Page 20 of Dark Truths

Her Mercedes SUV turns the corner and the headlights illuminate the street before it pulls into the driveway next to where I’m parked. She can’t see me. The tint on my windows is too dark. I watch as her garage door opens and she parks inside, catching a fleeting glimpse of her heeled ankle exiting her car before the door shuts.?

One by one, the lights turn on as she moves within her house. I glance at the phone in my hand with the screen open to the text message thread. It won’t be long now. When the three dots appear, I hold my breath, waiting anxiously to see her answer. I’ve ignored her for the last month. When she came to my club to see me, I sent her away on purpose. Her response was throwing the phone I gave her in the ocean. But my favorite tantrum I enjoyed the most was when she sent the first replacement phone back in little broken pieces.

I wasn’t intentionally being cruel. The last month has been…difficult. Playing both sides of the field is like walking a constanttightrope. If I favor one side too much, I risk falling. And if I try to correct my position too quickly, I risk losing my balance completely. The only thing keeping me sane, keeping me determined to stay balanced, has been the knowledge that I would get to see Gabriella soon.

Seeing her at the wedding was like a breath of fresh air. She stood there in a form-fitting dress that accented her curves, her luscious hair cascading in soft waves down her back, wearing heels I instantly imagined wrapped around my back... She was sin walking. Temptation in human form. Time stood still. In that moment, all my troubles vanished from my mind. All the lies, the betrayals, and double life…just being in her presence erased them all.

Given how she behaved over the last month, I expected her to be a little angry and annoyed by my silence. But the way she lashed out, the way she called me a liar when I asked about the message I sent last night, the way she told me to go fuck myself…it all took me by surprise. Just as surprising was the wave of anxiety that hit me afterwards, the sudden fear that I may have pushed her too hard, too far, despite my unintentional actions.

The only thing I could focus on was her accusing me of not sending a message. Is it considered a lie, telling her I would never lie to her? I mean, technically, I haven’t. Is withholding information the same as a lie? It’s such a gray area to be in, but that’s where I live. The gray area between right and wrong, between truth and lies.

Angel: Yes.

A smile stretches across my face. If only she knew exactly what she’s said yes to. But she’s about to. I don’t respond, knowing how much it will torment her. But she’ll only be disappointed for a short while.

The minutes tick by until an hour passes. When the lights finally go out in the house, I wait another thirty minutes before I make my move.

I grab my duffel bag and climb out of the car. It fits in among the other vehicles on the road. No one will give it a second look or thought. Before I approach her house, I log in to her security app and silently disarm the front door, reminding myself to have her change the password from…password. Really?

I slip inside and close the door softly behind me. I have the layout of her home memorized, and I know exactly where I’m going. The master suite is on the back side of the house, with a beach front view. As I walk through her living room, I admire the decor with its European coastal countryside theme. I look forward to seeing it in the daylight and learning her reasons behind each piece, asking her why she picked them, what drove her. It’s an old FBI tactic I learned, and it’s a favorite of mine. I enjoy discovering the little things about a person. What their favorite song is, their dreams, their fears, the things they love that make their eyes light up like stars…those things will tell you more about a person than what you just see.

Her master suite is clearly a haven for her. A spacious room with a large canopy bed set in the center of the room. A dresser and a small table with a sitting chair beside it. The atmosphere is comfortable here and smells just like her. A sweet floral scent with an underlying smell of peaches.

I move like a silent predator approaching their prey as I make my way to her bedside. She rests in the middle, nestled among her many pillows and blankets. Her eyes are closed, and she breathes even and deep. Tonight will be a test to see how hard and heavy she sleeps.

Placing my bag down, my eyes snag on the phone I gave her and her personal one next to it on the nightstand. Good. That’s what I want to see. I open the bag and pull out three pieces oflong silk ribbons. The fabric is strong and, when tied correctly, even stronger.

I walk to the end of her bed and slowly drag the blanket up, leaving only her feet exposed, my eyes fixed on her face the entire time, watching for any sign she might wake up. When she doesn’t stir, I get to work. Grabbing a foot, I wrap the silk around the ankle and then secure her to the bedpost, repeating the same process with the other. Once her feet are secure, I move on to her arms. If she’s going to wake up at any point, it would be now. It’s only when I tighten the last knot, securing her wrists to the headboard, that she makes a sound and shakes her head.

I stand back and wait, counting the seconds until she opens her beautiful honey eyes to the dark.

“What?” She hasn’t seen me yet and instead looks up at her wrists when she tries to move her arms and finds she can’t. “What the fuck?”

“Language.”

Her head snaps toward me, her eyes wide with fear. “Dimitri?”

“Hello, angel.”

Anger replaces the fear in her eyes. “What the fuck?” she repeats as she pulls on her wrists frantically. “Why are my hands tied?” She tries to kick out, her eyes shooting down to her feet. “Are my feet tied too? What the hell is going on?”

“Punishment.”

Gabriella freezes. “What?”

“You said yes.”

“I said–is that what I said yes to?” she demands, lashing out, pulling hard against her binds."Are you joking?"

“Careful now or you’ll bruise,” I advise her.

“I don’t care if I bruise, Dimitri. I want to know how you got into my house and why I’m tied to my bed.”

I snort softly. “Did you really think a security system with the word password for the password would stop me?”

The only light comes from the full moon outside and in its soft glow, she flushes hard. “The obvious answer seemed like the best answer. Who would think I’d use it?”

“You’ll be changing it to something I recommend.”

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