Page 49 of Muerte

“I don’t know. Why would you tell me the truth?”

“Because a relationship built on lies and poor communication is destined to make us both miserable.”

Relationship. What a delusion of normalcy that had been warped and twisted. Every time he alluded to us being more than a captor and captive, I felt the weight of an invisible shackle growing tighter.

“Are you implying I should believe everything you say to me?”

“There’s no reason you shouldn’t.”

Anger and disbelief churned inside my chest. “Except for the fact I didn’t come here willingly, and I can’t trust you.”

His eyes, two pools of amber and gold, bored into mine with an intensity that made the air between us crackle. He seemed both distant and overwhelmingly present.

“I’ve given you no reason to distrust me, Lolita,” he said, his voice a velvet lull. “I may withhold certain information until the time is right, but I’ve never lied to you. I don’t need to.”

“You could be lying right now.”

“Look around. You are exactly where you’re meant to be. I can do whatever I want to you, however I want, whenever I want. Who’s going to stop me?”

A sharp coldness prickled at my skin. He was right.

He’d been telling me this from the very beginning. No one was going to save me from him. I was completely at his mercy.

He had managed to kidnap not just me, but three other women—that I knew of—and didn’t seem too concerned about being caught.

“Start eating and I’ll answer your first question.”

"I'm not that hungry," I replied quietly, trying to remember what I’d initially asked.

“Not feeling hungry and needing to eat are not one and the same.”

I watched as he loaded my plate with small portions from each of the various dishes, his focus split between the task at hand and me. He even took the time to make sure my food didn’t touch, using a second plate just as I would’ve done. His attention to the most miniscule detail was evident in everything he did.

“My work is overseeing different endeavors,” he began, placing one of the plates in front of me. “I’ve invested, have shares in the companies my family own and, of course, my main area of focus is the Isle.”

“That seems like a lot.”

"It isn’t, really. My father made sure I could go above and beyond, even under pressure.”

“You’re close with your father too?” I speared a piece of roast and took a bite.

The tender meat melted in my mouth, infused with a medley of spices that saturated my tastebuds.

“Everyone in our community is close, but yes, I am especially so with my father.” He added more roast to my plate. “Do you like it? I thought this would agree with you. The local butcher delivered it just this morning.”

Of course he had the luxury of fresh meat being brought to his doorstep.

“Who cleans up when we’re done eating? I noticed Esther and Nicolette don’t.”

“One of our servitors you’ll soon meet.”

Well, none of that was very helpful. I switched gears and tried to think of something else that would make him open up. I knew he was meticulously organized, clean, domineering, and wealthy. He was intelligent and very well spoken. Possessive and calculating. From what I’d gathered thus far, he was a family man too.

He was close with his parents and siblings. Thanks to Esther and Nicolette filling in a few blanks while we were in the library, I had come to learn that his younger brother was present the night of the Rite. He was one of the men that resembled Alexander. The man that I recognized from the resort was his cousin, Bishop.

I had yet to learn the identities of the men in red.

All I knew of them so far was that they were close and had laid claim to the other captive women.

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