Page 12 of Unhinged

I string the rabbit above the worktop, knowing Daniela will appreciate my work when she makes dinner this evening. She’s always appreciative when I hunt fresh meat, which tastes better than anything she buys from the grocery store. And while Ileana insists that it’s below me to skin the animal, I disagree. She keeps me on a leash more often, making it impossible to find an outlet for my rage.

Five days from now, I’ll be on a jet with my new obsession. Alice. I sigh heavily as images of her bound and gagged on my bed with her eyes wide in fear grace my mind. A throb ignites between my thighs at the heady image. I will feed off her fear and bask in it. Watch as that fear turns to pure fire, and she comes apart for me repeatedly.

I lean over the counter, bracing myself against the storm of desire threatening to pull me under. Desire is something I rarely feel. I’ve been under Ileana’s thumb for too long, and it’s turned me into a shell of a man. And yet, the moment I saw Alice, I felt that part of me coming rushing back in full force.

Wednesday can’t come soon enough. I can’t see her until then, as I don’t trust myself or anyone else here. Ileana must never know the extent of my desires for the pretty little prisoner in our basement. Otherwise, chaos will ensue.

* * *

Sleep eludes me as I stare mindlessly at the stained ceiling.

It’s been two days since I met Alice, and keeping away from her is proving difficult.

Alice may be a lamb among wolves, but she’s ensnared me in her trap.

I grab my cell phone off the nightstand and check the security cameras, sighing when I see her beautiful form curled up on the hay. The desire to visit her is clawing at me so deeply. Watching isn’t enough. I need to touch her again. Feel her soft skin against mine and check how badly she’s bruised after her fall.

Damn it.

I climb out of bed, knowing that if word of my visiting a prisoner gets to Ileana, it would be catastrophic for all involved. The guard on duty today is Andre, and he’s not as much of a stickler for the rules as Pedro. I’ll pass him a bribe, and he’ll keep my secret. He probably wouldn’t look too much into it, as most don’t understand the method to my madness.

I throw on a pair of sweatpants and a shirt, grabbing my copy of the cell keys and some gel to apply to her bruises. And then I leave my room, descending into hell itself. It’s unusual for me to visit the basement by choice. I spent far too much time down here as a child by force.

And yet, the descent doesn’t feel as heavy as usual. Because my sweet Alice is waiting for me. Andre’s brow furrows as he looks up from his cell phone. “What are you doing down here, Taren?”

“I need to speak with the prisoners.”

He raises a brow. “At—” He looks at his watch. “Three in the morning?”

I nod. “Here’s a hundred dollars. No one hears of this, got it?”

His eyes light up when he sees the cash. “Of course.” He salutes me. “Your secret is safe with me. Have fun.” He winks.

I ignore him and walk toward Alice’s cell. She’s still fast asleep, and so is her friend. I grab the cell bars and squeeze, my knuckles turning white. Fate. In its cruelty, it has bound me to Alice, a radiant beam of innocence and light, only to have her ensnared in the clutches of my nemesis.

I dig the cell door key from the pocket in my sweatpants. “Alice,” I breathe her name, hoping she’ll hear me.

She doesn’t stir.

I clench my jaw and open the door, tiptoeing toward her. I don’t intend to wake her friend. Her friend is beautiful, and I can admire her beauty, but for me, it pales compared to Alice. Matias and Thiago, on the other hand, will eat the poor girl alive. In fact, they’ll want all the girls, including Alice. I need to protect her from them.

Approaching silently, I crouch down and place a hand over Alice’s mouth. Her eyes shoot open, panic alight in those sky-blue eyes.

Gently, I use my other hand to put a finger over my mouth. After a few beats, some panic eases, and she nods. Alice trusts me. It might be a fatal mistake to trust a madman like me.

“Come with me,” I breathe, my voice barely a whisper.

She nods as I release my hand from her mouth and straighten. Alice stands and follows me out of the cell, which I lock to ensure her friend doesn’t wake up and try to escape.

“What are you doing here?” she whispers.

I push her further into the basement where I’d kissed her bruise the other day. “To check your bruising.” I force her around and pull her dress up, groaning at the purple and black across her back. “This looks painful, little bird.” I drag my fingers over the bruise, and she shivers.

“It’s okay.”

I shake my head, hating seeing her hurt. “No, seeing you in pain is like watching the sun being swallowed by the darkness. It’s unbearable.” I trace the edge of the bruise with a gentleness I didn’t know I possessed. “You’re my daylight, Alice. And I can’t bear to see my daylight eclipsed.”

“Taren,” she breathes my name, and I tense.

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