Free Fractured Crystal: Sapphires and Submission by M. J. Lawless Page A

place where I’ve always wanted to live.”
    This made him smile broadly. “Excellent,” he told her.
    “And if I say this... you’ll stop whatever it is you’re doing?” The question itself made her nervous.
    “Of course. Here, let me demonstrate.” Without warning, Daniel shot up his hand and sank his fingers into her hair, yanking her head sideways so that she almost fell sideways.
    The suddenness of his action, as well as the violence of his motion, caused Kris first of all to panic. Then, as he began to pull her around the room, dragging her so that the roots of her hair really hurt in a way that was not the slightest bit appealing or erotic, unlike their rough and tumble the day before, she became angry.
    “Daniel!” she hollered, striking his arm with her fists. “What the fuck do you think you’re doing? Stop it! Let go!”
    Her blows became stronger, but he refused to let go, and twisting herself around to try and break free of his iron grip simply hurt her more. “Ow!” she yelped. “You’re hurting me! Let go!”
    “Say it,” he told her calmly. “Say it, and I’ll stop.”
    “Say what!” In her familiar anger and frustration she had completely forgotten what they had been talking about.
    “Say your word, and I’ll stop.”
    “Are you fucking serious? Okay! Okay! Alfama! Now, stop it!”
    He had already released her as soon as she uttered the place name, and her face came up red and furious with him. Without thinking, she balled her hand into a fist and struck him as hard as she could in the chest, a blow that made him stagger back one step — more to absorb the blow than out of pain or surprise.
    “You’re a fucking nutter!” she told him.
    “Perhaps,” he said. “But I promise you this : say that word and I’ll stop whatever it is I’m doing.”
    “What, if I just tell you Af-” Before she could finish, he had placed his hand over her mouth, a strong and powerful grip that made her eyes go wide as she wondered if he would hurt her again.
    “There’s just one additional thing. I don’t want your safe word becoming a litany, a daily drone, a whine whenever you encounter something you don’t like. I want to push you, Kris. I want you to push yourself, to find out what you’re really capable of. Because of this, you can only say your special word three times. Treat it as something sacred. On the third time you utter it, you have to leave here. I don’t want you in this house any more. If... if you’re capable of even half the things I think you are, then you need to display some... stoicism, shall we say?”
    His hand hand relaxed on her mouth, and she realised that this time he had no intention of hurting her. He simply wanted her to listen. But... stoicism? What the hell? Who the hell was this man?
    “So,” she said when he finally, slowly removed his hand. “You’re telling me that as soon as I say Af- my safe word three times, then that’s it. It’s finished. Right?”
    “Well, actually, you’ve already used it once, so that leaves you two more times.”
    Kris was incredulous. “You are fucking joking, right? That last time doesn’t count, does it? I mean...”
    But Daniel was no longer listening. He had once more returned to her drawings. “How often do you sketch or paint?”
    “Don’t you change the subject!” she almost howled at him in frustration. “Are you telling me that I’ve got to abide by every nutty rule you come up with?”
    At this he smiled. “Only for the next nine days,” he told her. With one hand resting on her open drawing pad, he gestured towards the front door with his other. “You’re welcome to leave any time. I’m not joking. Only please don’t come back — I’m not joking about that, either. Now, answer my question, please. How often do you sketch? You’ve got real talent. I’m interested.”
    Kris stared back towards the entrance, genuinely wondering whether she could call it quits now. At the same time, his final