Beast’s Demands by Sam Crescent

Chapter Four

Ashley

 

I was being punished further.

My ass was completely bruised and sitting on it was so painful. I checked it out in the mirror, what felt like days ago.

Earl hadn’t been back yet.

We docked, I knew that much. His bedroom door had been locked. Only opening for when food was brought in. I didn’t get a woman. I got men.

Three different ones each day.

I’d seen nine men in total.

Three days.

And still, Earl hadn’t come back.

I spent my time going through my notes, looking around the room, and just thinking. I didn’t want to be alone with my thoughts. I hated it. All I could think about was Emily.

How was she?

Did she miss me?

I knew I’d miss our small apartment. I would do anything to be back there right now, enjoying my friend. I’d even talk about Crude Hill High. The school straight from nightmares. Or Emily’s four men. I usually tried to avoid talking about them, but if that was what she wanted, I’d do it, for her.

I’d do anything for Emily.

By the fourth day, I was going out of my mind. If something were to happen to Earl, then what would become of me? I had no cell phone, no laptop. No way of alerting my best friend that I was in a foreign country, if I was even in one now. The boat had moved so much, the water a constant surrounding me.

Pacing the room was better than trying to sit on my bottom. Because of the pain, I’d even gone without underwear, which was a strange feeling.

I liked wearing underwear. At least I still wore a bra.

I stood near a window, looking out across the ocean, thinking of all the ways I could die at sea, when the door opened.

This time, I didn’t turn to see who it was. I didn’t care.

I hadn’t seen another woman for days. Was this my punishment as well? Had I ruined their lives?

When there was no sound of cutlery being put down, or the click of the door, I turned to see Earl stood in the room. The door was wide open, but that wasn’t what had my attention.

Earl was covered in blood. His shirt was soaked with it, and it had dried.

My mouth fell open.

There was a man waiting at the door, and I still kept quiet as Earl stripped out of the shirt, his pants, even his boxer briefs, removing his watch as well. The man disappeared and Earl closed the door.

Not a word.

He went toward his en-suite, and I heard the shower run.

I stayed perfectly still.

After a few minutes, the shower turned off, and I heard the running of a bath.

Hands clenched into fists, I listened, and nothing. My curiosity got the better of me, and I went toward the bathroom.

Earl lay back in a bathtub filled with bubbles.

My gaze was on him.

“If you wish to keep me company, come and sit.” He pointed at the toilet seat.

Glancing back at the bed, I was tempted to leave him, but after four days without any company, and I was going crazy.

I went toward the toilet, and lowered myself down, only to stop. Instead, I went toward the bathtub and kneeled beside it.

He glared.

“My … er … it’s bruised.” I glanced down at the floor.

“Let me see.”

“It’s fine.”

“Ashley!”

I didn’t know what he could do to me lying naked in a bathtub, but the way he said my name had me standing, turning toward him, and lifting the dress, showing him the curves of my ass.

Earl hadn’t gone lightly on me.

I’ve never had my ass spanked before. Not that I thought it was erotic or anything. I didn’t have daddy issues, or if I did, I wasn’t aware of them. I wasn’t aroused by his brand of punishment. At least he didn’t starve me, throw me overboard, or cut me up.

Lowering my dress, I kneeled back on the floor and waited.

Silence.

I hated it.

Four days of feeling it, and I was tired of it.

I didn’t want there to be any more quiet. Talking to him would admit defeat, wouldn’t it? He’d have the power.

At that moment, I no longer cared. All I wanted was to talk to someone.

“None of the women served me,” I said. Considering we hadn’t spoken in so long, bringing up the very cause of our disagreement was so stupid. The moment the words left my mouth, I felt how thoughtless I’d been.

“It’s not appropriate after your episode. You would get yourself or one of them killed.”

Staring down at my hands, I felt the tears well up. I wasn’t going to say sorry to him.

“Are you hurt?” I asked.

“Me?”

“You were covered in blood.”

“It’s not all my blood.” He sat up and rubbed at his eyes, letting out a groan. “Just so you know, I get it.”

I looked at him. “Get what?”

“You want to save everyone. You’ve got this ideal about the world, and guess what, I did once as well.”

I frowned as I gave him my full attention. What was going on?

“I was born to a man who had trafficked a woman and kept her as a slave. I was the only son that lived, I believe. She didn’t last long, from what I can gather. He got bored of her and sold her.” Earl ran a hand down his face, looking like he wanted to be talking about anything but this. “When my dad died, I ended up living with my grandfather. If you think what I do now is awful, then know that I inherited a legacy I’m not proud of. I’ve gone out of my way to change. Give me your hand.”

Slowly, I placed my hand within his.

He put his other hand on top of it.

“My grandfather believed everyone was for sale. All had a price. Men, women, children, pregnant women, babies. He was into it all. Not just sex. People want humans for all kinds of things.” He let out a breath.

“You only deal in women?”

“I know it doesn’t make it any easier or nice to bear, but yeah, I deal in women.” Earl’s gaze landed on me. His green eyes bored into mine. “I was once like you, Ashley. I didn’t believe in the sale of flesh. I argued with my grandfather. Got many a scar on my back because I tried to set them free. When I succeeded in getting ten women free, he taught me a lesson. Took it out in my back, my thighs. He cut me up real bad, and then he went to teach me a lesson. If I thought he was bad, he showed me what truly awaited the women that were not selected by him.”

I felt sick to my stomach. I didn’t need to know any details. I could imagine.

“I embraced my legacy from that day forward, and when the time came for me to take over, I did. I removed some of his products, changed it up, became who I am today. I don’t want you to stop having your ideals, Ashley. The world needs people like you, but you’ve also got to realize the world isn’t full of fairytales. I can give up that business, but there are ten, fifty men who will take my place.”

He let go of my hand, and I hated the loss of his touch. I felt so uneasy without it.

Putting my hand down, I covered it with my other, but my touch didn’t relieve the emptiness. All it did was make it harder for me to bear.

“Take off your clothes. Get in the bath with me.”

I quickly looked toward him. I had to have been mistaken, but he leaned back.

“Now, Ashley. I’m not in the mood to fight. It has been a really long day.”

I didn’t want to fight him, but getting naked in the bath with him, after the bruises he gave my ass, I didn’t think I could.

“Do I need to give you another reminder of how I punish? Your ass is bruised. Imagine it taking another round.”

I got to my feet, removed my dress and bra, and Earl helped me as I climbed into the water. I hoped to get as far away from him as possible, but he had other ideas, grabbing my hand and pulling me close so I had no choice but to sit on his thighs.

They were the perfect cushion compared to the bottom of the bath that would hurt my sore cheeks.

Earl wrapped his arms around my stomach. His face pressed against my neck. “Did you miss me?”

It was on the tip of my tongue to tell him no, but that would have been a lie. I wanted to fight him, but I also didn’t want to piss him off. My ass was a testament to how much he was willing to take.

“Yes,” I said.

“You don’t have to lie.”

“I’m not lying. I’ve been really bored. At least you provide me some source of entertainment.”

“All you had to do was ask, and someone would have brought you something. A book. A movie. Anything.”

I licked my lips. “I didn’t think it was right to ask for anything after what happened.”

“I warned you. It’s over with now. You didn’t have to be bored.”

“It’s easy for you to say it’s over. Your ass isn’t the one that’s hurting.” I pouted. I couldn’t help it.

His hands rubbed at my stomach and his lips danced across my shoulder. “You know I can make it up to you?”

“You can go back in time and not hit me as hard?”

“No, but I can make you forget.”

I felt his words were a trap. There was no way I was going to be able to forget the sheer force of his hand. Earl Valentine was a strong man who could do whatever the hell he liked. I got that. I wasn’t going to be able to stop him if he really wanted to hurt me. He was the one with all the control, not me.

“Do you trust me?” he asked.

“No.” I refused to lie.

For a long time, my life had been nothing but lies.

He chuckled, his lips brushing across my shoulder. “Then I guess I’m going to have to take what I want.”

The hand at my stomach moved, and before I realized what was happening, he’d drawn his knees up between my thighs. He used his strength to keep mine pinned to either side of the bath.

He made me open and exposed.

I gasped as the warm water touched my most sensitive parts. What was he going to do?

Both of his hands went to my thighs.

“Relax.”

That was next to impossible. I couldn’t relax.

He slowly began to skim the tips of his fingers up the inside of my thighs, going toward my pussy.

I took a deep breath, not sure how to handle his touch, or whatever it was he wanted to do to me.

I licked my dry mouth. I couldn’t think.

He cupped my pussy in his palm. No invasion or intrusion. Just his hand on top of my pussy.

His tongue glided across my neck, going to my pulse where he nipped at my flesh.

“I can feel you’re warm, Ashley. It’s okay to enjoy this. Even if you hate me. People can take pleasure from those they despise.”

“Don’t talk to me like I’m a child.” I gasped as a single finger slid between my slit. He didn’t touch my clit, but it was so close. I whimpered.

Earl knew what he was doing. He was a master manipulator.

Closing my eyes, I tried to think of all the reasons I should hate this. Yet as his finger worked up my slit, none came to mind. I drew a blank, and it pissed me off. The moment he touched my clit, my thoughts were not my own. I lost all focus and gasped again.

“Believe me, Ashley. The last thing I think of when I touch you is that you’re a child.” His lips grazed my skin, and warmth rushed through my body. I was so turned on, I couldn’t even think straight.

“Please.” I didn’t know what I was begging for, but I couldn’t seem to stop myself.

“You see, I can make this easy for both of us. You want me. I can feel how your body responds to me, and you know how desperate I am to feel your virgin cunt wrapped around my dick. It’s all I can think about most days. You’re in my thoughts all the time. Your ass is red because you made me do that to you.”

How dare he? “I didn’t.”

“I’m given a certain level of respect, and if my men think you’re breaking them, I will lose theirs. I’ve built my empire through pain and fear. Don’t make me have to make an example out of you again, Ashley. Now, come for me.”

I wanted to deny him.

I wanted to tell him to go and fuck off and suck his own dick.

Instead, much to my shame, I came at his command. I was weak to him, and what was more, he knew it as well.

****

“What?” Ashley said, brow furrowed as she turned toward me.

I didn’t want to repeat myself because as far as I was concerned, what I just told her was not happy news. “Tomorrow night, we’re going to Crude Hill. You’ll get to see Emily.”

This made her jump off the bed and rush toward me.

Ever since I’d given her an orgasm in the bathroom, I’d kept some distance between us. Her ass had stopped hurting her when she sat down. The truth was I’d had important business to deal with.

I broke my word when I took Ashley away, but I’d kept my promise to the Monsters in keeping Emily safe. I’d arranged for the bounty on her head to be removed. It had cost me a small fortune and a couple of favors, but I’d done it. Mainly because the bounty on Emily’s head was also attached to Ashley.

The moment those assholes took Emily back to Crude Hill, it awakened the bounty and put my woman in danger. I couldn’t have that.

“You heard me.”

“We’re really?” she asked.

“I don’t lie.” That lie fell easily enough.

Some lies needed to be told to help people. Staring at Ashley, I saw the sparkle in her eyes. A jealousy I’d never known before reared up inside me, threatening to consume my very soul.

She reached out and grabbed my arm. “But, does this mean you and I are over?”

 

I turned to her now, giving her my full attention. “I’m going to help protect your friend. Our arrangement, Ashley still stands. Your virginity, all of your firsts, they belong to me now. I’m not going to give them up.”

Taking her to Crude Hill put her in the hands of the Monsters, of Emily. “Let me make one thing perfectly clear. You’re leaving with me. If you give them any reason to try and keep you, or to fight me on this, I will make it my mission to ruin their lives. I will hurt Emily in every single way a man can hurt a woman. I won’t do it myself, but I’ve got plenty of men who don’t mind taking what isn’t offered. She will be nothing more than a shell, and only when I’ve taken every single part of her soul, I’ll kill her, and make you watch everything I do. Do I make myself clear?”

Tears welled in her eyes.

I was angry.

She was hurt.

Ashley licked her lips, her gaze going to my shirt as she gave her head a jerk in acknowledgment.

“Good. Think about that when Emily’s asking you if you’re okay. If you want her to get those bastards of her to stop me.”

“I’ll be good.” Her voice was just above a whisper.

“Get ready.”

I left her alone, slamming and locking the door of my bedroom. This wasn’t part of my plan. With the Monsters on my case, as well as many enemies of my own, I always stayed one step ahead. I’d already gone over the logistics in my head, and the way to get Ashley off the ocean was to deal with the Monsters, keep Emily alive, and then I could take her to my private island, undisturbed.

The ocean normally felt freeing to me.

Since having Ashley with me, my life hadn’t felt normal.

I watched her. Living on my yacht wasn’t healthy for her. Of the food provided, she often only picked at it, and I’d noticed in the few days we’d been here, she was already starting to lose weight.

I didn’t want a skinny bitch in my bed.

Heading back out on deck, I spent an hour organizing the security detail and the necessary plans that would be in place while I was in Crude Hill. For a town, it was a piece of shit. Not a lot of beauty to be had.

The Monsters who had overruled their fathers had done so but not in a good way. If anything, they’d thrown a little temper tantrum, and the town had suffered for it. Not good. They were children doing men’s work. Not that their fathers were any good. They were just as bad, but at least they had more control.

I’d earned a great deal of money from working with them. Swallowing down my pride to make money was easy. Especially as I’d already set my sights on Ashley.

When the time was right, I made my way back to my room where Ashley waited. She stood the moment I appeared.

Holding out my hand, I waited for her to take it. She slid hers into mine. I was aware of how right she felt next to me. Just another reason as far as I was concerned why I needed to keep her.

We walked out of the room, and I took her to where we were docked. My men were all ready, and a car sat waiting.

I helped Ashley inside first, sliding in beside her.

Her body shook a little.

“All you’ve got to do is behave, and it will go well.”

She didn’t speak to me.

My warning to her clearly struck a nerve. I was now pissed off at the quiet, but I didn’t say anything.

Tonight needed to happen.

I didn’t want any more bloodshed, but if she decided to push me, I would strike.

Arriving at the Monsters’ house, I hated the garishness of the property. It was large and pointedly said they were the kings.

The car came to a stop, and Ashley looked nervous.

“Are you sure you can handle this?” I asked.

“Yes. I want to see Emily. I bet she’s so happy.”

I couldn’t give two shits if that woman was happy or not.

Climbing out of the car, I held my hand out for Ashley to take. She did, and we approached the door, which opened.

There they were, Caleb, Gael, Vadik, and River. All four men, looking like they wanted to kill me.

Emily broke the tension as she rushed forward, hugging Ashley as if her life depended on it.

Before Emily could have a chance to fire off questions, Ashley started her accusations at the men. I was proud of her. She wasn’t frightened. Emily kept glaring at me, but I ignored her.

All too soon, Ashley was taken away. One of my men was with her, and I was alone, dealing business with the main assholes who had put us all in this mess in the first place, in the library, of all places.

“You betrayed us, and now you think you can come into our domain and bark orders?” Caleb asked.

I should have known it would be him to start making demands. Pissy fucker. “The only part of our arrangement I didn’t keep was staying too close to you. You think I didn’t know there would be consequences of staying close? That woman has all four of you by the balls. One snap of her fingers, and I’d be dead and Ashley would be free. I’m not that desperate, and I’m certainly not an idiot.”

“What about dealing with our fathers’ prior arrangement to have Emily killed?” Gael asked. “What do you have to say about that?”

“I told you, I broke one part of our agreement. The other, I took care of. There wasn’t a threat to Emily’s life. All of the prior negotiations and bounty are over. I know how your fathers handled that mess, so I knew how to get rid of it.” I didn’t like any of this. It would be so much easier to kill them all, but I didn’t want the Monsters’ business. I was more than happy with my own.

“You knew how to erase it because you put it in place,” Gael said.

This, I couldn’t help but smile at. Gael was right. “Well, well, well, I had to wonder who would figure it out eventually. The fact it was you, I’m rather impressed.” It was why I could make the bounty go away, and why I knew how to do it, the favors to call in, and how to make it stop. Taking a bounty contract away always had certain clauses attached. It was far easier to create a bounty than to take one away.

“Cut the crap. You did this to start with. Did you give them the ammo they needed to take Emily from us?” Caleb asked.

“I need a drink.” I stepped toward the drinks table, pouring myself a large shot of brandy. “Do you want one?”

I got glares as a response.

“That’s our booze, asshole,” River said.

“I know.” I smacked my lips together after taking a sip. “Your fathers, they came to me with so many … options and concerns. They truly felt this girl, Emily, my intended, was a problem. Of course, she was supposed to be my sweet virgin, but we’ll call that water under the bridge. So good. They first wanted to kill Emily. To get one of their MC contacts. Make it look like a complete accident.”

“Let me guess, you decided against that out of the goodness of your heart?”

I laughed. “I’m not that stupid. I’m a man who has built his empire from the ground up. I know you all have had this handed to you on a silver platter. It was so easy for you all, and you merely took it. But for those of us who came from nothing, we had to bleed. You know nothing about me, and anything you do find out, well, it’s not exactly the truth.” I inherited this from my grandfather, but the truth was, I had to bleed to get it. Nothing was given to me. I had to fight for everything I possessed. I played dirty. I’d stopped playing by the rules a long time ago.

“Why don’t you cut the crap and get to the part where we don’t want to kill you? Right now, I’m feeling mighty ready to kill you,” Gael said.

“Patience. Your fathers are not going to take a hit out tonight. They’ve lost one of their own. Congratulations for taking care of him. Ace had been more for me killing Emily.”

“You weren’t down in that basement,” River said. “You don’t know what went on.”

“I do know what they intended, and I was the one who played out what would happen if you guys ever found out what they did. With their own personal sense of loss, they saw my reasoning was sound. They weren’t exactly the sanest people around now, were they?” I finished my shot. “So, I got them to make a deal. If you arrived, I would do as was negotiated. I’d put a hit out on Emily in the case of you following her. I was the one who set it up. Your fathers funded it. If you didn’t arrive, they were going to handle Emily their own way.”

“You think this is your helping your cause right now?” Caleb asked.

“Yes.”

Vadik charged toward me, and I heard my guard draw his gun. Gael pulled out a gun. Caleb and River did the same.

I chuckled. I would be a rich man now. I made a little gamble in my head just how long it would be before they started shooting, and I wasn’t wrong. Assholes.

“Seven years. We’ve been in control for a lot longer than a couple of months. You had the power to bring us what we wanted. Why didn’t you?” Vadik asked.

They really thought I would willingly give them what they want? Did they not live in the same world as me? Nothing was granted without a reason. “You think I’m just going to hand you what you want? I knew you were all time bombs waiting to go off. Your fathers believed with Emily out of the way, they could control you. Week after week, month after month, I heard the damage you all were responsible for. At first, I had to make sure you had taken real power. Your fathers have a lot of friends, which I’m sure you’re more than aware of. Then, I had to go see Emily for myself, to see that she was still alive, and that she’d even work to fit into my plans.”

“Where does Ashley fit into all of this?” River asked.

“She’s my reward.”

“Do you hurt her?” Caleb asked.

“You’ve seen her for yourself. Does she look hurt?” They haven’t checked out her ass, which was a good thing.

“I know there are a great deal of bruises that don’t show up.”

“I don’t hit my women.” Lies were so easy. I didn’t hit, I spanked.

“Don’t treat us like fools. We know what you’re capable of. The bodies that mount up from women you can’t control,” Gael said.

“Actually, that is business, and I have nothing to do with their deaths. To put your minds at rest, I can order Ashley in here to strip and you can see every single inch of her if you’d like, and while you’re checking over my woman, I’ll go to a room, and let’s see what would happen if I was left alone with your woman for as long as you check mine.”

Vadik charged forward, and I was done playing passive. I grabbed my blade and held it ready to strike. These boys didn’t scare me.

“I take my protection seriously. You think I won’t protect what is mine? Ashley is mine. Try to take her from me, and I will make you all suffer in ways you’ve only ever imagined.”

They all stilled.

I waited to see who would test me first. I was almost desperate for it.

Finally, Caleb cleared his throat. “I think it’s time we get down to business and allow our women to catch up.”

It was a damn good choice because it meant we’d all get to live at the end of the day.