Page 208 of Deviant

I sit at the edge of the bed, watching him as he puts on a black shirt, pants, and a dinner jacket. Not once has Elias used any of the new clothesThe Scourgebought for us in his closet, but tonight he’s making an exception, and suddenly I’m very curious as to what surprise he’s lined up for us tonight.

Once he’s ready, he offers me his arm, to which I immediately hook mine around.

“If I haven’t said it before, you look beautiful tonight.”

“Thank you,” I whisper, feeling my cheeks heat up under his stare.

He lets out a groan before opening the door and ushering me out.

Nervous jitters start dancing on my skin as he leads me down the staircase and through a hallway leading to the west wing of the house. My heart drums in my chest when I see Five waiting for us down the hall.

“Is everything done?” Elias asks Five once we reach her.

She nods and smiles.

“Thank you, Five, and please thank Henry for being so accommodating.”

Her smile widens further before she spins at her heel and leaves us.

Ever since that horrid day that Big Mike assaulted her, she’s been more attentive to me and Elias, always bringing us snacks and other little treats she thinks we might like.

I’m happy that no real harm came to her.

It just kills me that Abbie wasn’t as lucky.

After Abbie killed that monster and then turned the knife on herself, I wondered for the longest time if that was the secret she was going to confide in me and Elias that day. It was only after discussing my suspicions with Elias, that he confirmed them. He told be that on the day he got tortured in the group white room, that Abbie had told him that Big Mike was the rapist in our mists. She told Elias that she knew from first-hand experience, and that he should never leave me alone with such an animal.

I just wish she had confided in me earlier.

Maybe I could have protected her more.

Or maybe our fates are sealed no matter what we do.

“Are you ready for your surprise?” Elias asks, bringing me back to the hear and now.

I nod.

Elias pushes open the double doors and leads me by the arm into a lavish room that feels like I’ve just stepped straight into a Jane Austen novel. The ballroom sprawls before me, with its high ceilings and walls adorned in soft pastels, perfectly capturing a sense of timeless elegance. At the center, a small table waits, set for a candlelight dinner, flickering flames casting gentle shadows around us. My heart races as I take in the romantic ambiance, wondering when Elias found the time to orchestrate this enchanting evening.

“Elias,” I stammer. “It’s beautiful.”

“I can’t take all the credit. Henry and Five helped me set everything up. I just wanted to give you one good night before…”

Before it possibly becomes the worst night of our lives.

I push the ugly thought out of my mind and instead focus on the good.

“Thank you,” I say gratefully, planting my hands on his chest before pressing a chaste kiss to his lips. “It’s perfect.”

A shy smile crests his lips, and if I had ever doubted that I was head over heels in love with this man, then seeing him blush would have clarified it for me.

“Shall we sit down and eat?” he asks, placing an errand strand of my hair behind my ear.

“Actually, I want to do something else first.”

“Oh?” He hikes a brow.

I extend my hand for him to take and ask, “May I have this dance?”

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