“I’m sorry if it frightened you. That wasn’t my intent.”
“You’re frightening me now.”
“I’m not here to hurt you.”
“Then why are you here? Why do you have a knife?”
His hand drifted down her abdomen. “The knife is just a precaution. I’m not a monster.”
She grabbed his wrist, halting him from going any farther. “If you don’t remove your hand, I’ll scream. I don’t care who comes running. If you want me to get that account information, then you can’t kill me. You can’t even hurt me. So get the hell out of my room, and don’t come back.”
He pulled away and got up from the bed. “You’re braver than I thought. I’ll go . . . for now. But remember, the longer it takes for you to find that bank account, the more opportunities I’ll have to come back. You understand?”
She swallowed thickly. “Yes.”
She waited until he was gone before jumping out of bed and pushing her nightstand in front of the door. Then she dropped to the floor, wrapped her arms around her knees, and cried.
Chapter Fourteen
DANIELLE HAD BARELY slept.
That was the third night in a row she’d gone without sleep. With the knowledge that she wouldn’t be safe even behind a locked door, she didn’t think she’d be able to sleep until this was all over.
While having breakfast with the trainees, she’d fallen asleep midbite, the chocolate donut still in her mouth when Gracie had shaken her by the shoulder. After, she’d scarfed down the rest of it and two cups of black coffee so she’d have enough energy to make it through the day.
She and the trainees were brought to the dungeon for a flogging demonstration.
With a duffel bag at his feet, Master Michael stood in front of a steel frame that reminded Danielle of a horizontal bar used in gymnastics, with a trapeze-like contraption hanging from it. Leather restraints dangled from the trapeze and were also attached to the bottom sides of the frame.
All the trainees, including Danielle, gathered in a semicircle in front of the structure. Completely drained despite the sugar and caffeine, she swayed on her feet, knocking into Lily.
Michael held a black flogger in his hands. “Today I’m going to demonstrate some different flogging techniques. Although the majority of you will remain slaves after you leave here, a few of you may take the Dominant role at some point in the future. Either way, it’s important that you be familiar with proper technique.” His eyes searched the trainees until they landed on her. “I need a volunteer. Danielle, since you’re new and haven’t had the chance to play much in the dungeon, why don’t you help me today?”
Though his expression hadn’t changed, she swore she saw lust in his eyes. She didn’t know how to feel about that. While he was striking with his dark wavy hair and gray eyes, she wasn’t attracted to him. But this wasn’t about sex. He was just doing his job.
Taking a deep breath, she moved to stand beside him, facing the trainees.
“Remove your clothes,” Master Michael said casually.
Okay, now she was wide awake. There was nothing casual about taking her clothes off in front of a room of people. Her pulse skyrocketed as she looked out at the trainees. Part of her still rebelled at the idea of exposing her body, worried about the trainees’ reactions. What if they laughed or were disgusted by her?
As she slowly peeled off her top, she thought of Cole calling her beautiful. She could do this. In fact, she wanted to do this. Being naked in front of an audience was her fantasy brought to life, and while her mind was conflicted, her body was on board with the idea, her nipples tightening and her pussy dampening as she slid her skirt down her legs and bared herself completely.
Michael continued his tutorial. “There are several pieces of equipment that can be used to support a slave during a flogging, the most popular of which are the spanking bench and the St. Andrew cross. But using this bondage frame is perfect when you want to have access to both front and back. Face, neck, and head are three obvious areas to avoid. But you should also avoid fingers, toes, the kidneys, and the spine.” He ran his hand down her back and guided her beneath the frame, then brought her arms over her head. “Grip the bar with both hands, and spread your legs apart about two feet.”
Her heart beat wildly as he secured her wrists with the leather bindings, then bent and did the same to her ankles. “Are they too tight?” he asked.
She shook her head. “No. They’re fine, Master Michael.”
He moved behind her, so she could no longer see what he was doing. She concentrated on breathing and listening to his lecture.