Total pages in book: 85
Estimated words: 80576 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 403(@200wpm)___ 322(@250wpm)___ 269(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 80576 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 403(@200wpm)___ 322(@250wpm)___ 269(@300wpm)
“Enough,” he interrupts.
My heart beats so hard against my chest that I’m positive I could die from the hysteria overwhelming me. I can’t believe Apollo is even considering this. He’s always been focused on reputation and the family name until this time. He wouldn’t dare soil our standing in high society. Regardless of how he feels about me, parading his wife in nothing but a bunny tail and a diamond collar is the type of scandal we can’t come back from.
I get up and walk to the mirror to see if my image is as bad as I think it is. The heavy chain of the leash drags behind me, only pulling at the collar more. When I see my reflection in the mirror, the contrast of the dark metal with sparkling diamonds to my skin makes my awful situation even more of a reality. Staring back at me is nothing but a pet, collared, chained, captive.
Spinning to glare at Apollo, I say, “You can’t be serious! I can’t go anywhere dressed like this. If you want to punish me, do it in private. Not for all to see.”
No response.
“Please! I swear to you I’ll be good. I’ll be good and never give you an issue again. I wouldn’t dare betray you or any of the Godwins again. I think you know that or you’d have killed me. But Apollo…” I point to the bunny tail and then the collar. “Please think about what people will say. I’ll never be able to show my face on this island again.” He still says nothing. “I don’t need to be in a collar and tail to be your pet. Can’t we do this… Whatever you have planned in the privacy of Olympus? I’ll fucking crawl on hands and knees all night if that helps. Just keep this…punishment…our secret.”
No response.
My chest constricts, and I wheeze with all my might to take in some air. I’ll die of embarrassment, mortification, and… No punishment could be worse than this. All eyes will be on me.
Daphne Godwin dressed as a sex bunny. Naked. Vulnerable. Being walked in The Vault by a collar.
This is Apollo’s way of destroying me. Not killing me… destroying me.
Crumpling down to the ground, I pull my knees to my chest and allow the tears to fall. If Apollo’s goal was to break me, then he succeeded. I now know he will not kill me. That was never the plan. His plan was to bring me to my knees and have me submit to his every command. His plan was to break me, not kill me. But maybe I want to die. Maybe I want to die so I don’t have to endure this humiliation any longer.
I’m so lost in my misery that I don’t hear Apollo approach me. For a moment, I actually forgot he’s even in the room.
Looking up at him with tears streaming down my face, I beg, “Please, Apollo. You, out of all people, know. You know how hard I’ve worked to change people’s view of me. It was so hard to be the respected, distinguished, admired Mrs. Godwin that you wanted in a wife. Don’t take that all away by forcing me to attend an event like this.”
“Did you worry about the Godwin name when you tried to have me arrested for murder?” he asks. “Did you care about the Godwin name when my brother was crucified by the media even before his trial began? Did you care about what people were saying about us or thinking about us then? Why care now?”
“It was a mistake,” I choke out. “An awful mistake I wish I could take back. But Apollo… I beg you.” I pull at the collar to emphasize my appeal.
He kneels down beside me and looks me straight in the eyes. “Look at me and know that I’ll never let your name get soiled. I may dirty up this body of yours, but I’d let no one say or think anything negative about you. Not as long as you are my wife.” He places his fingertip on my cheek and strokes softly. “It’s called The Vault for a reason. What happens in that bank will never breech the walls. Never. What happens tonight is just as private as what we’ve done in the cloak of this manor.”
I shake my head. “People talk. You and I both know how toxic the talk of Heathens Hollow can be. I don’t want to go back to being that girl from the Eastside of the island. You saved me from that. Please don’t make me go back to being that person.”
He moves his fingertip and gently runs it along the collar where it meets my neck. He dips his finger between the metal and flesh and says, “Tonight, we can be anyone we want. I don’t have to be Apollo, and you don’t have to be Daphne. You are simply my bunny and I your master.”