Please me with your body

Ivery Clark POV
The dim light from the single lamp in the corner cast long, jagged shadows across the room, its weak glow barely cutting through the suffocating tension I felt in my chest.

I was drowned in a train of thoughts suddenly the creak of the door swinging open sliced through the silence, making me flinch.

And there he was. The devil, Alrigo Valerie King.

My heart twisted in defiance as I took in his presence. He wore a dark three-piece suit, the tailored cut clinging to his broad shoulders and tapering sharply at his perfect waist. He looked less like a man and more like a predator, crafted to conquer anything in his path.

"You look happy." Alrigo's voice slithered through the space between us, low and taunting. "Did you have a pleasant visit with your brother?"

"I don't see why it matters to you," I said evenly, my voice steadier than I felt.

"How disrespectful," he said, his voice low and smooth, "Is this how you show gratitude towards your master who granted your wish?"

The word master hit like a slap, and I flinched despite myself. He noticed, of course—he always noticed—and the gleam in his eyes darkened, filling with something cruel and predatory.

His hand brushed against my chin, tilting my head up so I couldn't avoid the intensity of his gaze. "Do you need me to teach you how to properly be grateful to me, ma bella?"

"You—" My words stumbled under the weight of his dominance. "You think this is kindness?"

"Oh, Ivery," he said, reaching out to trail his knuckles down the side of my face. "Kindness is a luxury I don't extend to just anyone. If you're alive, it's because I chose for you to be. Never forget that."

Something raw and desperate broke in me.

"Thank you," I bit out, hating the way the words shook, "Thank you for letting me meet my brother…master."

For a moment, he stilled. His dark gaze flickered, and I caught the faintest sliver of surprise in his expression.

"Thank you..?" he echoed, his fingers sliding down my neck. "No, that won't do. Gratitude isn't spoken, little pet. It's given."

"You think a few trembling words are enough to satisfy me?" Alrigo's fingers curled around the back of my neck, his grip firm but not painful. "I've crushed men for less disrespect than you've dared to show me."

Without warning, he pushed me down onto the bed, his weight above me making the air catch in my lungs.

"Do your job properly. Satisfy your master with that lowly body you so often pretend is beyond my reach. Isn't that why you were sent? To seduce me, to sell your body to me like the whore you are?"

I flinched at his words, their weight bearing down on me like shackles. For a moment, defiance flared in my chest, bright and burning. But the reality of my situation crushed it almost as quickly.

This wasn't a man I could reason with. Alrigo Valerie King didn't negotiate. He didn't forgive. And my brother's survival was in his hands.

"Fine, you want my body? You can have it, I don't care."

"How arrogant. You think surrender is enough, ma bella?" he drawled, his lips brushing dangerously close to my ear, "I want every ounce of pride you cling to. I want you on your knees, knowing there's no one else in this world who controls you like I do."

"You think controlling me will make you whole, Alrigo?" I forced the words out. "You can take everything—my pride, my body—but you'll never touch my soul."

"Your soul?" Alrigo laughed, "You overestimate its worth, Ivery. I don't need it to possess you."

His lips crushed against mine, rough and possessive. The tears I swore not to shed threatened to spill as his hand moved to my waist, pulling me closer.

Suddenly, his grip slackened. I heard his sharp intake of breath as the first tear rolled down my cheek. His eyes fixed on that single tear with an intensity that made me shiver.

Without warning, he released his hold and sat back. "Stop crying," he growled, but there was something strange in his voice that I couldn't place. "Your tears won't change anything."

His sudden withdrawal terrified me more than his aggression. What new form of punishment was this? I tried to stifle my sobs but couldn't. My body shook with each suppressed breath, waiting for the inevitable pain.

"I said stop." His voice was dangerously low. His hand moved so quickly I flinched, but instead of the strike I expected, his fingers brushed against my cheek, wiping away tears with unexpected gentleness. "This pathetic display disgusts me."

The softness of his touch contrasted so sharply with his cruel words that it only scared me more. I caught a glimpse of his other hand gripping the bedsheet, knuckles white. This had to be another one of his games, another way to break me.

"You betrayed me, Ivery." His voice rose with anger, even as his thumb continued its gentle path down my cheek. "You lied to my face, used me—" He cut himself off abruptly, jaw clenched.

My chest felt like it was caving in under the weight of his accusation and that bewildering touch.

"The Surñios' next trade is on Valencia Street," I whispered through my tears, my voice trembling yet clear.
He stilled instantly, his hand freezing against my cheek. His eyes narrowed dangerously. "What?"

"The trade. It's happening tomorrow. The dockyards, Valencia Street. Weapons."