rises from my chest. I stop both by biting my lip until I taste the coppery tang of blood.
Kieren ’s eyes zero in on my trembling lip and he lets out a frustrated groan. His mouth presses hard against mine, knocking our teeth together. Every time Kieren tries to force his tongue between my lips, I bite him. He decides it isn’t worth it after I draw blood. The hand gripping my ass slips under my shorts and heads toward a place no man or woman has ever touched. It angers me and I start to flail around. I wedge my knee between his thighs and thrust up with all of my might, which isn’t much. Kieren howls in pain and slaps me across the face. I’d rather be slapped than have that hand invading between my thighs.
Kieren’s weight disappears, and the first thing I see is Essie’s panic-stricken face. She’s crying and I’m not sure why. “What’s wrong,” I mouth to her, I don’t hear Essie’s answer because Mr. Kline holds all of my attention.
Mr. Kline is holding Kieren against the wall with just one hand. His bicep bulging under the stress. The boy’s feet dangle in the air, kicking. Kieren can’t reach Mr. Kline because his arm is almost as long as I am tall, and the distance between them is too great of a span.
“I warned you twice today: once after you came into my shop and again when I got here tonight. Did you forget what I said? I said stay away from Willow. I said it in English and I said it politely. Now I find you violating Willow in the hallway mere feet from me. This is the most disrespectful display I’ve ever seen. I won’t punish you because your father is more inventive than I could ever imagine. Isis is getting him right now, in fact,” Auggie menacingly says.
Kieren starts sobbing and kicking in earnest. Mr. Kline calmly stands with Kieren in his grasp. Mr. Kline looks around, making sure everyone is safe and sound. He tries to meet my eyes, but I drop mine to the floor in shame. I’m a bad girl.
“I see you didn’t know your father would be here, either. Such a happy surprise,” Auggie says with sarcasm I’ve never heard from him. Mr. Kline’s voice is different again, deeper and commanding. It’s the same as when he spoke to Isis at Revamped . It’s a voice you cannot deny.
“Rob, take Essie home,” Auggie demands. “I expect you to give her a thorough talking to about why tonight was fucking idiotic. It’s too late now. We can’t have the girls unsee the Playroom .”
My brother approaches me like I’m a wounded animal. His brown eyes are like saucers. Robbie looks as traumatized as Essie. I guess it was worse to watch than experience. I was about to get the upper-hand.
I s tand up straight and meet Robbie halfway. “I’m fine. I was about to kick Kieren’s ass some more,” my voice is heavily laced with bravado. Mr. Kline laughs, but no one else does.
“I didn’t know what else to do. Kieren looked at you wrong, so I ran.” Essie whimpers, her voice breaking in panic.
“That was perfect, Essie. You did the right thing. It was better than you getting hurt, too. You and Willow don’t know the rules, but Kieren does. He will pay for breaking them, I promise.” Mr. Kline calmly talks to us as Kieren hangs from his hand. Kieren’s fingers are wrapped around the thick wrist holding him. He’s stopped thrashing and his face is as white as a sheet.
“What rule?” I ask out of curiosity.
“You don’t touch property without the consent of the owner, isn’t that right, Mr. Mason?” The tendons in Mr. Kline’s arm tighten and Kieren blanches. Seconds later, Kieren’s face turns red, and then Mr. Kline’s muscles relax.
“I didn’t see the collar, s ir- honest,” Kieren blubbers.
“Sure you didn’t. Not when you sat ne xt to Willow while eating dinner or riding in the car or when you were sucking on her neck an inch from the collar. I’m sure you forgot me explicitly telling you that Willow was mine. You turned momentarily deaf during both
Kieren ’s eyes zero in on my trembling lip and he lets out a frustrated groan. His mouth presses hard against mine, knocking our teeth together. Every time Kieren tries to force his tongue between my lips, I bite him. He decides it isn’t worth it after I draw blood. The hand gripping my ass slips under my shorts and heads toward a place no man or woman has ever touched. It angers me and I start to flail around. I wedge my knee between his thighs and thrust up with all of my might, which isn’t much. Kieren howls in pain and slaps me across the face. I’d rather be slapped than have that hand invading between my thighs.
Kieren’s weight disappears, and the first thing I see is Essie’s panic-stricken face. She’s crying and I’m not sure why. “What’s wrong,” I mouth to her, I don’t hear Essie’s answer because Mr. Kline holds all of my attention.
Mr. Kline is holding Kieren against the wall with just one hand. His bicep bulging under the stress. The boy’s feet dangle in the air, kicking. Kieren can’t reach Mr. Kline because his arm is almost as long as I am tall, and the distance between them is too great of a span.
“I warned you twice today: once after you came into my shop and again when I got here tonight. Did you forget what I said? I said stay away from Willow. I said it in English and I said it politely. Now I find you violating Willow in the hallway mere feet from me. This is the most disrespectful display I’ve ever seen. I won’t punish you because your father is more inventive than I could ever imagine. Isis is getting him right now, in fact,” Auggie menacingly says.
Kieren starts sobbing and kicking in earnest. Mr. Kline calmly stands with Kieren in his grasp. Mr. Kline looks around, making sure everyone is safe and sound. He tries to meet my eyes, but I drop mine to the floor in shame. I’m a bad girl.
“I see you didn’t know your father would be here, either. Such a happy surprise,” Auggie says with sarcasm I’ve never heard from him. Mr. Kline’s voice is different again, deeper and commanding. It’s the same as when he spoke to Isis at Revamped . It’s a voice you cannot deny.
“Rob, take Essie home,” Auggie demands. “I expect you to give her a thorough talking to about why tonight was fucking idiotic. It’s too late now. We can’t have the girls unsee the Playroom .”
My brother approaches me like I’m a wounded animal. His brown eyes are like saucers. Robbie looks as traumatized as Essie. I guess it was worse to watch than experience. I was about to get the upper-hand.
I s tand up straight and meet Robbie halfway. “I’m fine. I was about to kick Kieren’s ass some more,” my voice is heavily laced with bravado. Mr. Kline laughs, but no one else does.
“I didn’t know what else to do. Kieren looked at you wrong, so I ran.” Essie whimpers, her voice breaking in panic.
“That was perfect, Essie. You did the right thing. It was better than you getting hurt, too. You and Willow don’t know the rules, but Kieren does. He will pay for breaking them, I promise.” Mr. Kline calmly talks to us as Kieren hangs from his hand. Kieren’s fingers are wrapped around the thick wrist holding him. He’s stopped thrashing and his face is as white as a sheet.
“What rule?” I ask out of curiosity.
“You don’t touch property without the consent of the owner, isn’t that right, Mr. Mason?” The tendons in Mr. Kline’s arm tighten and Kieren blanches. Seconds later, Kieren’s face turns red, and then Mr. Kline’s muscles relax.
“I didn’t see the collar, s ir- honest,” Kieren blubbers.
“Sure you didn’t. Not when you sat ne xt to Willow while eating dinner or riding in the car or when you were sucking on her neck an inch from the collar. I’m sure you forgot me explicitly telling you that Willow was mine. You turned momentarily deaf during both
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