Page 57 of Controlled

I obviously wasn’t going anywhere.

When he broke the kiss, I used the same hand to wipe my mouth, trying to put some distance between us. He chuckled.

“We’re going to New York for the night. I’ve brought you something special.”

“New York,” I repeated. “Why?”

“Because I want to show you something, my perfect dancer.”

“I can’t go. I can’t stay here. I just can’t. I know you don’t care about my hopes and dreams, my obligations or my fears. You certainly couldn’t give a shit my best friend was murdered, but maybe you’ll care that I have a mother who needs me. We have no one else. No other family. She’s all I have and she’s… well, she’s in an aging facility around the clock. She can’t take care of herself and I certainly am not qualified to handle her needs. I’m barely making ends meet paying for her care. Maybe you can understand how hard it is since you have a mother. Everyone does. And I’m certain she loved you.”

I wasn’t certain what I was hoping to accomplish with my admittance but as soon as I had, I could see a darkness shifting into the man’s eyes. Not just from sadness but the kind of cold that anyone would be terrified of.

“My mother was murdered by my father when I was seven years old.”

“What?” I couldn’t have heard him correctly. There wasn’t a chance. “That can’t be true.”

“I assure you, perfect dancer, it’s true. Which is one reason I had no trouble hunting him in the middle of the woods like the wild dog he was. I know all about your mother and your finances, sweet baby girl. While your mother, in my humble opinion, is a bitch who doesn’t deserve you in the least after the way you were treated, I do have enough humanity left in me to understand you would be devastated if you couldn’t afford to take care of her. So I’ve taken that off your plate.”

“What does that mean? Please tell me you didn’t hurt her. Please.” My grip on his arm was tight, my fingernails digging into his skin. He slowly lifted a single eyebrow.

“I’m not in the habit of hurting women who are in the throes of dementia or any woman for that matter. Contrary to what you might have heard, I’m only a monster to those who deserve to face extermination. I’ve taken the liberty of having her moved to a much better facility not far from where we are now. At my expense, of course. Now, you’ll be allowed to see her from time to time if you follow the rules.”

“What rules?”

“We’ll go over those.”

“Why am I here? Why are you spending all this money on taking care of a woman you obviously hate? And don’t tell me because we’re soulmates.”

“That is the truth, my sweet. However, there is a simple reason you’re in my house and in my life. You will dance for me. My private little dancer. You will help me control my demons because I assure you that without what you can provide, I would unleash an explosive wrath. You are truly my perfect dancer.”

With that he walked away, leaving me cold and aching inside.

As I fell against the wall, I knew he wasn’t lying.

And while I might not think I knew him, our connection had allowed me to take a single look inside his blackened soul.

He wasn’t just a monster.

He was one hundred percent insane.

CHAPTER 18

Creed

“You look stunning,” I told her from across the seat in my jet. And she did. She looked like a fairy princess in the long crimson velvet dress, the style suiting her soft curves perfectly.

Bella didn’t bother looking at me, remaining tense in her seat, still sipping on the same glass of champagne I’d handed her moments after the plane had taken off.

She’d coiled her long strands of hair into a spectacular bun, adding a diamond-encrusted hair pick to keep her hair from falling. With her red lipstick and the dazzling shoes that I’d had purchased, she could be mistaken for royalty.

Her silence was starting to irritate me, especially since I’d make certain the night would be something she’d remember as a fairytale. However, I’d reminded myself more than once that she still felt under duress, especially after what had occurred at my office.

Sadly, as much as my rage had remained festering in my system, my brothers had convinced me going on a rampage would do nothing but turn our worlds upside down. No, I didn’t want that, but I would become the savage I was known to be when I confirmed the person responsible for the assassination attempt.

In my mind it was Antonio.

Or Carlos.

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