Beneath The Debt

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egan floor by floor as awkward silence stretched. Claustrophobia kicked in and my pulse quickened, while he stood like he enjoyed the chaos in the silence. Then suddenly, the elevator jolted, the light flickering, and then it went out. Saxon swore under his breath, and I froze. "What the hell." I fumbled for my phone, turning on the flashlight. "No fucking signal," he muttered, waving his phone around. "Great." I swallowed hard. "So..., are we just going to keep ignoring each other?" The words escaped before I could stop them, but I was met with silence. "That's how this is going to be? You could at least pretend to care," I hissed. Saxon stopped pacing and slowly turned, the flashlight catching only the edges of his face. "This?" he asked, his voice undertone. "What exactly do you think this is?" "I don't know at this point. But don't treat me like I'm the villain here." He took an instinctive step forward, and I stepped back. "Of course not, Miss Monroe," he said, a mocking smirk tearing his lips. I pressed the light directly on his face, needing to see him to remind myself he was just a man, and not some beast in the dark. "Then–." "Shh..," he interrupted, taking another step towards me, and I moved further away from him, hitting the cold wall of the elevator. "I wasn't done talking." "So?," I asked, gulping hard as I met his gaze. "So, don't talk unless I'm done speaking." "I didn't ask for this," I said. "So don't expect me to just obey you." Saxon towered over me, slamming his right hand on the wall beside my head, and I flinched. My phone met the floor, with the flashlight side facing up. My heart skipped painfully as his cologne hit me full force, choking me. It was dark spiced, mixed with something even crueler. "I didn't ask for this either," he spat "So I don't think I should have a particular way to treat you. And don't expect me to treat you like something precious too, Miss Monroe." "Why do you keep calling me by my first name?" I whispered, immediately regretting it. "Because that's all you are. Just a name in a paper. And care?," he scoffed. "About what? This arrangement? Or you?" "You signed the damn papers too didn't you?" I snapped. "Don't act like I tricked you into it. His eyes dipped to my lips. And I saw, and felt it when the air shifted. "Move," I said, feeling panicked, and my throat suddenly went dry. I tried to shove him away, but he gripped me by the cheeks and slammed my head back on the wall. My eyes flew wide open as I felt pain and fear shoot through my entire skulI, down to my spine. "I don't like loud women, Miss Monroe," Saxon said, digging his sharp nails into my skin. "And would definitely not want one for a wife." I winced in pain