Ten…

Nine…

Eight…

She mouthed the numbers silently, countingdown in Mr. Black fashion as she lingered on the stoop, conflictedby her rapidly shifting emotions. She knew what had to be done, butstill she hoped and prayed that he would come barreling through thedoor and sweep her up into his arms like he had so many timesbefore.

Seven...

Six… Please come for me...

Five…

Four… Please change for me…

Three…

She touched the door knob again and almostgave in.

Two… Please change for yourself…

One.

He wasn’t coming to her and he was nevergoing to change. She would never know all of his secrets or thepain of his childhood, or even why he loved her tears. Bereft anddesolate but determined, she squared her shoulders back, pushed herchin out and walked away, staring into the sun defiantly.

Game. Over.

23: Possession

Victor was infuriated that Elsa had walked out. “I’m not broken!”he yelled into the empty room, his hands fisted at his sides. “Idon’t need you to fix me!” he spat out.

Winded, he stomped up the stairs and slammedthe bedroom door, enraged. Who the fuck did she think she was? Thiswas his game. This was his house and he madethe God damned rules.

He knew better than to allow himself to carefor someone, but she had proven to be too difficult a challenge forhim to resist his feelings. Now she was gone and he was powerlessto get her back. Four weeks is all the time that had passed betweenthem. Four tortured and blissful, fucking weeks. Infuriated withhimself for having let her go and having beaten her as if she wasan animal, he kicked the wooden chair that remained unmoved sincethey had fucked on it. The same chair he had attempted and failedto break her by making her watch Patrick.

Glancing up at his image reflected in thewindow, he cringed when he saw his father looking back at him. Hestumbled backwards from the sickening vision. Is this what he hadbecome? His father and his mother? He saw her reflected back inthat image, too – her raging, drunken likeness.

A wave of nausea pounded against him when herecalled what he had done to Elsa and he sank onto the bed andfisted his hair. He thought he had come to terms with who he wasbut… he shook his head violently. He couldn’t change the past andthere was no denying what was coursing through his veins. He washis sociopathic father’s illegitimate child and his mother’s bitch.He always would be and no woman, no matter how much love and lightshe had in her, could change that.

He stared at the overturned chair and glancedat the projector still on the nightstand. Could he really changewhat was in his DNA and be the man Elsa wanted? No, he couldn’t.The only thing he could do was try to make up for the cruelty hehad put her through. Elsa would always belong to him and his gamewasn’t over yet, no matter what she thought.

He stood up with new purpose and moved to thewindow. The heat of the sun energized him, giving him the strengthhe needed. As he stared into the sun until his eyes watered and hesaw spots, there was a dark promise in his gaze. He was not onlythe Ruler of his Universe, but Elsa’s. She may never know, but hewould always have a hand in her future. It may take years to changeher course to lead her back to him, but time was something he hadplenty of and it all belonged to her.

With staid calm, he descended the stairs andretrieved his phone and journal. He cued the song She’s Always aWoman by Billy Joel and leaned back into the chaise with thesmell of Elsa floating all around him and the words of the songthat now belonged to her echoing in the living room. The tip of thepen touched the paper and he began anew.

Chapter 8.5 – Elsa, My Puppet andMuse.

She stole from me. She lied to me. Sheexposed me. She destroyed me utterly. She played my game and won,and in the process she renewed my faith in that unspeakable thing.She is both woman and child, strong and vulnerable, and she ismine, always, and I will have her again.

To be continued, Peach…

Other Books by Ella Dominguez

The Art of D/s Trilogy

The Art of Submission (Book 1)

The Art of Domination (Book 2)

The Art of Control (Book 3)

Becoming Sir (companion novel to the Art ofD/s Trilogy)

This Love’s Not for Sale

Continental Breakfast (Continental Affair#1)

Continental Beginnings (Continental Affair#2)

Social Media

www.facebook.com/theartofsubmission

Twitter: ella_dominguez

www.elladominguez.blogspot.com

www.bondagebunnypub.com

For more books and bio: Goodreads.com