Dominant

Chapter 18

Richard hands me ibuprofen and helps me grab the glass of water from the tableside. I'm so uneasy. I'm mainly in pain, but I have so many questions that the physical pain feels like nothing.

"Richard, did he do this to you?" I say quietly. His eyes meet mine, painted an ocean blue of fear. He looks away and heads for the bathroom. I hate to admit it, but my quarters are far better than his. I wonder if that's Mark's doing. How many misters have slept in my room upstairs?

"I guess he told you of our relations. It was... It was something I didn't want, but...." He says hesitantly. So he did... But he said everything he did to his lovers was consented to.

"Did you ever tell him no?" I mumble, staring at the glass of water in my hands.

"He said I could, but... I was terrified of him. I wouldn't dare tell him no. Tonight was the only night I ever raised my voice to him. I'm surely gonna be fired. But I just saw what he did to you... Please, Ryland. You don't need that man! I thought I did. I put up with his sick sexual exploits for so long. You don't have to! If you marry him, he will go right back to it." He says, tears forming in his eyes. He blinks them away as they drag down his pink stained cheeks. "He is not your prince charming. He dresses the part. He talks the part. Makes you believe you are the love of his life and that he will change for you, but he doesn't. Look at the woman you saw before. She is a prime example of what that sicko made of her."

I tense up. "He told you he loved you?.."

Richard looks away and sighs. "In the heat of vicious sex, he will say anything to keep your pants down and moaning. Did he ever say I love you? When you guys weren't sleeping together?"

I look down and think. Come to think of it. He never has. He always just said he needed me. That's it.

"No..." I mumble.

Richard nods "That's how he is. He won't say it. Never. He doesn't wanna marry you, Ryland."

I sniff back a little as everything begins to make sense. "Do you have a phone? I wanna call Donivan."

He nods, pulling out his phone and handing it to me. Mark walks in slowly as Richard wraps me in a fluffy blanket. Richard glares at him as he blocks his view of me.

"Richard, if you knew what was good for you right now, you would walk your ass to the side. And let me see my fiancé." He growls, glaring at him. Richard shivers, beginning to shake in fear.

"I won't, you don't scare me anymore, Mark. You can't hurt me anymore. And I will not let you hurt Ryland anymore. I will protect him until the moment Donivan picks him up. If I never see him again after that. It will be a miracle he didn't come back." He says shakily, balling up his fists.

Mark stares at him for a minute. Slowly stepping forward, making Richard sink down in fear. "Kneel." He whispers.

"I do not follow your orders anymore." Richard says sternly.

"I SAID FUCKING KNEEL!" Mark yells, causing Richard to fall to his knees. He tucks his head down as Mark looks at me. "You see what I did to him? You aren't like him. Or like anyone else. I never want you to be like him. I want to marry you, Ryland. I don't want you to be like the others."

"You can't even say I love you! Why the fuck would I ever trust you after all you have shown me you are capable of?!"

"Is that all you want from me?" He says, laughing bitterly.

I look away from him, my cheeks burning red. "I just want a normal day. And a normal fiancé. Just say you love me!"

Mark stares at me, mouth agape "I-I.... Ryland, I need you and..."

"THAT'S NOT WHAT I WANT! IT'S ONLY THREE WORDS!"