Page 9 of Unhinged

“And now you’re injured, aren’t you? Did you break your wing as you fell?”

I glare at him and force myself to my feet despite the pain. “No.” I’m badly bruised, for sure.

“I think I’m going to check.” He’s holding the keys to the prison cell and slides them into the lock.

Luna steps forward.

The man stills, dark eyes narrowing. “Stay back.” He glares at her. “You don’t want to discover what happens if you try to escape.” He flashes a row of perfectly white teeth, which look stark against his gorgeous, tanned skin.

Luna and I both shudder as he continues to unlock the door. The click of the lock makes my heart pound harder. An instinct to fight and escape claws at every muscle in my body. I feel like I’m one of those idiots you shout at on the TV not to attempt an escape because there’s practically no chance of it working out, but it’s a lot different when you’re in the situation.

As he slides open the door, I bide my time. Once he steps inside, I’ll make my move. Luna meets my gaze, shaking her head. She can read what I intend to do, which gives me pause.

“Whatever you’re thinking, little bird, don’t do it.” His voice snaps my attention back to him. “Come here,” he demands.

I accept that there’s no escape. This man would overpower me in a heartbeat if I tried to get away. Releasing a shaky breath, I force one foot before the other and walk to him.

Once within a foot, he grabs my hair and yanks my head back.

“Fly out of here, but there’s nowhere for you to go,” he breathes, gazing down at me with that same manic look I’d seen earlier. “In the cage, a bird might sing, not of joy, but of longing. It yearns for the sky that it sees but cannot touch. Each bar in its cage, a cruel reminder of its clipped wings.” He moves his hands to my shoulder blades and moves them in circles. “Where are your wings?”

I glare at him, wondering if he’s insane.

He releases my hair and grabs my wrist, yanking me out of the cell and shutting it closed behind us. I glance back at Luna to see she’s staring after me in wide-eyed shock.

A tear spills from my eyes down my cheek. He stops when we’re out of her sight and pushes me against a wall.

“Are you hurt?”

I shrug. “No, I’ll be a bit bruised, but live.”

His eyes flash. “Turn around.”

When I don’t move, he forces me around and hikes my beach dress up, making me tense. “You’ll be badly bruised. My Alice.” And then I feel his lips at the center of my spine, making my heart kick into gear for an utterly different reason. “Let me kiss it better, little bird.”

I shudder as his lips move from the base of my spine right until he’s kissing the back of my neck.

“Does it feel better now?” he murmurs.

I can hardly think with this madman behind me, making me feel how no one should feel in my position. My thighs are slick with arousal as he continues to press his lips against my neck. “Please,” I breathe.

I don’t know if I’m begging him to stop or for more.

He stills. “Please, what?”

“I-I don’t know.”

He chuckles, the sound a little crazy but also deep and erotic. “It’s perplexing, isn’t it? An enigma encased within the human psyche.”

“What is?” I ask, drawn into this man like a moth to a flame.

“Desire,” he breathes. “It treads the line between dread and longing.”

He’s right. I should feel dread right now, but that sensation only heightens my longing. “What are you doing to me?”

His breath skates over my skin as he laughs softly. “Nothing, little bird. Your own carnal craving paints your confusion. I’m only stoking the fires that already simmer beneath your skin.”

He forces me around, gazing at me with an intensity that could bring empires to their knees. I think he might kiss me, but he doesn’t. We’re suspended there, gazing into each other’s eyes. The unbelievable thing is that I want him to kiss me. I want to delve into this man’s madness. At least it’s better than facing my bleak reality.

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