Caging Cadence Ch. 04

Maybe that was the point. Maybe there was something to this sadistic, full-frontal assault against her backside. The pain wasn't pleasurable, not really - but it was satisfying. It made her feel better in a way she could not describe. It hurt in a way that made her desperate to know how much more she could endure.

By the time David asked her to choose how many strikes she had left, she couldn't imagine what the world would be like when he stopped. There was nothing but the count and the consistency of each strike that came afterward. Even the way he gave her a light spank on her ass made her crave more, made her wonder why he was stopping when the only thing she had been counting on for so long was the inevitability of the next hit. She had breathlessly, almost brainlessly, chosen more, postponing the inevitable ending for as long as she could.

She didn't know where she would be when it was over, who she would be. She was terrified and enthralled, desperate for more and desperate for it to end. It was wicked and wonderful and it made her sick to her stomach.

"Thirty-six?" she squeaked, after David's playful slap on her ass with his hand.

"You wish," he admonished her, unable to completely mask his laughter. She felt a tiny swell of pleasure in her chest. "Don't push your luck."

She clenched her fists, face screwed up in anticipation, waiting for the next heavy, satisfying blow on her ass.

It didn't come. Cadence frowned, her eyes opening, turning her head.

David caught her looking - but he had a sheepish look on his face. He pushed something into his back pocket, eyes darting away from her anxiously.

Something had changed, something she had missed completely. His confident, sadistic manner was slipping - she could glimpse the normal man beneath.

It put her off. Now wasn't the time. She was still riding her high from the pain, still certain that she could take more. What could have possibly distracted him?

"Wait here," he said, distracted.

He disappeared, leaving the closet door open. Cadence didn't even consider trying to escape - she was bound too well, and in too much pain to get far alone. Her heart pounded. She licked her lips, her mouth suddenly dry and scratchy. He was gone, and now there was nothing but the silence and the pain.

For the first time, Cadence found herself feeling excited for what lay ahead. She carried a foreign but fierce pride for having gotten through so much of his punishment. She was exhausted, wrung out, but it felt a bit like the pleasant pain that accompanied a good workout. She hadn't expected to feel this way. When David had hurt her before, she had been so scared it would get worse.

Having a goal in mind, a set number of strikes, and then stopping before they reached it - it felt wrong, and she didn't understand why.

Her trepidation rose the longer she stood there, still strapped to the ceiling. Her marks began to throb more exquisitely, her adrenaline ebbing away, taking its soothing endorphins with it. The clamps on her nipples and cunt hurt more when he wasn't hitting her. She wished he had removed them before he left.

Was this a part of her punishment? She didn't think so. He had looked worried, off-balance.

She looked up at the ceiling, at the straps binding her arms above her. One glance was enough to tell her that she wouldn't be able to get free on her own. She found that she didn't want to, anyway. That was his job, his responsibility as the dominant, wasn't it?

Why did he just leave her hanging like this?

It wasn't just the end of her punishment she was missing now. The only other time David had left her bound and degraded was after he came on her face, earlier in the day. He had been so angry, so riled up. It made sense when he left her tied up and alone then. But every other time, he had taken time to talk to her, to put her into a more neutral, comfortable position to wait in.

Now, he had left so quickly, she couldn't even try to guess why.

Several more minutes passed before David returned. She craned her neck as he walked in, trying to see his face. He kept his head bowed and his back to her, as if he were hiding. Cadence felt a thrill of fear.

He set some things on the table nearby, then walked around to her front and reached for the clamps on her body He was completely clothed now, wearing a different shirt and a different pair of jeans. Cadence furrowed her brow, confused.

He twisted the clamps, loosening them, setting her nipples free. She cried out as blood and feeling returned, shocked at how much more this hurt than just keeping the clamps on. David pulled the clamps off her labia as well - she had only a second to feel relieved before she learned that the feeling of blood rushing back into her pussy was far from pleasant. She cursed, dancing in place, her knees drifting together automatically.

He walked away and came back, standing in front of her, his hands moving quickly. She noticed he was shaking, and that he kept glancing over her shoulder at the bedroom behind her. He was holding the roll of duct tape from before - he must have gone to the downstairs bathroom to retrieve it. Her arms and legs were already immobilized, so there was only one place the tape could be going.

"Wait, please, sir -" she said, but he reached out and cruelly pinched her nipple, making her cry out.

"I don't have time for that," he snapped. "Shut up and stay still."

Her first inclination was to struggle, but she paused. This moment of hesitation was long enough. David pushed a strip of duct tape over her mouth, pressing down the edges, making sure it was adhered tightly to her face. Cadence took a few deep breaths through her nose, gazing up at him imploringly, wondering what she could have possibly done to earn such an abrupt shift in scene. David double-checked her bindings, tugging on the chains keeping her bound to the ceiling.

Finally, he took a deep breath, casting one final, careful look over her shoulder.

Then he took her by the chin, lifting her face so her eyes met his. She struggled to read his expression - was he angry? Frightened? Both? What could she have done?

"I didn't plan this," he said plainly, "but I have to go deal with something right now. I need you to stay here and...and be a good girl, okay?"

He reached into his back pocket, his face sober, almost sad. He retrieved the pocket knife he had threatened her with earlier, opening it and holding it close to her face. She trembled, her heart beating faster. She shook her head fearfully, trying to plead with him with her eyes, but he ignored her.

"Whatever you hear...whatever happens, don't make a sound," he warned her. "Don't try to draw attention to yourself. Don't even move. Just...stay still and stay quiet." He swallowed, looking nervous, changing his grip on the knife.

"If you don't, I'll make sure you both regret it."

He pushed the tip against her skin, not enough to draw blood - just enough to get her attention. She held her breath, trying not to so much as shiver, feeling the tip of the knife pressing into her soft cheek.

"This wasn't supposed to happen. I never expected - it doesn't matter. If you fuck this up, I'll make you bleed. And I'll make her watch. I don't want to, but if she hears you or sees you...I will. Don't test me." He pulled the knife back an inch, so it was no longer touching her. "Nod if you understand."

She nodded slowly, still confused. What did he mean by 'both' and 'her'? Had he somehow gotten Lily to come over, despite his promises?

"Good," he breathed, looking a little relieved. "Just wait here. For the record - I'm sorry."

She watched as he walked around her, hearing him exit the closet, locking the door behind him.

It felt like another eternity, waiting there for something to happen. She felt better with the clamps gone, but the pain in her thighs and ass was made sharper with their absence. She ached all over - she was desperate to change position, to sit down, to stretch her arms and her legs and take some time to process everything that had happened. She would even appreciate time in her cage, if it meant she could rest, could take a break from bondage.

She heard a loud thump outside, in her mother's bedroom. She started, turning her head, wishing she could move closer to the door, to find out what was happening. David's low, confident voice drifted through the wood, but she couldn't make out the exact words. It sounded like a question.

And then - horribly, unmistakably - Cadence her heard mother laugh.

It was a familiar sound. Laura was prone to laughter, even in moments that weren't appropriate for it. She chuckled when she was nervous. She would burst into cackling hysterics when she was angry, cover up her sadness with jokes. She laughed all the time, but Cadence could count on one hand the number of times it had sounded genuinely mirthful.

It was a sound she knew so well, and right now, it made her blood run cold.

Laura was home. Laura was back from her case - whether permanently or temporarily, Cadence had no way of knowing. And David was with her, right now, making her laugh.

While Cadence stood, tied up and freshly beaten, in their dungeon.

Cadence was shocked at the flame of jealousy she felt burning up inside of her. It was quickly replaced with resentment, as she remembered everything David had said before he left. Be still and silent, don't draw any attention to yourself, or you'll both regret it.

Cadence understood now why he had left her bound, why he had taped her mouth shut. If he had released her, locked her in her cage, she would have had far more mobility, more options to make noise - the bars of the cage itself would ring like an alarm if she hit them right. David, knowing Laura, had suspected he and Cadence's mother would end up in her bedroom. He didn't want to give Cadence any opportunity to signal for help.

It had been easier to push her mother out of her mind over the past few days, to willfully forget David's relationship with her.

She could hear everything happening in the bedroom far too clearly, in light of that.

When she heard her mother's first moan - shocked but delighted - Cadence felt her cheeks burn crimson.

They were clearly close to the closet door. She heard David speak again, using the low, stern voice he often used on Cadence.

Cadence felt disgusted to discover that these sounds were increasing her excitement, making her wetter. She tried to reason it away - she was still just turned on from her punishment; it had been a long weekend of sexual awakening and torment, she was bound to feel something when she heard such noises. She felt too much about it, really - jealousy and anger tinged with a hint of longing that made her squirm with guilt.

That's your mother, she admonished herself. You're disgusting.

Cadence braced herself, trying to ignore the sounds of pleasure building on the other side of the door.

She heard a few sharp smacks, and her mother's delighted squeals in response. Shaking with anger, Cadence closed her eyes and tried to block it out.

A moment later, she winced and started as something heavy collided with the closet door. David and Laura were clearly pushed up against the wood - and now, no matter what Cadence did, she could hear every little noise they both made - all too clearly.

Planned or not, this was the worst thing David had ever done to her.

Unable to stop herself, Cadence took a deep breath through her nose and screamed as loud as she could.

***

"Done for today, thank Christ. I'll be home in fifteen, but only for an hour or two. I really need to blow off some steam."

One text message, and everything David had carefully planned for the weekend was ruined.

As he read the words Laura had written, he felt himself starting to panic. It was rare for his girlfriend to return home during a case. She had access to most worldly comforts at her office and the gym nearby - plus the law library and paralegals, which she needed for case research. She didn't like to step away from cases until they were finished. She claimed an ambitious drive, but David knew better - Laura was never meant for a domestic life. Her office was practically her second home, minus the inconvenience of her daughter living there.

That meant there was only one reason Laura would be coming back, especially during such a short break - she wanted to fuck.

This wasn't a part of the plan. For one thing, in spite of David's bravado towards Cadence earlier, he was running out of stamina. After Cadence's punishment, he had had a lowkey night planned - they both needed time to recover for the main event tomorrow. When he reflected on everything they had done together that day, he felt dizzy. She had endured so much, had (unwillingly) given him so many first-time experiences. This last punishment was meant to be the climax, the final sadistic crescendo - and tomorrow, tomorrow was supposed to be the day he showed her the other side.

He hadn't planned on either of them getting off again today, not when he knew what he wanted to do tomorrow.

Leaving Cadence tied up, David leapt to action, moving through the house quickly. He found every last shred of evidence that Cadence was home, that she and he had spent a kinky day together - he cleaned up her school debris in the kitchen, found the duct tape and his knife, and fixed up Laura's bed so it didn't look as though he and her daughter had been rolling around in it only an hour before.

Then he returned to Cadence, full of trepidation, trying to think of how he could possibly convince her not to signal Laura for help.

If Laura discovered her daughter, completely naked, bruised to all hell, tied up in her closet - it wouldn't just be the end of the weekend, but the end of his life as a free man.

It was time to lie to her again.

"Whatever you hear...whatever happens, don't make a sound. Don't try to draw attention to yourself. Don't even move. Just...stay still and stay quiet."

His hands were shaking. He readjusted his grip on the pocket knife, trying to keep steady. She was staring at him, confused. He knew this was so abrupt - she must have been terrified.

The worst part was knowing that she had been starting to enjoy herself. He could see wetness coating her thighs, and when he removed the clamps on her pussy, they slipped off easily.

He suspected she had wanted more strikes, that she was enjoying being hurt by him, that she had reached that delicious place of delirium submissives sometimes reached during a long session. It was the perfect place, where he could show his mercy by pulling her back, by not pushing her further than she could handle.

He felt a profound sense of regret that this brutal moment followed such a difficult scene, that he wouldn't be able to do the aftercare that would make her see that he could take care of her, cruel and sadistic as he was. It was key in making her see what they could have together - key in making that slimmest hope he had a reality. That somehow, some way, Cadence would choose him at the end of all of this. That she would see that he could be good to her, could mold her into someone she was meant to be, that he was right for her.

Instead, he had to convince her he was a monster.

He could hardly bring himself to say what he had to - but he had no idea how else to keep her quiet, keep her compliant.

"If you don't, I'll make sure you'll both regret it."

Were these words coming out of his own mouth? This was further than he ever thought he would go. He applied gentle pressure on her cheek with the tip of the knife, keeping his hand steady, gritting his teeth.

"This wasn't supposed to happen. I never expected - it doesn't matter." He took a quick breath, then stared down at her pitilessly, gripping the knife tighter to keep his hand steady. "If you fuck this up, I'll make you bleed. And I'll make her watch. I don't want to, but if she hears you or sees you...I will. Don't test me."

He pulled the knife back an inch, so it was no longer touching her.

"Nod if you understand."

It was the emptiest threat he had ever made. He hoped she believed it, hoped his prolonged cruelty over the past several hours and her most recent punishment were fresh enough in Cadence's mind that she wouldn't question it, that she would accept that he would sink that low, go that far.

He could convince her otherwise later - but only if Laura returned to her office without ever knowing Cadence was home.

She nodded, timid and small, her blue eyes darting to the knife in his hands.

"Good." It was all he could do, for the moment. Unable to stop himself, he continued. "Just wait here. For the record - I'm sorry."

And he left her, not even able to take a final glance, hoping against hope that the next time they spoke would be on his terms.

He moved downstairs to the kitchen, pouring drinks for himself and Laura, keeping them thin on the liquor. He waited at the kitchen island, formulating a plan, wondering if taking a risk and telling a half-truth would be worth it.

There was a way he could satisfy Laura's needs and his own, while still leaving Cadence wanting...and a way to explain any noises Cadence might make to draw attention to herself, without triggering Laura's concern or curiosity. But it would be cruel, especially to the girl hanging in his closet...

Shit. It was a fucked-up thought, even for him.

But it was the only way he could see to turn this disaster to his favor.

He heard a key in the front door, and the knob turned. Taking a deep breath, David picked up the drinks and walked to the front door to greet his girlfriend.

It was surreal to see Laura after spending so many hours in deviant bliss with her daughter. She burst into her home in a cacophony of sound and movement, dropping her briefcase on the ground, kicking off her heels, yanking her arms free from her suit jacket, and pulling her hair down from its neat, tight bun.

He noticed for the first time that she had some gray streaks among the auburn, and that her hair didn't shine nearly as much as her daughter's when it caught the light.

But in spite of that, he was struck again by how similar they looked. Cadence inherited her mother's face, hair, and eyes - but had gotten some lanky genes from her unnamed father. Laura was tall and curvaceous, and carried herself with all of the confidence and ease of a mature woman who knew exactly what she wanted.

In that moment, David could think of nothing less appealing.

She grinned widely when she saw him, gratefully accepting the drink from his hand, downing it in one go. Good thing I made it so weak.

"Is Cadence home?" Laura asked, moving into the kitchen to refill her glass with water.

David felt his heart constrict. "Nope," he lied, tucking his free hand into his pocket, sipping his drink. "Haven't seen her all weekend. Maybe she's with that little blond girl she's always hanging out with."

"Lily? Yeah, maybe," Laura mused, sounding unconvinced. She took a long drink of water, then continued. "She usually responds when I text her, though, even when she's out."

Fuck. He'd forgotten to keep an eye on Cadence's phone, in case anyone messaged her. He'd been sloppy, gotten complacent in the privacy he and Cadence had shared, and forgotten to cover his tracks.

He shrugged, taking another sip of his drink, unable to think of a response.

"Well, that's probably for the best anyway," Laura purred, setting her water down and stepping closer to him. "I've been so bad, and I think I'll be able to keep quiet when you're punishing me..."

He didn't say much, just let her press her body against his. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled his face to hers, kissing him deeply. He returned it passively, thinking quickly, trying to find a reason to stay out of her bedroom that wouldn't arouse her suspicion.