Chapter Eight: The Price of Pulling the Trigger.
Jamie's POV
The gunshot is still ringing in my ears when the world stops.
I'm waiting for blood. For Luther to drop. For everything to finally be over.
Instead he just… stands there.
The thick book in his left hand has a hole straight through it.
Smoke curls from the pages like a cigarette.
He flips it open, calm as hell, and the bullet sits dead in the center of Crime and Punishment.
"Cute," he says, voice low.
The gun falls out of my fingers and clatters on the floor so loud I flinch.
Oh god.
Oh god oh god oh god.
"I'm sorry," I choke out, backing up until my hips hit the desk. "I'm sorry, Luther, I didn't mean it, I swear…"
He drops the ruined book. Takes one slow step toward me.
My knees buckle. I'm shaking so hard my teeth chatter.
He's going to kill me.
He's actually going to kill me this time.
"I'm sorry, please…"
"Shh." He's on me in a second, hands grabbing my wrists, slamming them above my head, shoving me face-down across the desk.
Papers fly everywhere.
His body pins mine, heavy and hot and terrifying.
"You pulled the trigger, baby," he growls against my ear. "Now you take the consequences."
I'm sobbing into the wood, apologizing over and over, waiting for pain that never comes the way I expect.
Instead his palm cracks across my ass through my sweatpants…hard. Once. Twice.
I yelp.
"Count," he says, deadly calm.
Another hit.
"O-one…"
By five I'm crying for real. By ten my voice is gone.
My ass is on fire and I'm clinging to the edge of the desk like it's the only thing keeping me alive.
At fifteen he stops.
I'm a mess…tears, snot, shaking like a leaf.
He flips me over, sits me on the desk, yanks my pants down just enough. I try to push him away but my hands are useless.
"Luther, no…"
"Shh. You don't get to say no after trying to kill me."
His hand wraps around me and I'm ashamed how fast I'm already hard.
I hate my body.
He strokes slow, cruel, thumb swiping over the tip every time I try to squirm away.
"Look at you," he murmurs, almost soft.
"Crying and leaking for me. You don't want to leave, Jamie. You just want to be good."
I sob harder because he's right and I hate it.
He keeps going, perfect pressure, perfect speed, until I'm arching into his hand like a traitor.
"Please…", I don't even know what I'm begging for.
"Come for me, princess. Show me who you belong to."
I break.
I come all over his fingers with his name on my lips like a prayer and a curse.
He wipes his hand on my shirt, kisses my forehead like I'm something precious, and whispers, "Good boy."
I cry until I can't breathe.
*****
Morning.
I haven't moved from under the sheets. Everything hurts. My ass, my pride, my heart.
The door opens.
"Still hiding?" His voice is teasing again. "We're low on food. I'm driving to the store."
I don't answer. I pull the blanket tighter over my head.
He yanks it down. Cool air hits my face.
"What's wrong, baby? Still sore from your punishment?"
I flush so hot I wanna die.
He leans in, lips brushing my ear. "Get up. You're coming with me. Can't exactly leave you home alone after yesterday, can I?"
I freeze.
"Three minutes," he says, straightening up. "Or we go for round two right now and the store can wait."
I scramble out of bed so fast I almost face-plant.
My legs are jelly, my ass screams with every step, but I'm pulling on jeans and a hoodie like my life depends on it.
Because it does.
*****
The highway is a blur.
He's doing 130 like it's nothing, one hand on the wheel, the other resting high on my thigh, fingers digging in every time I try to shift away.
"Slow down," I whisper for the tenth time.
He just squeezes harder. "Relax. I never crash anything I care about."
Red and blue lights flash in the rearview.
My heart stops.
He slows down smoothly, pulls over like a normal person.
A state trooper walks up. Big guy. Hand near his gun.
Luther rolls the window down, all polite smile and calm eyes.
License, registration, insurance…all perfect.
The trooper's gaze shifts to me.
I must look like hell: bruised lip, red eyes, shaking.
"How old are you, son?"
My throat closes.
Luther's fingers tighten on my thigh…it was definitely warning.
"T-twenty-two," I lie. My voice cracks so bad it's embarrassing.
The trooper's brow goes up. "You sure?"
I try to smile. It wobbles. "He's… he's my boyfriend. Everything's fine, officer."
I sound exactly like someone being held hostage.
Because I am.
The trooper's eyes narrow.
"Both of you…step out of the vehicle. Now."
Hope explodes in my chest so bright it hurts.
I reach for the door handle with shaking fingers.
Luther's smile doesn't move an inch…But his eyes go dead.
And I know, I know, someone is about to die.