She swung again, the pain even more terrible than the first now that I knew what it would be like. I forced myself to keep silent even as the tears squeezed from my eyes. “Two. Thank you.”
“I’m impressed,” Syn said. “Last one. Make it count. This is a good spot,” he said, his fingers coming to the crease between my bottom and thighs.
The final stroke was the hardest of all and I heard Helena grunt with its delivery. Lara pressed down hard on my hands then and it took all I had not to move out of position. Lara’s face was only a few inches from mine, her cheeks wet with tears, her sympathetic weeping having increased with each stroke that fell.
“Three,” I exhaled, out of breath. “Thank you.”
I remained as I was while Syn’s fingers traced the welts softly. “Will you ever call Helena a fucking bitch again, Eva?”
“No, sir,” I said, desperate now to be let up, to cover myself, to rub my poor, punished bottom.
“Good girl. Straighten up now. And don’t rub.”
I stood, my face feeling hot when I met first his gaze, then Helena’s. Her eyes glowed bright with victory.
“Helena, hand the cane to Eva.”
“What?” the blonde asked, pulling back.
“Well, I assume she didn’t just call you a fucking bitch out of the blue. There is no black or white in life. Only gray. And I find the cane to be a perfect way to deal with all of that gray.”
“But…”
“Hand it to her. Now. Then turn around, bend over and raise your skirt. You,” he pointed at one of the women. “You’ll hold her down while she takes her strokes.”
I stood with my mouth open, trying to process, trying to keep my hands at my sides rather than rubbing the pain from my bottom. He wanted me to cane her?
“Syn…” Helena began in her most seductive voice.
He shook his head. “Sir. It’s ‘sir.’ Now hand over the cane, bend over and take your punishment with the grace Eva showed us.”
I couldn’t believe my eyes as she reluctantly offered me the cane. When I simply stood staring at it, Syn took hold of my wrist, and pressed it into my hand.
“I can’t,” I said, holding the cane out to him. “I don’t want to. Sir.”
I felt Helena’s gaze burning into me but I kept my eyes on Syn who looked confused.
“You’re saying you don’t want to give back what she gave you?”#p#分页标题#e#
The entrance flaps of the tent flipped back, and Gabriel stepped inside, his keen gaze assessing the situation.
I raised my chin, determined I would not do this, and met Syn’s gaze. “No, sir. I… would not.”
He studied me for what felt like an eternity and I wondered what I’d do if he made me cane her or made me take more strokes until I was willing to punish Helena back. Could I do that? Would I?
“I’m sorry, but I won’t.”
This was who I was. This was who I would remain, even in captivity.
Syn nodded and took the cane back. He turned to one of the soldiers who stood by. “Take them outside.”
The girls all filed out slowly and I followed, feeling Gabriel’s gaze on me as I made my way out of the tent. Helena didn’t join us and it wasn’t long after that that I heard the sounds of female cries coming from inside the tent. I didn’t feel happy about it. I didn’t gloat. I felt like crying with her, even if she had been wrong, even if she had been horrible to both Lara and me. She was a victim, like the rest of us.
Sadness overcame me when I saw a teary-eyed and naked Helena approach with her hands at the back of her head, joining us in the line. Even though she glared daggers at me, I only wanted to cry at the hopelessness of our situation.
Chapter Seven
“Single file, eyes on me,” Gabriel began. “Let’s go.”
We all turned from Helena to him while she took her place at the end of the line, her hands still clasped at the back of her head. Syn followed her out, holding the cane casually at his side, no smile on his face, nothing that would hint at him having enjoyed punishing Helena. He did make a point of looking directly at me though as if to say something, to send some message. All I knew was that in that moment, I wasn’t afraid of him — but I also didn’t hate him. I somehow found him to be just, as insane as the notion seemed given the circumstances.
“Evangeline, are you having difficulty hearing me?” Gabriel asked.
One corner of Syn’s lip turned up and he shook his head, as if expecting me to disobey.
I snapped my gaze to Gabriel. “No.”
“No, what?”
My whole body shuddered at his question. I fisted my hands and my belly tensed. He waited, but he didn’t have to wait long as the fresh, still throbbing stripes on my bottom reminded me what would happen if I did not obey these men. “No, sir.”