Page 29 of Defending Van

“I’ve told you all a thousand times that Josh isn’t ready for this kind of work,” he snapped, taking out his anger at the situation on the men responsible for the hell Makayla was forced to keep enduring. “Whose bright idea was it to leave him alone with this one?”

None of the others knew about her previous escape attempt, but they knew she was a fighter, and had to know she’d take advantage of a situation if one presented itself. And they all knew that Josh was too young, too inexperienced, and frankly, too stupid to be allowed to handle work like this unsupervised.

“He wanted to punish her for mouthing off at him when we brought them lunch,” Deacon explained.

“Still using that mouth of yours to cause trouble, I see,” Van said, turning his attention to the woman in his arms. She wasn't trembling, although he could still sense her fear, which only made him respect her that much more.

“I won't cower before anyone. You want to keep me here, then maybe I can't stop you, but I don’t have to bow down to you,” Makayla said, her gaze shifting from him to include the others in her statement.

With her attitude, Van wouldn't be surprised if Griffin wanted her listed for sale through one of the auction sites that sold off wilder prospects for men who enjoyed breaking their own slaves. Although he was pretty sure that wouldn't break Makayla either.

Nothing could break this woman.

But he couldn’t let that perceived disrespect go unanswered. Taking her chin between his thumb and forefinger, he pinched hard enough to make her wince, but she didn't back down, maintaining her steady stare.

“On your knees,” he ordered, using his hold on her to force her down to kneel before him. He didn't like her in this position, he didn't get off on women being submissive.

For him, sex was usually quick, with a stranger, one who understood that this was nothing more than meeting physical needs. He took them from behind, got them off, got himself off, then left. Even if he liked a woman willing to meet his every need without complaint, he still wouldn't get off if she wasn't doing it because it was also what she wanted.

“Take me out, put that mouth to good use for a change,” he ordered. The others snickered, and he hated that he had to put her through this with an audience, but his hands were tied.

Still needing to punish himself for putting Makayla in this position, he didn't look away from her as she did what he ordered. She was also aware that both their hands were tied here. It wasn't pleasure that lit his system as she took him between her lips, it was a lifetime’s worth of repressed anger and grief, ripping away the empty shield that had protected him for decades, leaving him wondering how he was supposed to function, let alone dismantle a trafficking ring.

Chapter

Eleven

August 28th

12:57 P.M.

Although Van was thrusting into her mouth, he wasn't hurting her.

In fact, Makayla was more positive than not that he wasn't even enjoying this. He was doing it because it was expected of him, and to protect her from the others. It seemed like there was some sort of hierarchy here, and because he was the one to find her, he had first choice at punishing her. If he abdicated that place, she knew one of the others wouldn't hesitate to jump in and take over.

If that happened, she wouldn't just be on her knees sucking him off.

Images of what Josh wanted to do to her flooded her mind. Tie her to a spanking bench, hit her until she bled while simultaneously using a toy to make her orgasm, trying to twist her body’s natural response to pain and tie it to pleasure.

Obviously sensing her spiraling thoughts, a small growl fell from Van’s lips, nudging her out of her head. To the others, it probably sounded like a groan, and they likely thought it was mounting pleasure hitting his system, but she saw the truth.

There was anger in those pitch-black eyes, but she knew it wasn't directed at her.

It was directed at the men she thought at first he worked with and was one of. Now she knew the truth, it seemed so obvious, and she wondered why it had taken her a couple of days to see it. He hated them. Possibly more than she did, and that was saying something.

The long fingers in her hair began to stroke her scalp, and she read in his eyes that he was about to pretend to get himself off. How she could read him so easily, she had no idea. She was good at reading people, had learned to do it young to protect herself as best she could, and used the skill in her job, but it was different with this man.

There was some weird sort of soul-deep ability to sense what he was thinking.

Remaining pliant, she let him thrust into her again, then groan and tip his head back as though he’d just come, though she knew he absolutely had not. Still, she faked swallowing, and when he pulled out of her, she wiped at her mouth, even though there was only her own drool to wipe away and nothing else.

“My turn,” Hank announced, already stepping forward, but before the other man could grab her, Van was already acting.

“Who said I was done with her?” he asked as he maneuvered her slightly so she was positioned just behind him.

“You don’t usually do much training,” Marvin piped up.

“Well, we don’t usually have one as fun as this. Besides, if it wasn't for me, you guys would have let her run out of here right under your noses. What do you think Griffin would have had to say about that? I think I'm the only one who can be trusted with this particular one. Don’t you think so, darlin’?” he asked her as he bent, dug his shoulder into her stomach, then stood with her front dangling down his back, her legs at his front, and her bare backside pointing to the sky for all to see.