A Psychopath For a Boss

Chapter 19 Submitted, but not Broken

James's POV

I watched him from across the room. He was holding his throat and looking at me warily, now that I had moved off of him and he had assumably given up. I was skeptical, and it payed to be skeptical when someone gave in after a little violence.

Part of myself was mad. The game of cat and mouse I wanted was put to a swift and unhappy death. I should have let him go, but the anger that took ahold of me brought me to strangle him.

I wanted things to keep going around and round, it was fun, but he figured things out quick enough. He wasn't too meek to not throw a punch. There was nothing too special about Travis.

Still, it was sad to see a new toy broken so soon.

"You submit totally to me?" I asked him. "So, you will take me up on the offer?"

Travis looked towards the ceiling, "Yes." He said ever-so-softly, clearing his throat as it seemed sore. He gave the clear impression that he didn't want to.

Still, he accepted his new job underneath me. I wouldn't be punishing him for trying to escape or for hitting me yet. "Good, let's have you change out of that silk." My first move was to offer something he would feel more secure with having- namely, pants. The mere mention of clothes had him push down the silk top I had left on him.

The key that kept him locked to the headboard slipped out of my pocket and soon enough, we stood facing each other. The little advantage I had over him in height, I used, and it was still gratifying to see him nervous under my gaze. He was free from the cuffs, but not me.

We moved out of the room, with me leading and Travis, like a loyal dog, following. For the short walk to a room with a decent closet, I had plenty of time to think. He wasn't broken, that much was crystalline, but he had given up willingly, if only momentarily, at the threat of his life.

This wouldn't do. I intended to own him. Dominate him. He would be mine, but in every way, with every string of hope that kept him up like a puppet clasped in my hand.

Perhaps he should be broken like a horse: Let out on a long rope and steadily dragged in, until he's used to the leash and collar. Or maybe not, he could no doubt slip from the rope and make a run for his life.

Maybe I should treat this like a dog: Reward him for doing good, and punish him for the bad. We already started off pretty bad. His sense of individuality might keep him from ever behaving correctly. Treating him like a mutt wouldn't do either. There was a line between licking my shoes and spitting on them if I had to punish him too much.

The thought occurred to me that pressure might do the trick. Teaching him that all his exits were locked, and only I could open them. All his friends were mine, and I owned them one way or another. The mental consequences of an emotional play to me, however, weren't worth the risk of him trying to off himself.

Holding a gun to Travis's head all day seemed like a safe option. Though, it wasn't the fun option. What I needed wasn't another job, what I needed was to break Travis completely, and for him to say a polite little 'thank you' after I did. A pleasure in itself would be the irony of having Travis hate me now and beg for me later.

My hands met sheer fabric of fancy clothing sets, my thoughts rearranged as I picked out a soft white outfit. "Do you like parties?" I asked Travis.

The sudden question caught Travis off guard, the man looking at the door behind us. "Parties... aren't my thing." He informed me, his words slow and with a deliberate caution, like he was trying not to upset me once more.

"Well, I will be hosting one soon." A company party, of course. A thought entertained my fancy: Travis stuffed into a high-necked suit, shock collar under the ruffles, and his face clean-shaven and a glare centered completely on me. "You will be attending." I would be having what I wanted.

Travis was giving me his look again- the one you would give a drug user who was trying to look sober. It was equally a look of contempt this time, though I could almost feel the pricks of curiosity coming from him. He wanted to know what my game was.

"Here. These should fit you." Without giving him an explanation, I handed him clothes I had picked. He looked between them and me. "Well? Get dressed." I sat in a chair to watch him.

"You're just going to watch me?" Travis asked, though it wasn't much of a question as he refused to look to me.

"How nice of you to offer. I think I will." I sat back in my chair, letting him know I was totally at ease, and partly hoping for a show.

The only show he gave me, however, was an impressive feat where he showed me absolutely nothing as he changed. He put on his pants first over his boxers. Then he managed to pull his arms into the silk nighty, put on his new shirt inside it, button it, and then removed the silk after he even tucked in his shirt! What could I say besides I was impressed?

"You needn't have gone through all that." I told him, standing up. "I've already seen you completely bare." Travis bristled at those words, not taking them without salt. I decided to rub it in a little further, "Nice tattoo, by the way."

"Why don't you just keep your eyes off me and mouth shut?" Travis definitely snapped at that.

I couldn't contain a laugh, letting it escape me and getting up, striding towards him. He flinched and backed up, yet I seized him by the throat. "How about you start understanding that you belong to me, and I will break you."