Uncovering You 2: Submission Read online

  Table of Contents

  Copyright

  Book Description

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  The End

  Uncovering You #3 comes out May 10th, 2014.

  New Releases Email List:

  This book is a work of fiction. All names, characters, locations, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination, or have been use fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, locales, or events is entirely coincidental.

  UNCOVERING YOU #2: SUBMISSION

  Copyright © 2014 Edwards Publishing, Ltd.

  All rights reserved.

  Edited by Gail Lennon.

  Cover design by Scarlett Edwards.

  Interior design by Scarlett Edwards.

  The uploading, scanning, and distribution of this book in any form or by any means---including but not limited to electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise---without the permission of the copyright holder is illegal and punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized editions of this work, and do not participate in or encourage electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of the author’s work is appreciated.

  ISBN: 978-0-9937370-2-2

  Uncovering You #2

  Submission

  by Scarlett Edwards

  EDWARDS PUBLISHING

  Book Description:

  I have survived the worst. I have come out of the darkness with my sanity intact.

  Now, I get to meet the monster holding me here. For the first time since my captivity began, I get to meet Stonehart.

  Whatever he wants, I'll be ready. The collar may be tight around my neck, but I will not be a prisoner.

  A prisoner has no choice. A prisoner has no purpose.

  But a concubine, on the other hand? She always has a choice.

  And today, I choose to fight.

  –

  Uncovering You #2: Submission continues the story begun in Uncovering You #1: The Contract. It contains scenes of intense emotional and physical abuse. Readers with sensitivity to such subjects are advised to proceed with caution.

  The story of Uncovering You unfolds over multiple volumes of approximately 125 pages each. Each volume is a fully-contained book with a climax and conclusion.

  Books in the Uncovering You series will be released every 20 days. Here is the anticipated schedule:

  Currently available:

  Uncovering You #1: The Contract

  Uncovering You #2: Submission

  Future Releases:

  Uncovering You #3 - May 10, 2014

  Uncovering You #4 - May 30, 2014

  Uncovering You #5 - June 20, 2014

  Personal note from the author:

  Hey everyone,

  I wanted to let you know how much I appreciate all your amazing feedback for the first book. I read every single review you posted, and each one helped guide my writing. Reader feedback is essential for me, as a story-teller, to best understand what parts of my writing you enjoyed the most, so that I can give you more of that in the future.

  Unfortunately, there was a huge catastrophe with Uncovering You 1: The Contract. For the week leading up to the release of this book, Uncovering You 1 was taken off-sale from Amazon because of an issue with the cover. It displayed too much nudity. Without a warning or a heads-up, Uncovering You 1 vanished from the kindle store.

  This had a debilitating effect on the series. Whereas before there was good momentum and awareness and hype about the books, all of that just... died. Nobody saw the first book, so nobody bought it, and thus nobody was talking about it. You can’t maintain excitement for something that doesn’t exist.

  I tried to stay positive. After a hugely hectic week, I managed to figure out what was going on, change the cover, re-upload the book, and have it (finally) reappear on sale again. This only resolved itself yesterday (April 19th, 2014).

  But after missing for a week, Uncovering You 1 is dead in the water. I’ve heard from many of you that you found the first book from Amazon’s recommendation system. That type of discoverability is only given to books with sales momentum.. and it was cut off at the knees when Uncovering You 1 was pulled from the store. All the amazing energy that you helped build with your passionate reviews and discussion was killed prematurely.

  So this is my very earnest plea to you: If you enjoyed Uncovering You 1... please help me spread the word again. Heck, you can even reserve judgment until you’ve finished this book. If you hate Uncovering You 2, forget this little note. But if the story captivates you, if it excites you, if it makes you want to throw your kindle across the room and cut off a certain character’s balls... then your support would mean the world to me.

  Anything you can do to let new readers know about the series would be such a blessing. Simple things help. If you have a Goodreads account, recommend the books (both 1 and 2 – but especially 1) to your friends. An email to your sister, mother, cousin, grandma (well.. maybe not your grandma) will do. Send them the link to Uncovering You 1. It’s just $0.99, and I’m going to keep it that price forever. A quick message like “Hey, I thought you might enjoy this series” is all that it takes.

  If you follow any book bloggers, ask them to post about Uncovering You. Recommend the books to them. Tell them that I am giving out free review copies of the books if they email me ([email protected]). Make a post about Uncovering You on Facebook. Encourage your friends to read it so they can discuss it with you. Talk about it on Twitter. Do whatever else you can think of that might help revive Uncovering You 1 from the grave.

  Of course, I’m not going to ask you to do all this from the goodness of your heart. If you do anything to help me spread the word – and I mean literally anything, even messaging one new reader about Uncovering You 1 is amazing – just email me and mention what you did. In return, I’ll send you a copy of Uncovering You #3 ahead of its release day. For free. And, in all likelihood, I’ll probably end up giving you the rest of the books in the series ahead of time, as well.

  With love,

  Scarlett Edwards

  April 20th, 2014.

  (PS: Personally, I thought the original cover for Uncovering You 1 was dark and artistic... and I know many of you shared my opinion based on your reviews. Still, it had to change. You can see the new cover for Uncovering You 1 on the Amazon store here.)

  (PPS: None of this is going to affect the story. I’ve already written the books, and will stick to my release schedule of s sequel coming out every twenty days. You don’t need to worry about that. But, on a personal level... having everything blow up like this has really hampered my enthusiasm.)

  Chapter One

  (Present day. Two weeks into stay.)

  I feel his presence before he speaks.

  “Well, well. Look at you.”

  Stonehart’s voice is unmistakable. Raspy like the rustle of dry leaves, yet as strong as the most powerful gale on Olympus.

  My back stiffens as I hear the clap-clap of loafers advancing on the marble floor.

  “Presentable,” he muses. I keep my eyes fixed on the column straight ahead. “Cleaned up. Though…” A pause. It takes all of my willpower not to turn my head. “…Disappointingly haggard,” he concludes.

  My hands curl into angry fists. That’s a low blow.


  I haven’t seen myself in the mirror for weeks. But I can imagine how I must look. My entire body feels frail, stripped of the feminine curves it once possessed. I can see the sinewy muscles of my forearms move when I turn my wrist. I can feel the impression of my ribs when I slide my hand beneath my breasts. I am a walking skeleton, deprived of food, warmth, and human contact like some forgotten doll in the attic. All because of him.

  And the bastard has the gall to call me haggard?

  I turn in a rage, prepared to unleash a thousand obscenities that have been building in my mind the entire time I’ve been kept prisoner—and stop short when I find him a hair’s breadth away.

  Jeremy Stonehart is exactly the man I remember.

  His melanite eyes regard me with a piercing intensity. Finely-trimmed stubble covering his cheeks gives prominence to his striking jaw and angular cheekbones. His wavy hair is loosely styled to casual perfection. Not a single strand is out of place.

  His two-piece, silk Armani suit is tailored to his body like a second skin. The waist is trim, the shoulders wide and high. I’d forgotten how tall he is. The last time I saw him, I was wearing heels. Now, with him in his shoes and me barefoot, Stonehart towers above me like a malicious mountain.

  “Chin up, now,” he whispers. His finger trails a line up my neck. “Shoulders back. Atta girl. You want to look strong, yes?”

  He sneers. “I know all about appearances, Lilly.” The way he emphasizes my name makes me feel dirty, somehow. “And I know how little good they will do you.”

  He breaks away. I almost fall forward, whether from impulse or instinct, I don’t know. Then, I remember the collar around my neck.

  I look down at the floor and realize I’m right at the edge of my boundary. I stagger back, desperate to avoid the electric shock. My heart pounds like a drum.

  Stonehart notices. He looks at me, then down at the floor, and then… smiles.

  “Lilly,” he says. “You needn’t fear. The moment you signed the contract, you were afforded certain privileges.” He takes out his phone and glances at the ceiling. “Look.”

  One swipe of his finger turns off all the lights. I can still see him, outlined by the light of his screen. He taps the phone, and a strange, deep purple light I’ve never seen here before fills the room.

  Stonehart slips the phone back into his pocket. The ultra-violet light makes the white of his teeth and eyes the only thing visible when he speaks. It makes him look like an unearthly apparition.

  “Look at the floor, Lilly. Do you see anything unusual?”

  I swallow before answering. “No.”

  “You don’t?” He sounds confused. Then he hits the side of his head as if just remembering. “Ah! Of course.”

  A malicious smile reveals those shining white teeth as Stonehart turns his phone back on. He does something I cannot see, and suddenly a thin red circle rushes in toward me along the floor. It stops right at the edge of my boundary.

  “Do you know what that is, Lilly?”

  His tone makes the blood drain from my face. I do not. But, it’s not hard to guess. I shake my head, refusing to answer.

  “Come now,” Stonehart probes. “I’m sure you do. Take a gander.”

  I shake my head harder, making my hair swing in my eyes. I back away until my shoulder blades touch the marble beam. It might just be my imagination, but the red circle seems to be pulsing, constricting, and expanding ever-so-slightly under my watch.

  My fingers clutch the collar. I pull at it in desperation, but to no effect.

  Stonehart clicks his tongue. The purple light disappears, and with it the laser circle. All the overhead lights come back on.

  “Lilly,” he says. “Come here.”

  My eyes widen in terror as I look at him. He’s outside my boundary!

  “No,” I breathe.”

  “Lilly!” His voice snaps. “I told you once before how I hate repeating myself.” He tilts his eyes ever so slightly. “Or have you forgotten?”

  Damn it! I thought these power games would end when I signed the contract! “No,” I muster. “But I can’t. You’re too far.”

  A vicious smile curls his handsome lips. “Are you refusing to obey?”

  I shake my head. The collar feels like it’s a live noose. “I can’t—you’re too far away!”

  “Am I?” Stonehart seems amused. He holds both hands up as his eyes trail a path from his feet to mine. “It doesn’t seem like I’m very far, does it? There’s no physical barrier blocking your way.”

  Bile rises in my throat on hearing those god damn words spoken aloud. No physical barrier.

  He takes one calculated step toward me. “There,” he says. “I do not often compromise. But for you, I will. You say I’m too far. So I bridge the gap.” His cruel eyes shine. “Now it’s your turn.”

  I can hardly believe what I’m doing when I take my first step toward him. My body shakes with apprehension. A cold sweat slicks my back. Stonehart is standing outside the perimeter. Reaching him would mean willingly subjecting myself to a second, horrible, electric shock.

  But if I ever want to get back at him for everything that he has—and will—do to me, I have to submit to his games.

  My senses are heightened in anticipation of the first tell-tale sign that I’ve gone too far as I walk forward. I stop on the edge of the boundary.

  I am still fifteen feet away from Stonehart.

  “To me, Lilly,” he says softly, mockingly. “I want you by my side.”

  I grit my teeth and force myself to meet his evil stare. “I cannot.”

  “No?” His eyes glimmer. “Tell me why.”

  “YOU KNOW WHY, YOU BASTARD!” I scream.

  My hands fly to my mouth when I realize what I’ve done. “I’m sorry,” I whisper. “I—”

  I am cut off by a sudden, booming laugh.

  “So, you have some spark left in you, after all,” he laughs. “Excellent. I knew your façade of weakness was just that. You, my dear, are not broken yet. Are you?”

  Five quick strides and he’s on me. His hand juts out and grips my jaw, squeezing hard. My lips pucker together. He jerks my head up so my eyes meet his.

  “But you will be,” he promises, his voice soft and full of danger. “You will be tamed and trained to my liking.”

  He spins off and lets me go. The momentum drops me to my knees. I cry out when they strike the unforgiving floor.

  Stonehart is back in his previous position, both hands clasped behind his back. His face is impassive, giving no hint of what has just occurred.

  What kind of man can control his emotions so well?

  “Now, Lilly,” he commands. “To my side.”

  I stand up on unsteady legs. I glare at Stonehart with all the hate I can summon. He watches me, eyes shining, the corner of his mouth curled up in the barest hint of a smile.

  I take one shaky step forward and flinch, waiting for the first warning shock.

  I crack an eye open when it doesn’t come. Stonehart tilts his head in acknowledgment. “Closer.”

  I close my eyes and try not to think about the black piece of plastic that’s tight around my neck. Then, in a bout of either stupidity, lunacy, or desperation, I burst forward in a rush, feet slapping along the floor.

  A solid grip on my arm stops me mid-run. I open my eyes and see Stonehart smiling down at me. “That will be far enough. You wouldn’t want to suffer another accident.”

  I look around, wide-eyed. “You extended the range,” I breathe. I force down the gratitude that seems to spring from nowhere.

  “I told you that your signature granted you privileges,” Stonehart notes. “I am disappointed by your lack of faith in my word.”

  “I thought—”

  “Remember, Lilly,” he cuts me off, “that freedoms granted can just as easily be taken away.”

  He withdraws his phone, taps the screen a few times, and the purple UV light comes on. The thin red circle becomes visible, less than three inches away.
I stare at it in horror, knowing how close I came to overstepping it.

  “This is your boundary line,” Stonehart observes. “Let me demonstrate the meaning of my words.”

  He taps a button on his phone. Immediately, the circle starts to shrink. I stare in bewilderment, too dumb to move.

  “Run,” he whispers.

  I spin back and sprint to my column. The laser circle nips at my heels. My heart is thundering and I’m gasping for air when my hands find the cool white stone. Stonehart’s laughter echoes through the room.

  I turn back, and am horrified to find the circle constricting past its initial boundary. Now it’s only ten feet away. Five. Three.

  It stops a bare inch away from my toes. I press myself against the marble as tight as I can. I don’t dare move. I don’t dare trigger the collar.

  Stonehart’s laughter continues. “You see?” he booms. “I am always in control. Do not forget that, Lilly.”

  As quickly as it had surrounded me, the red circle skitters away. I don’t even see it on the ground anymore. The UV light turns off, and the bright ones come on.

  I slump to the floor. My new clothes are ruined, drenched with sweat. I hang my head between my legs as I struggle through the constant, piercing pain that comes when my surroundings go from dark to light.

  I hear Stonehart’s footsteps on the floor as he walks a circle around me. “Now,” he begins, “we have to go over the ground rules governing your behavior.”

  I manage to open my eyes long enough to see the triumphant expression on his face, just before he disappears from my field of vision. I refuse to turn my head to follow him.

  One day, I will make him pay for this, I promise myself.

  “Rule One.” Stonehart’s voice is sharp and clipped. “If you resist, or don’t comply with a clause set out in the contract, you will suffer the consequence of misbehavior.” His intonation makes the labeling sound extremely ominous.

  “Rule Two. You are explicitly prohibited from any form of self-harm. I will not have you—” he sneers at me, “—spoiling yourself.”

  “Three. You are not allowed to question my desires. Questions pertaining to your situation are prohibited.” He kneels in front of me and I catch a whiff of his cologne. To think that it once functioned as an aphrodisiac is insane. “Do you understand, Lilly?”