How to Break a Man Pt. 03

Steven didn't expect to have a good sleep, but he did manage to doze off in short order, by some small miracle. He couldn't tell the time, but there wasn't much need to. His job as a personal trainer forced a strict schedule on him, and his body knew what to do and when to do it. He went to bed at the same time, woke up at the same time, and while he did set an alarm clock, he woke up before it most mornings. To top it off, the padded cell made for a comfy sleep.

It probably helped that he was dog tired from getting his ass handed to him two days in a row, as well.

Whatever the reason, he went to sleep easy and woke up in what he assumed was morning. He sat up with a hiss, taking on all the accumulated pain at once, but it wasn't as bad as he thought it would be. He was still sore in places he hadn't even known about before, and his dick was going to be wearing that pain for the next couple of days, but nothing was broken, just bruised. He'd live. For better or worse.

With nothing else to do, he moved over next to what he assumed was the door, sat up against the wall, and waited for his jailer to come back. It was faint, but he swore he could hear music thumping on the other side of the wall. This steady, booming vibration that made the walls tremble. Diana was awake, and she'd be coming to check on him before too long.

He only had to endure for a couple of minutes, as it turned out. The door flung open without warning, and he turned away from it in reflex, raising his hand to shield his eye from the blinding light. He blinked a few times, squinted, then turned towards the light to see nothing. She hadn't stepped in.

After a moment, she poked her head in, scanned the room, then locked in on his sitting form and brought out a sweet smile that had no place on a face that evil. "Good morning. I was ready for you to try something stupid again, but I'm guess you can learn. You're a little smarter than you look. A little." She tipped her head to the side. "Sleep well?"

"Well enough." With the wall's support, he managed to push up to his feet, trying his best to hide his pain along the way. It didn't work for the most part, he winced every inch of the way, but at least he managed to keep the groans to a minimum.

"Good. You'll need the energy." Ominous words, but she ducked out of the room before he had the chance to inquire further. "Come on, food's ready, time to eat."

Steven followed after her, walking straight at first, then shifting to a limp when she turned away. She was wearing clothes, which was somehow a relief, but not much. Shorts, tight-fitting and demin jeans that hugged her hips and let a couple inches of her ass spill out at the bottom. A white crop top clung to her upper body, hugging her bulging chest, the lack of sleeves put her arms on full display. It was either a size too small for her when she bought it or she'd outgrown it later, but whatever the case, it was working overtime to keep her powerful frame in check, and it was complemented by her black hair, draping down her back like a dark blanket.

"You're not staring back there, are you?"

Her accusation snapped him back to attention and straightened him up. He had been, without thinking. Stupid, it wasn't like he didn't get a good look at her naked body yesterday, but there was something about her in that outfit that was even better, accentuating her form and making his imagination fill in details.

He wasn't about to give her that satisfaction, though. "No."

Steven thought he did a decent job at selling that lie, but the chuckle he got in response told a different story.

Whatever the case, his focus went to his nose as they neared the kitchen, with welcome scent making their way to his nose. Something was cooking. Bacon, eggs, pancakes, and a glass of orange juice. A full meal, something his stomach was aching for. His mouth watered and his heart fluttered.

That all dropped when they rounded the corner and he saw what was set on the table. His senses hadn't been off, he'd smelled right, all those things were on a plate at the kitchen table. But only one plate. The faint hope that it was his got dashed the instant she sat down right in front of it and crossed her legs, settling for a lazy breakfast. "Wait." His shoulders sagged and looked around the room. "You didn't make me anything?"

Diana laughed, a harsh, evil sound that was starting to make his hairs stand at attention. "Like I'd do that for you after the stunt you pulled yesterday. Please."

"You said the food was ready."

"It is." She pointed down, under the table. "Right there."

Steven's searching eyes trailed down for the first time since he'd entered the room, and found the dog bowl waiting there. Only it wasn't empty now. It was filled with milk and Cheerios.

He opened his mouth to speak, but it took him a good three seconds to find the right words. "You're fucking with me."

"You wish." Again with the laugh. Diana picked up a strip of bacon and nibbled at it, paying him as little mind as she could get away. "Eat it or go hungry. Your choice."

Steven clenched his fist tight as he went over a few unlisted, violent options, but he decided against them all for now. He had to be smart about this, not like yesterday. Besides, the bowl looked clean enough.

He got to his knees, grabbed the bowl, and started to stand back up, only for Diana to place her bare foot on the back of his neck and keep him in place. "Ah, ah. You've got to work your way up to table privileges.

She started putting more pressure on him, forcing his head toward the waiting bowl. "No, come on-"

"It's not up for debate, puppy." His nose was just above the bowl now, close enough to smell the milk. "On your

knees."

With nowhere else to go but down, that was the direction Steve went. He lapped once, took in half a mouthful, then scarfed down more. He fell into a solid rhythm soon enough, working away at it while she rubbed his head with the bottom of her heel and went about her own meal.

After five minutes that passed like five hours, he finally finished up. With that done, he sat back on his hunches and straightened up, just as she was finishing up. Steven kept his lips tight and looked off to the side, doing his best to avoid eye contact with her without making it too obvious. He wasn't about to get himself into more trouble, but he did have one thing to ask. "Is that all? Am I going back to the cell?"

Diana didn't answer right away, instead taking a moment to clean her lips up with the napkin. She scanned him up and down as she did with a leering, knowing grin, and her gaze lingered on his dick far too long for his liking. The goosebumps were just settling in when she spoke up.

"I could do that." She sat back and tapped her fork against the plate a couple of times. "Or you could spend the day cleaning up around the house. Help me get the place nice and presentable."

Diana gestured to the room around them, to her living room and the backyard, and yeah, it could use a little cleaning. He'd been too busy checking her out to pay it much mind, but the floor was dirty, clothes were scattered about, and he could see dust on the windows from a dozen feet away.

Still, didn't mean it was his responsibility to do anything about it. "You want me to be your maid?"

"I would've gone with 'butler'." She took a quick sip from her glass. "But, yes, pretty much. Would you rather spend the day in the dark until I come and beat the shit out of you tonight?"

Steven's hand went to his aching ribs before he even thought about it. He brought it down fast, tried to play it off, but Diana's stifled laugh was proof he'd failed. "No," He shook his head, closed his eyes, and shrugged. "Fine. Where do I start?"

The next few hours of Steven's life were difficult, in just about every way that word could mean.

Diana's house needed more than he'd guessed at first blush. The first thing on the list was cleaning her dishes, and she made sure he tackled all the grime and stains, settling for nothing less than perfection. He thought he'd been done three times only for her to inspect and come up wanting after each attempt.

Once she was satisfied with that, it was on to the vacuum. He'd never been all that handy with one, wouldn't you know it, being naked with a crazed Amazon looming over him didn't make it any easier. She kept an eye on him every step of the way, nudging him to the trouble areas, making sure he didn't miss any spots. He ground his teeth down hard every time she chastised him, right as he started working his way around the sofa.

"Will you back the fuck off for just one-"

Steven's protest was interrupted by a swish, a crack, and a searing hot shot of pain across his backside. He yelped like a scalded dog and leaped away, nearly running straight into the wall before he spun around. There was Diana, standing proud with a long wooden cane in hand. He'd been trying hard to ignore her for the past few minutes, so he hadn't noticed where she picked it up from, but that didn't matter. What did matter was that she was advancing on him, tapping the crop in her palm as she neared, smiling like a fiend all the way.

Diana raised it up and Steve raised his hands along with her to defend, only to see, too late, that she was focused on lower targets. She brought the cane down hard on the side of his hips, biting at his flesh, and another strike followed right after.

"All right, all right!" Steve dropped to his knees, which only made him an easier target for the next blow across his back. "I'll do it, I'll do it! Fuck!"

She gave him another quick slice on the ribs before she stepped back and gave him some space to stand back up. Steve had to bite his tongue, both to take some focus away from the pain and to keep himself from saying something stupid. He could already see the red marks forming on his skin, blistering marks that would only be getting worse as the day went on.

"Just give me a reason, Stevie." Diana stepped back and tapped the cane on her shoulder while she admired her handiwork. "Back to it."

That little interlude set the tone for the rest of the day. He did his best to stay in the line as much as he could while he dusted and scrubbed and organized, but it seemed like she was just looking for excuses to lay into him.

He mismatched one of her socks and earned three lashes on the thigh.

He spilled some bleach while doing the laundry, and she dished out a harsh slap that left his cheek stinging and loosened his teeth.

Once, he wasn't even sure what triggered her. He was simply sweeping up the foyer when she came up behind, wrapped her arm around his throat, and locked in a tight rear naked choke, clamping down tight and biting into his neck with her rigid muscles. The broom clattered on the floor as he reached up to pull at her grasp, looking for some kind of relief, but that only encouraged her to apply more pressure.

He was blanking out, getting weak, getting dark, starting to fall, and...

She let him go.

He fell flat on his face and laid there, coughing his lungs out for a few agonizing seconds, before he pushed his way up in a fury. "What the fuck? What the fuck was that for?"

He spun around, expecting an answer, but all he got was the sight of her walking away. No explanation, no apology, not even the bare minimum acknowledgement that it had happened.

Crazy. She was insane, and she was driving him insane, too.

The next couple of hours went about the same as the ones that had come before, with the added wrinkle of Steven trying to think of new ways out of here. She was only one woman, she didn't have a gun that he knew of, the only thing keeping him here was the threat of getting beaten up. He just had to figure out a way to leave when she wasn't looking, but she was always looking. She stayed with him every step of the way as he cleaned, ordering him this way and that, only leaving him alone for a few seconds at most.

Once, he entered the notion of swinging the broom at her while he was sweeping the hallway. Diana was in the perfect position for it, too, just at his side, leaning against the wall nearby as she watched him work and made the occasional critique. He gripped the broom handle tight, tensed up, and prepared for the swing. He could see the motion in his head, a clear and clean hit.

"Don't."

She only said one, simple word, and that was enough to make his tension drop straight away. He whipped his head towards her with furrowed brows, eyes searching from side to side, and an unwelcome quiver on his lips. "What? Don't what?"

If she bought the act, she didn't show it. She wasn't showing much of anything. "Just. Don't."

He left it at that, went back to his work, and abandoned the idea of the direct approach from then on out. That said, he wasn't out of ideas, and kept looking for exits and opportunities. It was around the end of the day, just as the sun was setting, that he figured out a good one.

Diana had just gotten him going in the bathroom, saving the best for last. It was a spacious room, posh and decorated with a few flowers and mirrors and more grooming products than anyone could possibly need. Working on it was going to take more time than he liked, worse with her hovering over him, but that wasn't what drew his attention.

The window. Frilly curtains on the side, a sleek, modern design, and maybe, just maybe, big enough for him to slip through. He kept his focus on while he scrubbed around the toilet bowl, and he was sure he could see some faint lights beyond the trees in her backyard. There was another house not too far away, and if he could get over the fence in her backyard, sprint through the thicket that separated them, and reach whoever was there, he'd be home free.

Steven just needed to get away from her watchful gaze. If only for a few minutes.

In the middle of cleaning out the sink, he took a quick sniff under his armpit, then looked over to Diana as she stood in the doorway. "I need a bath." It wasn't a lie. It had been just over two days since she locked him up, and his smell hadn't improved in that time. The stench didn't seem to bother her, but there was no way she couldn't notice it.

She didn't seem to hear him at first, instead focusing on the sink and seeing the progress he'd made. It was only after a few, awkward seconds that Diana finally deigned to look his way and speak up. "You want a bath. In my bathroom." She tilted her head forward. "How do you ask for something you want?"

Steven's mouth tightened as he fought back the first words that came to his mind and replaced them with what she wanted to hear. Just get it out. Get it over with. "Please."

Diana leaned in, expecting more.

He huffed, took another gulp of pride, and exhaled. "Can I take a shower, please?" He blinked. "Ma'am?"

She licked her canines at that and giggled, a noise that was far too sweet coming from that deadly body. "I like that. You're learning." She pointed at the cabinet behind. "Towels are in there. I'll give you ten minutes. Ten. Then back to it."

Diana whistled some random tune as she closed the door, giving Steven the gift of privacy for the first time today. He moved to the door, close enough that he could hear her soft footfalls down the hall and the fridge opening. Sounded like she was getting a drink.

He'd closed the blinds while he was working in the living room. It was dark enough outside that she wouldn't see much even if she did peek out. Now. It had to be now.

Steven flushed the toilet, then started up the shower, putting it on full blast for maximum effect. It was just loud enough to mask the sound of him fumbling with the window. He had to wiggle the latch and work at the stubborn frame, but with some effort he was able to pull it up and get the window all the way open.

He was greeted with a blast of cool winter air, one that made his naked skin break out into goosebumps. It wasn't freezing, but it was definitely jacket weather, and he wrapped the towel around his waist for whatever heat it could provide. Getting through that thicket like this would certainly suck, but no worse than the alternative.

He took one, final moment to listen in on Diana. She had the television on now, and while it kept him from figuring out exactly where she was in the house, it was a safe bet she wasn't too far away from it. A good distraction, too, enough to give him even more confidence as he made his way through the window. Over the sill and through. It was a tight fit, like he'd guessed, and he scratched himself along the way, but with time, patience, and some deep breaths, he pulled it off.

More or less. It wasn't the most graceful exit. He tumbled out onto a bush that couldn't have been in a worse place, scratched himself out of it, and nearly fell right on his head, only avoiding it by rolling out at the last second. He was up on his feet a few seconds later, dusting himself off. He was free.

For all of five seconds. That was the time it took for him to hear the crunch of leaves off to his side, swivel his head around, and see Diana standing there. She didn't seem surprised, angered, or amused. Just looking at him with this blase expression and half-lidded eyes. As if she were watching a movie she'd seen a hundred times before.

And she had rope in her hands. Long, black rope.

"Don't run."

Steven ran.

If you could even call the wild, flailing dash he made 'running'. Diana's yard was uneven and in dire need of a mowing, with long blades of grass that concealed stinging nettles. They bit at his heels, scraped and scratched his toes, and made every step he took a small torture, but they were nothing compared to the one that awaited him if he slowed down. Even so, he'd run some track in high school and still had the legs for speed, and she was barefoot, too, so they shared the same handicap. Once he was in the thicket, it would be much harder for her to keep track of him. He could make it. Almost, almost, and-

Something heavy rammed into his back, hitting with enough force to knock him clear off his feet and send him flying to the ground, just short of the nearest tree. He got his hands up at the last moment to save himself from a total fall and pushed up, only to be knocked down by a heavy weight on his back. Diana had tackled him down, and was already crawling her way up his body, moving fast to get him under control.

"Help!" His hoarse scream pierced the night air, echoing all around them. "Someone, help-"

His last ditch effort came to an end when Diana grabbed the back of his head and shoved down, forcing his face in the dirt and serving him a mouthful of grass. She worked him from side to side, grinding him into it while she took a solid seat on his spine. "Eat up, bitch." She gripped his hair tight, nearly pulling it right off his scalp. "It's your dinner, you hear me?"

Steven forced his way back up, spitting out earth all the way, but Diana filled his mouth with something else the moment he got it clean with ropes. She looped it around his head in one swift, practiced motion, caught it in his mouth and tied it behind the back of his neck, cinching it tight with ease and gagging him.

It all happened in less than three seconds, but that was a moment where she was occupied, enough of a reprieve for Steven to bring his arms around and press them to the ground. Now that he had something solid to work with, he dug deep and threw his body to the side in one convulsive push, knocking Diana off and sending her rolling away.

She tumbled, threw her legs up, and came down on one knee, poised like a wild jungle cat, ready to strike. Steven rose in a hurry, pushing to his feet and going for another hard run, but as fast as he moved, she moved that much faster. She pounced, leaping on him with all her body and bringing him down again this, time on his back.