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He grabbed both of her wrists and pulled her close. “How can I make myself more clear, Ali? You will do as I say.”
Her eyes grew big. A mix of fear and animosity shone back at him. He didn’t want to frighten her, but she wasn’t giving him much of a choice.
Then she did the worst thing she could’ve possibly done. She spit in his face.
“Ali!” Eli yelped, standing up from behind her.
Nik closed his eyes, trying to tame the anger rising in him. He breathed heavily as her saliva rolled down his face. “Come with me.”
He didn’t give her a chance to object this time. His fingers dug into her wrists as he dragged her along.
“Stop,” she cried out, her heels digging into the dirt. “You’re hurting me.”
“Does it look like I care?” he asked, loud enough for the others to hear, but he loosened his grip.
They passed Sam and the other prisoners, who watched in silence. Everyone had seen what had just happened, but he couldn’t let her win. That would be a sign of weakness, and he was not weak.
Rysburg was not weak.
“Where are you taking me?” Her voice was shaky and higher than normal. He almost felt guilty for the fear he was inducing. Almost.
He took her to the edge of the greenhouse and made a sharp left turn through a hallway that connected the greenhouses. She’d never been this way and her eyes searched frantically, taking in her surroundings and finding no comfort. No one to save her. He threw open the door to a dark and dusty shed, full of tools, seeds, spare gloves, aprons and other miscellaneous things. He pulled her arm so hard she flew into the room and up against one of the walls, careful not to knock anything down.
“What is wrong with you?” His anger was out of control.
She cowered from him like an injured animal.
“I’m sorry.” It was barely more than a whisper. “I…I wasn’t thinking. I just wanted to be with Eli. I didn’t think…I didn’t think that would happen.” Her eyes were big and remorseful. Maybe he wasn’t the only one who acted on impulse.
He put his hands on his hips and paced back and forth, pondering what to do next. His temper was cooling but he couldn’t just let her get away with that.
No, there had to be consequences.
He let out a loud sigh. “I can’t let you treat me like that, Ali. You don’t get it. The people here…they have to view me as an authority figure. I can’t let you walk all over me. I’ll lose my job if they don’t think I’m capable.”
She hung her head and shifted her feet on the dirty floor. “What happens now?”
“I don’t know,” he grumbled.
“What would usually happen? If it weren’t me, what would you do?”
He hesitated. If it were anyone else, he would’ve handled it in front of everyone. Would’ve made an example out of them. If it were anyone else, he would still be irate right now. “Anybody else would be swatted for that. The standard is ten lashes.”
She considered for a moment, picking at the dirt under her fingernails. “Do what you have to do.”
Nik clenched his jaw and tilted his head, questioning her, but she nodded reassuringly. He had to do something, but could he put his hands on her like that? With barely more than a whisper, he said, “I don’t know that I can.”
“You said you had to punish me, right? And this is the standard? Then do it. You have no reason to treat me any differently than any other prisoner here.”
“I could think of one reason,” he retorted.
She looked him in the eyes, and there was a resolve there that startled him. For a woman who appeared so fragile on the outside, she was fiery and strong on the inside. He was drawn to that fire. “Do it.”
Nik dragged a hand through his hair. Judging from the determination on her face, he wouldn’t talk her out of it. “Turn around. Put your hands on the table.”
Her breath hitched as she turned and bent slightly forward, placing her palms flat on the wooden table. He walked up behind her and gripped her shirt, untucking it from her pants. His hands moved around to her front and untied the string holding her pants up. They fell to her ankles the moment he let go.
“I didn’t want to have to do this,” he muttered.
