Theirs To Take(40)

“I’m sorry.”

“Clean them.”

I searched his eyes before taking my attention to his shoes. With trembling hands, I reached out to wipe the dirt from them, managing only to smear earth over their otherwise immaculate polish.

Without a word, he closed his fingers over a handful of hair at the back of my head and hauled me to my feet. Whimpering, I rose, covering his hand with my own, trying in vain to alleviate some of the pain. His eyes scanned me from head to toe and with his free hand, he tore the dress from me in one swift motion.

I screamed. It was the only thing I could do as the once pretty yellow material floated down to the ground, leaving me naked and exposed.

“And look at what you’ve done to yourself with this silly game.”

He moved my head so that he forced me to look down at myself, at the cuts on my naked body.

“I don’t think you understand, Eva, but perhaps that’s our fault,” he said, turning me to walk back toward the house, back to where Gabriel stood waiting, his arms folded across his chest, talking to Thomas and Caroline as they all watched our return. I was too far away to hear what Gabriel said to them and Syn’s hand tugging painfully on my hair had my full attention.

“Perhaps we’ve not been very clear about things, although how you misinterpreted this morning’s instruction is beyond me.”

We reached the driveway and walked on the gravel now, my feet hurting from the little jagged stones.

“You belong to us,” Syn continued. “You are now the property of Gabriel and myself.”

I looked at him, confused by his words. I knew this, didn’t I? I had known it from the moment Syn had said those words to the man who would have bought me: That one isn’t for sale.

But I had been for sale and I’d been bought — by them.

“And we take care of our things,” he said, shaking his head as he looked at the state I was in, but at least he released me when we reached the others.

“Just look at what you’ve done to yourself,” Caroline scolded, shaking her head as she looked me over from head to toe.

I looked at Gabriel but he didn’t speak, he just watched me, his expression hard, foreboding.

“Let’s get her cleaned up,” Syn said from behind me. “Caroline, make her something to eat too. I don’t want her passing out on me while I’m caning her.”

I turned to him, his words chilling me.

“Wouldn’t be any fun if that happened, would it?” he asked me.

“I’ll serve her dinner early,” Caroline said. She pointed to the men. “You’ll be eating afterwards?”

Gabriel nodded, his eyes still locked upon me.

“Can you walk or do you want me to carry you?” Syn asked in a deceptively gentle tone.

I looked up at him. He confused me, they both did. They could be so gentle in one breath and in the next, so cruel.

“I can walk,” I said.

He gestured for me to go ahead and the three on the stairs leading up to the front doors parted, allowing me to pass. Shame heated my face as I did. I hung my head and walked naked between the brothers as well as the servants, all of them knowing I was about to be punished.

“Up to your room, Evangeline,” Gabriel said.

I climbed the stairs with the brothers behind me. Once to my room, Gabriel opened the door for me.

“Into the bathroom.”

I obeyed and stood to the side as they ran a bath, checking the temperature before helping me to climb in. My cuts stung, but I lowered myself into the tub as Syn unwrapped a bar of soap and picked up a washcloth.#p#分页标题#e#

“Did you send the ransom note?” I asked, tears clouding my vision. “Are you really going to do that to me?” I choked on that part, feeling so completely alone when for some reason, some strange reason, I’d somehow come to trust these two men. The note felt like a betrayal.

Gabriel switched off the water. “You weren’t supposed to see the paper,” he said, placing his hand on the top of my head. “The girl made a mistake bringing it. Big breath in.”

That didn’t exactly answer my question, but before I could open my mouth to ask anything else, he pushed on the top of my head, plunging me beneath the water and holding me there. I think I tried to scream as I scrambled to come up for air but his hand prevented me doing so until he pulled me out again.

I gasped for breath, terrified now that they would drown me.

“Once more, this time take that big breath,” he said, pushing down again before I could think.

He pulled me back up and took the bottle of shampoo.

“Let me out!” I screamed, wanting out of the tub now, trapped between these two men. “Let me out!”