The Long Day of Revenge Read Free Page A

rear.
    “That’s against the rules!” he shouted, leaping from the bed and rushing into the corner. “Get back over here!”
    His wife was really fighting him now, but luckily no one in the hotel heard. Perhaps everyone on his floor was out drinking in preparation for the big fiesta the next day? He didn’t know, and he didn’t care.
    “Get on the bed,” he demanded. “Lie on your stomach and put your hands on that pillow. In fact, you bite that pillow and don’t make any noise. So help me God, if you move an inch you will live to regret it.”
    The matador could see his wife’s body quivering with dread, but as usual, she went along with what he insisted upon. She had learned to be submissive in that way and now, on what could well be his last night on earth; she had come back for a final round. He loved her for that at least, though he loathed what she had become. The only thing in the world he hated more was Gaditano.
    Earlier, he had thrown his street clothes by the bathroom door and there, grasping his pants, he extracted the belt.
    “You haven’t had the belt in a long time,” he proclaimed. “Well, this is gonna be something for you to remember me by.”
    Folding the leather belt into a makeshift weapon, he went back to the bed and brought it down across Lucinda’s ass without warning, causing her to jerk like someone trying to swim where there was no water. Instead of screaming, as she so badly wanted to do, she bit the pillow, muffling her cry. There was only the ominous whap as flesh and leather collided.
    “You’ll never forget me,” he snarled and brought the belt down twice more. This time he struck in a new spot, hitting her upper legs with one blow apiece. Upon connection, she jerked and bolted as if by this movement she could cool the pain within.
    “Owwwwwwwwwwww,” Lucinda protested before taking another bite of the pillow and writhing as the torment extended throughout her entire body.
    Manolo, however, was lost in his own world.
    “I’m going to blister your ass. In the bullring tomorrow, you’ll be standing and not sitting! This is something to remember me by! You take this and never forget!”
    Another set of blows came, and Lucinda shook with each of them but refused to scream. She was biting the pillow with all her might, and tears were welling up in her eyes. These were caused not only by the ever-increasing pain being brought to her extremities, but the thought of how their lives had turned bad.
    “Take this!”
    Manolo continued to wallop away with the belt, mercilessly punishing his target.
    “Owwwww!”
    The pain was so great; Lucinda could no longer contain herself. The last group of blows set her ass on fire, and she moved back with both hands to shield herself while the tears flowed.
    “Owwwwwwww! Stop it now…”
    The spankings Manolo administered were real and often for offenses combined with the ritual to bring good luck in the ring. Thus, there was no safe word. He would quit when he decided to do so, determining when she had been disciplined enough.
    “I’ll tell you when you’ve had your fill,” he countered. “I’ll decide when you’ve taken all you can take. This is what you deserve.”
    Lucinda’s only response was an extended groan. Again, it was surprising no one heard.
    “You deserve every minute of this! You left me in my time of need! Then you come here on the evening before the most important day of my life! You act like you’re doing me a favor, and I’m your own husband! Who knows what you’ve been doing on your own! You deserve this!”
    “I know what you’ve been doing, you bastard,” she shouted. “Fuck you! I heard about the whores! I saw you!”
    This brought another series of licks against her legs and bottom, until they looked like someone had dumped a bucket of bright red paint upon her. The welts and marks were darkening now too, turning an ugly purple. Amid all this, Lucinda thrashed about, but would not rise or run. She