Lauren's grip on the whip tightened until her knuckles turned white. Pure, burning jealousy raged through her chest like molten lava, mixing with the cold fury that had been building since the moment that older woman had pulled Ryan onto her lap.
How dare he sit there? How dare he let that bitch wrap her arms around him, stroke his face, and call him hers? He belonged to her... only her.
The image of Ryan on that woman's lap, obedient and helpless, kept flashing in her mind, feeding the rage until it felt like it would choke her.
She stepped closer, eyes blazing with possessive anger.
"You let that whore touch what is mine," she snarled, voice low and venomous. "You sat in her lap like a cheap little toy. My slave. My pet. And you didn't even fight back. How fucking dare you."
Ryan stood there in nothing but his underwear, body visibly shaking, tears already streaming down his handsome, baby-faced cheeks.
His glassy eyes were wide with terror as he watched her approach with the whip. He wanted to apologize, to beg, but the lump in his throat kept the words trapped.
Lauren reached up and yanked open another section of the hidden cupboard. She pulled out a pair of heavy leather cuffs attached to a long chain. Without warning she grabbed Ryan's wrists, forcing his arms above his head.
She locked the cuffs around his wrists with sharp clicks, then hooked the chain over a reinforced handle built into the ceiling beam. His arms were now stretched high, leaving him completely exposed and helpless, toes barely touching the floor.
His lean, solid torso with its subtle abs stretched taut, the position making every tremble in his body more obvious.
Lauren stepped back, whip in hand. She cracked it hard against the floor with a loud, vicious snap that echoed through the room.
CRACK!
"You are my property!" she shouted, voice rising with raw jealousy and rage. "Mine! Not some old bitch's plaything! How dare you sit there and let her touch you? How dare you obey my father instead of me?"
CRACK!
The whip slammed into the floor again, inches from Ryan's feet.
Ryan flinched violently at every strike, fresh tears pouring down his face. Soft, broken sobs escaped him despite his efforts to stay quiet.
His arms strained against the cuffs, shoulders burning, but he couldn't move away. The fear in his wide, glassy eyes was overwhelming. He looked so vulnerable, so innocent, his cute features twisted in terror.
"I... I'm sorry… Mommy… please…" he whimpered, voice shaking.
"I said I don't want any sound!" Lauren roared, jealousy fueling every word.
"You belong to me! Only me! Not her! Not anyone! You sat in her lap like you were hers. My pet letting another woman paw at him. Disgusting."
CRACK!
CRACK!
CRACK!
She kept whipping the floor around him in rapid, angry succession left side, right side, between his legs, always close enough that he could feel the rush of air and hear the terrifying snap, but never actually striking his body.
Each crack made him jerk and cry harder, tears dripping onto his chest. His breathing came in panicked gasps, body trembling uncontrollably in the stretched position.
Lauren's face was still flushed red, eyes wild with possessive rage. She circled him slowly, whip trailing on the floor before snapping it again.
"How dare you?" she shouted again, voice harsh and unrelenting. "You exist for me... not for anyone else to touch or take! The next time anyone tries to put their hands on you, you will scream that you belong to Lauren Voss and no one else. Do you understand?"
Ryan nodded frantically, tears streaming nonstop, soft cries slipping out between his clenched teeth. "Y-yes… Mommy… I'm sorry… I didn't mean to..."
"Quiet!" she barked, cracking the whip again near his thigh, the loud snap making him sob harder.
She stopped directly in front of him, breathing heavily, the whip dangling from her hand like a threat. Her jealousy still burned hot the thought of that woman's arms around Ryan, her fingers on his face, her offer to "take" him... it made Lauren want to destroy something. Or someone.
Ryan hung there, arms stretched high, body shaking, tears falling freely down his flushed, handsome face. He looked completely broken and terrified, yet utterly at her mercy.
"Why didn't you ask me?" she demanded, voice low and venomous. "Why the fuck didn't you look at me first before crawling onto her lap like a desperate whore?"
Ryan's arms strained uselessly above his head, wrists locked tight in the leather cuffs. His breath hitched violently, words tumbling out in a broken, fumbling mess.
"I... I thought… your father… he told me to go… I didn't want him to be disappointed and then you… you would get angry at me… I didn't know what to do… I'm sorry, Mommy… please…"
Lauren stared at him for a long second. Then she laughed a short, bitter, dangerous sound that held no warmth, only raw frustration and simmering anger.
Her eyes grew glassy, from the sheer intensity of her rage boiling over. The laugh died as quickly as it had started, leaving her face harder than before.
Without another warning she swung the whip.
The first strike landed sharply across his upper back with a loud crack.
CRACK!
Ryan's entire body jerked forward, a strangled cry tearing from his throat as fresh pain exploded across his skin.
"You do not think for yourself," Lauren hissed, bringing the whip down again across his shoulder blades.
CRACK!
"You do not decide what will make me angry or what will disappoint my father. You ask me. You wait for my order. You belong to me."
CRACK!
Another hit, this time lower on his back, the leather biting into his lean muscle.
"You are my slave. My pet. When someone calls you, you do not move until I say so. When someone touches you, you pull away and tell them you are owned by Lauren Voss. Do you understand?"
CRACK! CRACK!
Two quick strikes landed in succession, one on each side of his spine. Ryan's head fell forward, tears pouring down his face as his body twisted in the cuffs.
His back already showed faint red welts rising on his skin. Soft, desperate whimpers escaped him with every breath, but he tried and failed to stay quieter.
Lauren circled him slowly, whip trailing behind her before snapping forward again.
CRACK!
"You sat there and let her wrap her arms around you. Let her stroke your face like you were hers." Her voice rose with every word, jealousy fueling the strikes. "You let her offer to take you away from me. My property. How fucking stupid can you be?"
CRACK! CRACK! CRACK!
She kept hitting, methodical and unrelenting, each lash accompanied by a cold, cutting command.
"Next time anyone tries to claim you, you say no. You say you are mine. You look at me and wait for permission. You do not obey my father. You do not obey anyone but me."
The whip continued to fall across his back and shoulders, never in the same spot twice, painting his skin with burning lines.
Ryan's legs shook, knees buckling slightly as pain and fear overwhelmed him. Tears streamed freely down his cheeks, dripping onto his chest. His handsome face was contorted, lips trembling as he fought to hold back louder sobs.
Lauren's breathing was heavy now, her glassy eyes locked on the marks she was leaving. She didn't stop. She kept hitting, each strike driving home her possessive anger.
"You exist for my orders only. You eat when I feed you. You speak when I allow it. You sit where I tell you. And you never... never... let another person put their hands on what is mine."
She delivered one final, harder lash across his lower back before stepping back, whip still gripped tightly in her hand.
Ryan hung limply in the cuffs, back covered in bright red welts, body trembling violently, tears falling without pause. His soft cries filled the room, quiet and broken.
Lauren watched him, chest still tight with jealousy and frustration, her expression remaining cold and merciless.