulling a stunt like she had tonight. But as it happened so, her life had dearly lacked excitement; on the pursuit of which, she had landed herself in grave trouble. It was of course the simplified version of her motivation, deep down he knew her hopes were way more complicated than he could ever understand. 

When he was satisfied with thoroughly cleaning both of them, he had refilled the tub, quickly glancing at the clock which read three in the morning. He didn't know how both of them never even yawned at hours like this, immunising each other to as raw necessity as sleep. But there are always questions that remain that way, with no possible explanation other than they liked each other's company, a lie that not even they themselves would buy. 

She slumped lifelessly on his chest, watching the bathroom wall with all the interest in the world, ignoring the smell of expensive cigar he smoked. He inspected her hand, studying each finger like an artifact with possible hidden meanings between them, occasionally letting the puff of smoke out, setting the smell of room. If it wasn't for a faint pulse of her wrist, there was other way no realise she was alive, and somehow it didn't fit right with him. He did not expect her to be exuberant companion in his presence, but he didn't want her as a living dead body as well.

He couldn't deny he was the cause of that, and now that his senses returned, a sufferer of her state too. He decided not to act upon his instincts of soothing her, talking her out of whatever mindset she was in. The point of the punishment was not sadness, but if that occurred as an intermediary step towards learning a lesson, she might as well take it like good girl.

He continued to hold her hand, studying the nuances when he abruptly felt a slight movement, as she sat straight, showing the evident sign that she was indeed responsive, as if some life had blowen into her senselessness. 

"Don't fire her" he heard her speaking for the first time he had brought her inside. 

He couldn't but smirk, not in amusement but rather in joy that she still chose to talk to him, especially after he had kept her deprived of orgasm while cuming inside her, something  that she had been unimaginably furious about. 

"I won't" he replied back, releasing another gust of smoke, "I'll make sure she puts herself on fire tomorrow morning" 

Water sloshed when she suddenly turned towards him, yanking her hand out of his, her brows meeting in shock.

"She can't be punished" Sternness in her voice amazed him. 

"She should have thought of it before" 

"I told you I blackmailed her into-"

"And do I care?" he asked, glimpsing in her eyes with equal fervour.

"You should" she whispered. 

"And why is that?" cigarette hung in his lips carelessly, sharply inhaling a toxin before it was rather aggressively pulled out his lips, dropped in the same water they laid in.

The fire returned in his eyes. If he hadn't already tortured her enough tonight, he would have considered putting her through it all over again. What more astonished him was her audacity to experiment with his temper when he had not more than an hour ago showed her what he was capable of.

His jaw twitched even before she opened her mouth.

"I feel guilty"

A thick drop of tear tumbled down her cheek as she continued to talk. Her finger poked his chest, unable to prick deep enough in his skin, yet accessing his heart.

"She is the only friend I have. If you hurt her, I'll never forgive myself, let alone you"

"I lost ten fucking million dollars ton-"

"For a drug deal with fifteen year olds as your target"

"I don't care who my customer is"

"Well I do" she murmured, the pitch of her voice too little to lift the weight of her words, "if I had the opportunity to go back six hours, I'd do exactly what I did tonight all over-"

Water spilled out of the tub at the vigorous change of positions. She found her neck grasped in his large hand, his figure suddenly hovering over her before she could complete her sentence.

"So you learnt nothing tonight?", he tsked, "You think you can put your nose in my business, teach me your morals and make me a good man overnight?"

"Yes" she didn't lose the contact with his eyes, his lips hovering over hers.

"You should stop before I run out of patience" he hissed.

"You'd never run out of patience"

"Your confidence surprises me"

"Come on" her gaze flickered to his thin lips, "It's me, you'd never lose your patience for me."

"And what makes you think that?"

"Isn't it obvious Donavan?" A psychotic smirk now replaced stoicity on her features, "You love me"

He remained silent as he watched the small woman virtually playing with fire.

"I'd like to see Sia and Enzo alive and healthy tomorrow. Doing their jobs as if nothing has changed"

"Or what missus Frantino?"

"Or nothing. I don't have to inform you of all the things I control in your life do I?"

"You open your legs when I tell you to. That's what you control in my life"

"And mother your child, teach her how to behave, with relatives, with servants, with you"

Her breath shuddered as his hold tightened on her neck, jerking her face closer to his.

"Are you blackmailing me?"

"What do you think?" she whispered, realising that she had pressed a nerve, "You're the last person I wanted near Ina, and yet I did not poison her mind for you. I don't know what you believe but I can still bloody control how she feels about you." 

"You won't" he whispered in disbelief, wondering what psychotic interaction was this.

"Try me" 

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Author's note: your "whyyoucarebitch" is stressed these days, forgive her for updating late.