Drug Lord

Chapter XIV

Ignoring my protests, Ever Kingsley watches me eat until my last bite. The food had grown fairly cold, but still tasted wonderful nonetheless. My stomach pains eased halfway through the meal.

"Will you un-cuff me now?" I say with my mouth stuffed full of the last bite of chicken.

He seems to be amused by this. His eyebrow arches and I can see his mouth twitch for only a moment, as if he were going to smile.

"Swallow first." he commands, but it almost sounds playful.

I begrudgingly do as I'm told.

Without another word he stands up and heads for the door. I could feel anger bubble inside of me. I'm about to yell at him as he departs, but I see he leaves the door open.

Is he coming back?

Minutes pass like hours as I sit silent, hopeful.

He finally enters the room and I frown instantly at what's in his hands. I feel the anger deep in my core now.

"You said you were going to un-cuff me!" I desperately scream.

He lets one side of the long chain he's holding fall to the ground and smiles at me obscurely.

"I am un-cuffing you."

His large fingers wrap around my ankle. I jerk away instantly, moving my body further up the bed. His grip tightens and he pulls me right back down.

"Tsk, tsk," his eyes dart to mine, daring me to try again. 

With the other hand, he snakes the chain around and locks it tightly with a black padlock. His hand remains on the lower part of my calve and he looks up at me. His fingers seem to be burning my skin. 

"Not what you were expecting?" He smirks.

"You're a cruel excuse for a man." I reply lowly, defeated.

I want to fight, I really do - but I know where I stand right now. The odds are stacked against me. There is nothing I can do in my current state. There is a handcuff wrapped around my cut, aching wrist. A chain around my ankle - he is attaching the other side to the bed frame as we speak. Even if I were to somehow make it past the chain and the handcuffs, the devil before me is an absolute force to be reckoned with. He is three times my size. As much as I don't want to admit it, he could break me in half if he really wanted to. I'm also certain there are other men surrounding this building - wherever this building is. 

"Be that as it may, my love - this," he says while hovering over me, unlocking the handcuff from around my wrist, "is an act of kindness."

I whine as my hand falls from the headboard. It's insanely sore, as if it had been in the same place for weeks. For a second, I internally agree: letting my hand rest from that position was an act of kindness.

I massage my wrist as he speaks again, still standing above me. I have no choice but to inhale his scent. It would be rather nice had I not known who he was.

"This chain will allow you to navigate anywhere in this room, as well as the bathroom. I am trusting you to act responsibly. If you cannot, I'll have all of your limbs chained to the bed. Is that understood?"

I only glare at him. He bends down until we're eye level.

"Answer me," he demands.

"Yes," I respond unwillingly.

"Yes, what?"

"Yes, sir."

For a moment he looks unpleased still, as if my form of addressing him still wasn't good enough. What else would he want me to address him as? Dick would be more fitting, I think. 

 I almost think he's going to ask me something (or command me to do something), but in an instant his face flickers to at least a mildly satisfied expression.

"We'll be here only until the end of this week. Then we shall return home. You'll have to keep yourself busy in the mean time, as I won't be able to see you as often as I'd like. You will have a new server check in on you periodically and bring your meals."

"Why won't Angela be serving me?" I return instantly. He looks taken aback by my question.

"Why does it matter?"

I ignore him, only focused on the fact that he said someone new would be serving me.

At this moment, as silly as it may seem - given the circumstances of my situation - all I care about is whether or not she will be fired, for something so minuscule and out of her control. In a way, I suppose his decision would help me determine exactly how tyrannical Ever Kingsley really is. As if he hadn't already displayed it to me on a silver platter.

"Where is she going? I want her to serve me."

He pauses another moment, still puzzled by my interest in his servant, I'm guessing. 

"Not that it's any of your concern, but Angela has failed to meet my demands on more than one occasion. She will be -" I cut him off angrily,

"How could she have made me eat when I refused to, sir?"

His eyes seem to burn through me and he replies slowly, as if I am hard of understanding simple sentences:

"This is the last time I will tell you not to interrupt me when I am speaking to you, Miss Hawthorne."

"Will you answer my question?" My eyes have grown brave, for they fiercely test his own now. But my body betray me: my pale skin has turned pink some time ago during this altercation. It intensifies as his glare pierces deeply into my own. He is still crouched in front of me, only intensifying my silent agony.

We stay like this for an excruciating ten seconds or so before he speaks again. 

"When I ask one to complete a task for me - I expect it to be done. I do not care how it is done, I do not care if she had to force feed you. It should have been done. Angela knows this. That is what she agreed to when she started this job. She failed to do her job, I suppose because your circumstances are unusual to her.  Though she shouldn't be surprised, no matter the situation. She didn't fulfill her orders, and now she will be replaced. " 

He stands up to his full, formidable height, once more. 

"I hope that answers your question. Good night." 

He begins to turn, to advance towards the door for the final time tonight. 

I can't control the word as it escapes my mouth. I can't control how desperate it sounds. 

"Sir," 

His movement falters. His black eyes flash fire as they find mine again.

"Please." I whisper faintly. 

I didn't have to elaborate. I knew that somehow he comprehended exactly what I was asking of him.

His rigid jaw clenches tightly. His eyes slowly wonder down my body before they meet my own again. He almost looks like he is going to lose his shit. 

And just like that, he's gone again. 

The door slams on queue behind him.