Stranded Ch. 13

"Ephraim and Zeke." He looked confused, shaking his head in disbelief as if he had misheard me.

"Zeke? No, Zeke wouldn't." I discarded my hand and took it upon myself to deal out another while he struggled to process. After all those threats, now he wasn't even going to believe me. He stayed, ending with a 19 and I, a 17.

"Tell me exactly what happened." Not exactly a question, but I knew that didn't matter. I shook my head, breath getting shallower as a cold sweat broke out. It was going to be Marcus all over again; I could NOT bury anymore bodies! He finished his beer in just a few sips and stood. I scrambled to get up, but he moved faster, holding his foot behind the chair leg, pushing it in even as I pushed back, preventing me from moving. He placed his hands on my shoulders and I shook as he leaned his face while gripping them tightly.

"You're not going anywhere; not until you give me the answers I seek."

"I can't tell you; I'm scared of what you're going to do to them. I just want to forget about it all, please." I whispered, the tears already slipping free.

"You don't get it...but then again, how could you? This family has taken everything from me, my home, my mother, my sister, my whole life. I swore when I became my own man, I would never let them take what is mine again. And you, wife, are mine. If it makes you feel better, I give yah my word I won't kill them." He sat down, still Sam. Perhaps he and Arioch weren't so different after all. I kept my gaze forward, studying the table's wooden surface, wondering what kind of wood had been used; had he made it by hand or someone else in the family?

"Now, tell me what happened...please." He added the last word softly. I sighed, and in a low voice I began. I told him everything, including the incident with Zeke's scissors. When I finished there was a long silence before he finally spoke again.

"I will find other arrangements for my next trip."

"What you mean is someone else in your family." I wasn't sure other family members were going to be any more inviting.

"I'll think of something that won't involve you having to go back there." He seemed calm, but that only unsettled me more. There was a dark storm brewing within him, I could see it.

"So you believe me then?" He grabbed my chin and turned my head, his cobalt eyes staring deeply into mine.

"I would hope by now you would know better than to lie to me." I hadn't realized how important it was that he believed me until that very moment. Even though I knew he didn't want to. He cupped the side of my face, his thumb stroking my cheek affectionately, wiping the tears away.

"I do." I swore.

"Mmmm, good." He slid the deck of cards over and began to deal out a new hand. I was wary at first, what other questions could he possibly have for me? I had told him everything. But I played my hand and promptly won.

"How do you and Arioch communicate?" His eyes narrowed; lips thinned as he contemplated answering.

"Nope, try another question."

"Why do you get to break the rules in this game?"

"Is that your question?" I glared and shook my head.

"How many people have you and/or Arioch killed, not including Marcus?" Sam looked intrigued by my question, but there was caution in his eyes.

"You are too curious for your own good, wife."

"We could always quit playing, husband."

"Five if I include you, but I wasn't quite myself." That meant six including Marcus. Great, I was married to a serial killer.

"How can your God be okay with murder?"

"To do righteousness and justice is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice. And you can stop looking at me like that, we brought you back, didn't we?!"

"Do you even believe half the crap spewing from your mouth!? You know you will never fit in, not completely Sam. Can't you see that?" A small glimmer of doubt began creeping into his eyes; they would always see him as an outsider. Arioch could dress like them, talk like them, but Sam would never belong. He was too different, too soft, too...heathen.

"My place is here, with my family." He insisted.

"You have other choices, Sam; they are not the only family you have. Your mother must have family that is still looking for you." He stood angrily, nearly knocking over the chair he'd been residing in, forcing me to jump. I watched as his eyes began bleeding to darkness until it was only Arioch looking back, sneering.

"Father once spoke to us of wicked women and their silver tongues. Said they could tempt the devil himself with their falsehoods."

"Nothing I said was a lie." I replied bravely. I had only spoken Sam's own thoughts aloud.

"Sammy belongs here, if you cannot accept that, perhaps I shall find him a wife who can."

"I-I won't mention it again." I vowed. He pushed off the table with a growl, moving to stand by the windows that stared out into his backyard.

"But you've already planted the seed of doubt. I can feel it you know, bouncin' around up there." He gestured to his head.

"I-I didn't mean to." I whispered.

"You know, keeping Sammy happy isn't exactly an easy task. And here you are, fillin' his head with your heathen garbage." He leaned against the window frame as he spoke the last word through clenched teeth, his back to me; but I didn't need to see his face to know he was still fuming. It showed in the tension in his shoulders, the stillness of his body. I kept silent but it didn't seem to make much difference.

"Why must you be so difficult?" he demanded, slamming his fist against the window frame as he whipped around to face me.

"Because you are holding me captive!" I was unable to hold back the surge of rage as I practically yelled at him in return.

"You have me thinking maybe I should start over," he muttered as he looked down at me with nothing but cold indifference. I had no doubt Arioch could start over easily, I was as good as cattle to him. I stared back, straightening my shoulders.

"If you are going to kill me, get it over with already." I was tired of the threats. My nerves were so worn, I almost welcomed death. He smiled as he approached me, cupping my face.

"Maybe I should just cut out your tongue. Father did teach me how!" He spoke as one might speak of going fishing with their father, reminiscent. I pressed my lips tightly together and shook my head as I tried to keep my face neutral.

"You can hide the fact your lip is trembling, but your eyes are the windows to your soul, they reveal everything to me KitKat." I looked away but he only brought my gaze back to meet his.

"Tell me, darlin', do you have a death wish?"

"If death means being free from you; it's starting to sound better and better." His hand wrapped around my throat, lifting me to my feet, forcing me to stumble backwards until my back pressed against the wall in between the windows. We locked eyes as he squeezed tighter and tighter, his strength cutting off blood flow first, then my airway.

"Is this what you want? Because, I could do it, I could set you free...Sammy would be upset, but if I find him a new wife before he wakes up, he won't have much time to grieve." I fought against the overwhelming panic that began to swell in my chest. My lungs screamed for oxygen as I tried to pry his hand free before falling uselessly to my sides. Just as my vision started fading into darkness, he let go and I crumbled to the floor, coughing and gasping for air. It was a reminder that he held my life in his very hands, if he wanted it extinguished, then it would be done. He crouched so that we were eye level, his hand gripped my chin.

"I have claimed you, before my family and even the Lord himself. Even in death you are mine. The Lord takes care of his chosen people; your soul will be returned to me upon my arrival into Paradise. Of course, that's if I can purge all this wickedness first." Maybe the blood flow to my brain had been restricted too long because I burst into laughter. He honestly thought He could save my soul!? He just confessed to murdering 5 people, but it was my soul in need. He picked me up from the floor with a growl and a fist full of my dress, reminding me just how much stronger he was. I stumbled when he released me, but he snapped his fingers; motioning me to stand before him. I rubbed my sore throat as I moved quickly and watched as his eyes roam over me hungrily.

"Strip."

"But it's cold." I protested feebly.

"It wasn't a question and I'm not going to repeat it." I pulled off the dress, laying it to rest on the table, the measly undergarments soon behind them. I squirmed beneath the scrutiny, fully aware of what he was staring at; tiny fingerprint bruises. He walked around me in a circle, and it took every ounce of my will to not try and cover myself. I kept my chin up and my eyes forward. Arioch grazed his fingers across the top of my shoulders, traveling down as he made his way to stand before me. The touch was light, almost delicate until he pinched my nipple and twisted

I cried out, pulling away which made him pinch harder so that I was left with no other choice but to whimper and beg him to stop. He finally released only to quickly grab the other, somehow harder than before. He captured me in a kiss, swallowing my scream. Still keeping a tight grip, he sat back down in his chair, pulling me with him until I stood between his legs and he took the tortured nipple into his mouth, hands resting on my hips. His tongue softly flickered across the hardening bud, drawing out another moan. His other hand tried to slide between my thighs, giving them a good slap when I didn't open them fast enough. When I pushed his hand away, he bit down, earning a strangled cry while pulling me into his lap by my breast. Since the dining room chairs had no armrests, my legs were spread to either side of him, my most intimate places rubbing against the denim of his jeans, sending a shiver down my spine. His hands slid around my hips and clasped my ass tightly, pulling me down against him as he began grinding against me; lifting my toes off the ground. I grasped his shoulders, the friction sparking a need within me and I found my hips moving back with a mind of their own. I loathed his ability to manipulate me so effortlessly, how my body responded to him like a familiar lover instead of the abhorrent captor that he was.

"Kneel." he ordered, finally releasing my breast. I slid down from his lap and knelt between his legs. He nodded to his groin and I didn't need any more cues. I unbuckled his belt while I reached for the zipper. He pulled the belt free, folding it in half, letting it dangle loosely from his grip. He was already hard, precum leaking as he stood proudly erect before me. I licked my lips a few times and didn't give myself the time to overthink it. I leaned closer and began cleaning up what had already dripped down from his cock, running my tongue up and down, using the tip to tease the ridges of his swollen head. He gripped the edge of the table with his free hand, the wood creaking slightly under the pressure as I licked across the top of his scrotum. He growled as his legs locked behind my back, holding me in place. I cupped him, exploring the soft delicate flesh with my mouth while my other hand began stroking the stiff member above. I moved slowly, listening to every catch of his breath, soft groans emanating from his chest as I pressed my face against the soft sensitive flesh, massaging it with my mouth, my nose, my chin; enough pressure I could feel the muscles in his thighs begin to quiver. I felt the first strike just as I finally wrapped my lips around his cock and began working on taking him in deeper. But Arioch muffled the cry as he shoved himself down my throat, hand now on the back of my neck to prevent me from pulling away until he decided it was time.

My face burned with embarrassment and I found myself grateful to be kneeling before him, it meant he was unable to feel just how aroused I had become from his mistreatment of me. I let the pain start to fade away as I kept my mind focused on the task. Sooner he finished, the sooner I could be done. He let me up long enough to barely catch my breath before a second one hit, this one across my shoulder blades. I managed to control my scream; but that only seemed to upset him. He swung a few more times, but when he wasn't getting the response he wanted, he unhooked his ankles and motioned for me to stand as he pulled his cock out of my mouth.

"Bend over the table." he instructed calmly as he slid his jeans off and kicked them aside. I took an involuntary step backwards and his eyes flashed gleefully.

"I'm beginning to think you like playing this game, sweetheart." My legs shook with the need to run but I fought against it. Running wasn't going to do anything to help me in this situation. Closing my eyes, I took a deep breath and leaned my torso over the table, exposing myself to him with a grimace. His hand slid across the curve of my ass, while his cold leather belt gently brushed over my back, the poisonous butterflies growing stronger.

"I can never trust you if you cannot stop lying to me darlin'. In the future, when I ask you a question, I expect a truthful answer. Not some half-truth or pure refusal."

"I'm sorry." I replied softly.

"Not as sorry as you're going to be." Then he struck, sudden and intense. I had only mere seconds to register the burn left behind before he struck again, and again. Each one more painful than the last. I screamed, and pleaded, legs kicking out, trying anything to make it stop but he simply held the back of my neck and pressed me firmly into the table as my hands wrapped around the edge on the opposite side.

"No more lies, swear it to me!" I sobbed, trying to form the words but I was struggling to catch my breath. He hit the back of my thighs, my butt, my back, a few even hit my pussy, but he didn't stop until he was ready to.

"Say it!" he growled, my cheekbone smashed against the table as he leaned over so that I could feel his hot breath on the back of my neck, the lower half of my body still searing with pain.

"I-I swear, no-no more lies." I sobbed against the wood; voice strained.

Arioch kicked my legs further apart and I could suddenly feel him pressed against my entrance, his cock still slightly slick with my saliva.

"Again!"

"No more lies, I swear." I shook as I waited for that final push, but it never came. Instead, he grabbed my hips and pulled backwards, impaling me slowly, setting a steady pace.

"Say it louder!" he demanded with a hard thrust that made my pussy instantly wetter, allowing him to slide in even deeper.

"No more lies." I shouted, and I meant it. Arioch draped himself across my back, his hips slowing down to an agonizing pace, dangling me right along the edge. I could feel him rubbing against my G-spot, but his weight prevented me from moving my hips, leaving me to his mercy and he wasn't moving nearly fast enough for me to take that final dive into the pool of pure bliss.

"You don't get to cum just yet, wife. You have to beg me for it first." He gave another hard thrust and I felt the spring wind tighter, I was nearly there. My breathing became erratic, legs quivering with restraint and I felt like no matter how deep a breath I took I couldn't seem to get enough. My mind was already begging, though my lips remained closed.

"No!" I growled through clenched teeth, though it pained me to say it. I wanted to beg, I wanted him to drive me over the brink so I could float among the stars; but then he would win. And I hated letting him win. He pulled out, leaving me empty, and aching to the point of tears. A whimper escaped before I could stop it and I buried my face against the table in shame. I didn't need what this man was offering me, it wasn't worth giving up the small piece of me I had left. I would not beg this man for pleasure, I did not want it! Yes, you do! Go on. Just beg him for one of those yummy orgasms, and you can go right back to hating him when it's done. Giving in for only a moment? That's how it started, sure, but I knew exactly where it was going to end, with a horde of children and a life of captivity.

"I believe I have already shown you that I can make you do anything, why not save yourself the pain?" I felt the familiar scrape of leather and my lower lip began to tremble as I struggled to hold back the sobs. I knew what came next, but still I shook my head. It just wasn't in my nature to beg. I could feel the leather blazing hot paths of pain with every strike, I pounded my fists against the table, digging my nails into the wood as I contended with the urge to flee, to fight back. Instead I laid there and endured, no longer holding back the cries of pain. With my entire lower half aflame, his skin felt nearly ice cold in comparison as he reached and spread my cheeks apart, groaning while he slipped inside me.

"I can feel how sopping wet you are, wife. Sure, you don't want to beg?"

"Never." I snarled, but it came out as more of a whine. I could feel my stomach muscles tightening as my thighs shook and at the very last second, he pulled away. Leaving me consumed with such need I roared in frustration. Rational thoughts began to fade as need started to take over; it was tortured to be driven to the cusp only to be denied at the last second; if anything, it was starting to make me angry. My body was desperately seeking his out and he chuckled as he ordered me onto my back. I had to climb a little further onto the table, my legs dangling over the side and I was left staring up into the vaulted ceiling. Eyes drifting to the wooden beam, the spot where Marcus and his brothers had hung the noose. Had Christopher taught them that? A sharp bite to my breast and my attention was brought back to Arioch. Reflexively I swung to slap him, but he caught my wrist, slamming it against the table with a taunting laugh.

"Now try to slap me like you actually mean it." he jeered. I let out a feral snarl as I lashed out with the other, just barely brushing him with my nails before he grabbed that wrist and slammed it against the table too, staring down at me in triumph.

"Oooo, Kitty Kat has claws," he teased, switching my wrists to his dominant hand with ease, while scratching his way down my torso with the other, leaving tiny little red lines in its wake; his nails too short to break the skin.

He settled himself between my legs, resting his rigid cock horizontal between my pussy lips, letting the head brush up against my clit, each thrust shooting jolts of pleasure through my body.

"I can do this all day darlin'." My resistance was beginning to wane, I could feel it, in the way my thighs pulled him closer, my legs almost wrapping around his waist. I could feel it in the limpness in my arms, my body having already realized that fighting him was futile. That ache is going to become painful if you keep fighting him, giving in once doesn't mean you give in forever. He kept a slow pace that felt as though it would drive me to madness.

"Please." My voice cracked, the words barely above a whisper and I cringed even as they left my lips.

"Please what?" he tormented. I made a noise that sounded like a strangled cry. He was going to make me say the actual words. Bastard.

"Please, don't make me say it." He reached between us and guided himself back inside me, taking his time with every inch, his own body shaking with barely constrained control. Once he was fully submerged, he leaned over so that our foreheads touched, and his blue eyes gazed intently into mine.