Ava instinctively pulled back the moment he whispered those words to her. She could feel her cheeks burning with embarrassment. "I do like it when you blush, Ava. I do," he mumbled while grabbing his jacket and then held my hand. "Come, we are going out."
"Huh? Out?"
"Yes, out," he said, dragging me out of the house. He gave Lady Martha some instructions and picked up a phone call that made him frown. "I will deal with that. I'm on my way," he muttered before moving towards his limousine. I stepped in, and he followed, shutting the door. "Take us to the casino," he instructed the driver, who nodded and lowered the little window that connected them both.
If I heard correctly, he said casino. The place where people gamble and engage in other sorts of illegal activities. "Casino?" I looked at him, noticing his eyes closed as he relaxed. "Why are we going there? Are you planning on selling me?" The question made him open his eyes and chuckle, though it didn't reach his eyes, giving it a fake quality.
"Don't take this the wrong way, Ava, but..." he smiled, "if I were to sell you, I wouldn't gain much. You're too stubborn, although that 'V-card' of yours might help."
"Wow, I feel so confident in myself," I replied with a frown. His smile widened, but I continued, "I am not a virgin." I purred, avoiding his gaze. He couldn't just assume that I was a virgin because I had just finished high school.
"You're not?" He looked at me, raising his eyebrows in surprise.
"I am not," I mumbled. "I have had a lot of sex, and mind you, they were amazing." I knew I needed to stop talking, as he might get mad. "Do not talk without permission," he had said. But if I wanted to make him laugh, maybe today I could take that risk.
"I see," he smiled and then closed his eyes. "And here I was thinking you were innocent... what a disappointment." His words made me feel bad for some reason. "You have been a bad girl, Ava." I wanted to take back my lies, but deep down, I knew he saw through them.
Silence filled the car as the drive seemed to be taking forever. "Master?" I spoke up.
"Hmm?"
"Why is it so hard for you to laugh?" This caught his attention. He opened his eyes and turned his gaze towards me.
"No idea, Ava," he said, his hand moving to touch my hair. "My mother always said the gods didn't gift me with that." He smiled ironically. "I'm born to be this way, little lamb." He's telling me about his mother. What does that mean?
"Wait, did you just call me little lamb?" I asked, feeling quite surprised.
"What, you don't like the name? Anyway, you don't have to like it. I think it is enough for the both of us," he answered and I decided to just ignore his comment.
"How am I supposed to make you laugh when the gods didn't gift you with that?" I frowned and he shrugged.
"No idea," he replied, not averting his gaze. "The way to the casino will take some time, so entertain me with anything. For some reason, I'm bored." When will I ever understand this man? "Tell me about your family, Ava." And we're back to Ava. I think I might like being called a little lamb. Oh my gosh, what am I thinking?
"My family?" I asked.
"Yes, or are you an orphan?" he furrowed his brows.
"Oh no, my dad died when I was young, though. I have a younger brother, Luke, and my mother, Linda," I smiled. "They are the best family anyone could ever want. Right now, we seem to be going through challenges, but I have faith we will survive. I just have to work hard for them." Our gazes met, and he nodded his head.
"Sounds nice."
"How about your family?" I asked, genuinely curious. However, my question seemed to make him frown. He averted his gaze and stared out the window.
"Family," he fake-laughed. "That word doesn't exist in my world, little lamb. Such silly words humans use." When he looked back at me, I thought I saw something different in his eyes for a brief moment. But just as quickly as it appeared, it vanished, and his gaze returned to its cold stare. "You're different, little lamb," he said softly. And with that, silence fell into the car once again, his eyes never leaving me, making me feel flushed and nervous.
"Master," I mumbled, tucking my hair behind my ear. "What's wrong? Why do you keep staring at me like that?"
He smiled and placed his hand under my chin, forcing me to look at him. Our eyes met, and he spoke softly. "I like looking at you. You're beautiful, the most beautiful girl I have ever seen in all the years I have lived." He caressed my cheek. "That's why I want you submissive to me alone. Will you like that, little lamb?"
"No, Master," I replied honestly, expecting him to frown. Surprisingly, he chuckled, though it didn't reach his eyes. He had mentioned before that he hated lies, and I planned to be honest with him from now on.
"You hurt me, little lamb, but I like your honesty," he said, giving me a quick kiss. "We are here." He gestured towards the door as he spoke. I finally realized that the car had stopped moving. "Come." Walking behind him, we passed through the door, and the bouncers didn't even ask a single question.
As we walked swiftly, trying to catch up with him, he asked, "Do you gamble, little lamb?" The sound of a door closing was just ahead.
"I have never, Master," I replied honestly.
"Neither have I," he surprised me by saying. "I didn't come here for that, though. You see, I have a business to handle, and I don't feel like leaving you at home with the boring old Lady Martha."
"What business?" I inquired, my curiosity piqued.
"I need you to help me kill someone," he said, causing me to freeze in my tracks. The next thing I knew, he threw a gun into my hand and continued moving forward. "Hurry up, little lamb. You can't escape now. They will kill you if you do."
"Why are you putting me in this kind of situation?" I couldn't help but question him. His hand paused at the door handle upon hearing my words, and he shot me a glare. "I need you to shut it, Ava. Life is not all about joy. Learn how to kill now, because I won't be with you when you need to do that."
"But I will never want to do that, do you hear me?" I pleaded with him.
"You said you will do anything I ask," he exhaled, looking exhausted. "Let's get this over with, little lamb. I'm feeling a little fatigued." He finally opened the door, and the music hit me—slow and easy on the ears. The smell of cigarettes filled my nostrils, and I tried to fend off the scent. People were growling with excitement as they won, while others wore looks of sadness as they failed.
"Master Damon," someone approached us. "Your woman is holding a gun out in the open. It is against the rules here." Damon glanced at him, causing the man to quickly scurry away. He turned to look at me, sweat forming on my forehead as I held the gun with both hands.
He smiled and collected the gun, shoving it behind his back. "Silly girl," he muttered with a smile. Holding my hand, he said, "Come." He pulled me with him as we moved closer to a gambling machine—where you place money and, if you're lucky, win lots and lots of money.
"I don't have..." I began to say, but before I could complete my sentence, he handed me some coins. Sitting down, I closed my eyes and said a silent prayer. Then, I played the first time, but nothing came out. The second time yielded the same result.
I had been playing for almost fifty minutes, yet nothing came out. I looked around, but Damon was nowhere to be found. I needed more money, I had to show that machine who was the boss.
Standing up, I made my way towards the room I had seen Damon enter earlier, although I wasn't entirely sure. Stepping inside, I was met with a chilling sight—Damon stood there, his gaze averted from the man he was about to kill, facing me instead. Dead bodies littered the floor, blood staining the room. "Master?" I called out, my concern fading strangely.
"I need more money. I was almost there, I swear! I could have won loads and loads of money," I said, using my hands to demonstrate my frustration. "But it kept swallowing my money without giving anything in return. I need to show that machine who's the boss, you know? Put it in its place." I bit my lower lip, realizing how childish I must have sounded. "And your suit is stained too, with blood," I added, my words surprising even myself.
To my surprise, Damon burst into a loud chuckle, causing the man on the floor to look surprised and me to feel intrigued. What I had said wasn't funny, yet he laughed, revealing charming dimples that made him even more breathtaking than before. I had never seen him with such a cute smile. "So silly," he mumbled, still grinning. "Come here."