Mabel Shot

"Sieta had no fault at all... I asked her to take me," I murmur, dragging my feet on the bed, bringing my knees close to my belly and looking at the sheets.
"What did I tell you that I can't tolerate, the first time you came to my house, Mabel?" Czar cuts me off, speaking sternly and letting me hear his deep breathing.
I shrink even more, recalling him threatening to hit me if I lied to him because he can't stand lies.
"Lies, they make your hand itch to hit my ass until it hurts so much that I'll never forget you," I whisper, glancing quickly in his direction and seeing him sitting in the armchair, staring at the Ottoman painting.
"You're already in enough trouble, little bird. I advise you not to add lies to your list of punishments!" He turns his face toward me and glares, making me automatically look away and return my gaze to the sheets.
Czar was already in the room when I woke up, silent and dangerous, sitting in the meticulously arranged armchair a few feet from the foot of the bed, telling me he had spent some hours there watching me sleep. He simply pointed to the breakfast tray on the dresser next to the bed. If it were any other moment, I might have said I wasn't hungry, but his brown eyes, devoid of emotion and with a dark look, made me suppress my decision to refuse breakfast. The silence in the room was three times worse than his icy glare on me while I took a glass of juice and ate a cracker, which was the limit I could push into my mouth without an ounce of appetite, before returning the tray to its place.
I knew he was angry. His jaw was clenched, arms crossed over his chest, warning me to be careful with the words that would come out of my mouth. I listened silently as he told me he was arriving at the gallery the moment he saw me leaving in the car with Sieta. He followed us to the club and was maneuvering to find a parking spot, and when he entered, searching for me inside the club, he found me having a panic attack in the middle of the dance floor. He called a doctor to medicate and take care of me, which explains why I woke up at 10 a.m. I had been drugged.
"Look at me, Mabel," Czar commands, making me lift my head to look at him. "What happened last night?"
I bite the corner of my mouth and hug my legs tighter, rubbing my chin against my knee, looking at him.
"I don't know, I felt scared..." I murmur cowardly, unable to find words to explain the horrible sensations I felt suddenly.
"What made you feel scared, Mabel?" Czar uncrosses his arms, resting them on the arms of the chair.
"I guess everything, the small place, the bunch of people squeezing in, the smells..." I close my eyes and remember the perfume I smelled, which makes me shrink even more, swaying my body slowly back and forth while sitting on the bed. "I felt scared, a suffocating feeling, a different kind of suffocation, like a hand was crushing my heart. I felt like I was going to die, and with every passing second that I couldn't get away from those people, the stronger the idea that I would die became..."
I release my legs and rub my face, inhaling sharply and closing my eyes.
"It wasn't Sieta's fault; I lied to her." I lean my chin back on my knee and hug my legs. "Sieta asked me if I was okay, if I wanted her to take me to you, but I lied and said I was fine..."
"What happened before that?" Czar interrupts, asking seriously. "Look at me, little bird."
I do what he says, not knowing if I should ask about his mother or not.
"Nothing, nothing happened..." I decide not to ask, not wanting to touch his wounds; I can barely handle mine. "I'm just worried about my friend Macro."
"Your companion who took you to Sodom?" Czar studies me, looking taciturn.
"That's him," I sigh, leaning my back against the headboard of the bed and stretching my legs, rubbing my hands on the sheets. "He hasn't responded to my messages or calls for a few days now. It's not the first time he's disappeared, but I still worry."
"Why didn't you tell me about this? Your worries are my worries, Mabel!"
"There was no reason. As I said, it's not the first time he's disappeared." I look at Czar and see something different in his eyes, as if a shadow were hovering over his head. Something happened last night; I didn't see the moment he arrived or when he left. "I didn't want to bring you more problems."
"That's the kind of thing I decide."
"Sometimes I feel like you treat me as if I were made of crystal, that needs to be constantly cared for and protected." I shake my head, looking at him. "I’m not made of crystal, Mr. Gregovivk; I can handle my problems. I've always handled them."
"Just like you handled them last night. Instead of coming straight to me, you preferred to lie!" Czar turns his face to the window, punishing me further by not looking at me.

Unable to bear having his eyes away from me, I slowly drag myself to the foot of the bed, slide my body to the floor, and crawl toward him. His brown eyes turn to me as his head swivels in my direction. I see him seriously watching me, his brown eyes darkening, and even with all the darkness I see there, my heart races faster. I don't want him to be angry with me; I don't want him to be upset with Sieta. I don’t know what’s making him nervous, but I know there’s something more hidden behind his predator eyes.
My knees slide across the carpet as I get closer to him, and I let my eyes drop to the ground. My hands grip his legs, running over the thick fabric of his jeans. I keep climbing up them until I get closer to his lap. I catch his woodsy scent as I lift my body up. His chest rises and falls faster, studying every movement I make. I let my fingers trail up his body, moving to his chest and feeling the coolness of the fabric of his shirt. His warm breath touches my skin, mingling with the air that escapes his mouth.
"I've always been alone, Czar; I'm stronger than you think," I murmur, tracing the line of his face with my fingers. "I won't have your care forever; I'm aware that I'll be alone again when the game is over. I can't get used to turning to you every time I can't handle my craziness..."
I bring my face closer and rub the tip of my nose against his, breathing softly and feeling the warmth of his breath.
"Don't think I'm not going to punish you, little bird," Czar says softly, but not as a threat or an order for me to stop. His fingers smooth my hair back, keeping his eyes locked on mine.
My fingers glide over his chest, passing by his throat and moving up to his chin until my hands are caressing his face.
"I'm sorry, sir," I whisper, adjusting my bottom on his leg, smoothing the side of his face.
I watch as his dark eyes slowly close at my touch. I run my fingers over his eyebrows, tracing each part of them. I slide my fingers from the tip of his nose to touch his lips, and in a surge of impulse, I lean forward and place a chaste kiss on his lips. I feel the hardness of his mouth, which he allows me to touch. I smile and gently pull back, leaving a short distance between us. His brown eyes are lighter when they open, and his face appears relaxed. His mouth forms a small smile that doesn't quite come out, as if he doesn't want to admit he liked what I did. His large hands fit around my face, smoothing my hair back behind my ear.
"Don't think you're going to escape the punishment," he says quietly, letting his fingers slide over my mouth. "And you can be sure it will be unforgettable, little bird." He raises his eyes to mine and squeezes my chin with a bit more force.
I look at him and nod my head in agreement, giving a mischievous smile, lowering my gaze to his neck and watching his Adam's apple rise and fall.
"I wouldn't expect anything less, sir," I whisper, lifting my eyes to his, getting lost in the warm brown that takes my breath away.
"Provocative, stubborn, and undisciplined." Czar shakes his head and lets out a long whistle. "That's a lot of punishment for your little body to receive, Mabel!"