Page 11 of Unhinged

“She was trying to escape, Taren.”

I drop my knife with a clatter, blood splattering my shirt. “If you’ve got something to say, then say it.” I lift my eyes to meet hers.

Her jaw clenches. “It’s just very unlike you.”

“About the event in Mexico City next week.”

“What of it?” she asks, looking slightly surprised by the sudden change of subject.

“I’ll take that prisoner with me as my date.”

Her brow furrows deeper. “No chance.”

“She’s attractive and quiet, the perfect accomplice to help me blend in.”

Ileana’s jaw clenches. “Take the other.”

I must tread carefully here, as Ileana can’t know how I feel about Alice. “The others are too loud and foul-mouthed. The one who fell from the vent will be more suitable.” I tilt my head. “After all, we need to train them if they’re going to sell for a lot of money at auction.”

Ileana raises a brow. “You don’t normally concern yourself with the training.”

“Perhaps I’m bored and want a new challenge.”

She laughs. “I must admit, it’s been a long time since you had female contact. Fine. Take her with you, but make sure you keep her close.”

I clench my jaw. “Of course, I’m not an idiot.” Ileana thinks I want to fuck her. While that’s partly true, it’s not the extent of my desire. Alice belongs by my side. She belongs to me.

Alice isn’t just another prisoner or another asset to be sold to the highest bidder. She has a fire that matches the chaos within me. I want to harness that fire, not put it out. I crave to feel its heat, to lose myself in its intensity.

“No, you’re not.” Ileana’s lips curve into a smile. “I’m sure you have everything under control.”

I nod, knowing that she trusts me implicitly. A grave fucking mistake because trust is a double-edged sword. The fragile nature of trust makes it a treacherous path to tread. Ileana must underestimate me if she believes she’s snuffed all humanity from my soul.

A flashback of blood and chaos enters my mind, but I force it away.

Not now.

“I’ve made preparations. The jet will be ready to take you to the city on Wednesday morning. You’ll return the following evening.”

I bow my head. “Fine.”

She turns to leave. “And Taren?”

“Yes?”

“Don’t fuck it up. I know Mexico City has... memories for you, but that is the past.” She watches me with cold eyes. “We must look to the future.”

The audacity. I’m shocked Ileana would bring it up, considering she’s the reason for those dark, inescapable memories.

I take a deep breath, forcing myself to nod. “Agreed.”

She leaves, and I’m alone with my thoughts. I tear the final piece of skin from the flesh and toss it aside, gazing at the blood covering the granite worktop. The flashbacks try to creep into my mind, but I shut them down. I’ve kept them in check for twenty-two years, but they’ve become more persistent. As if my mind is demanding that I take my revenge and end this insanity.

It’s not the right time yet.

To my surprise, my mind returns to sky-blue eyes and porcelain skin. Alice.

She will be the key to my salvation. A fragment of sanity in my realm of madness. In her, I might find the strength to face the ghosts of my past and remove the collar around my neck.

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