Page 34 of Carnival Shadows

I pull the full white face mask over my face, letting the weight settle against my skin. All that will be visible to her is my eyes. My fingers brush over the blunted blade in my pocket—a prop chosen for tonight’s performance.

The metal steps of the trailer creak under my boots as I ascend. Inside, the air feels thick with anticipation. Eden’s breathing changes the moment I enter—faster and shallower.

I move like a shadow through the darkness, letting her anticipation build. The soft whimper that escapes her lips alerts me that she’s noticed I’m wearing a mask. Good. Let her mind race with possibilities.

The mask transforms me, awakening a long-dormant depravity that I know she’ll embrace. Eden’s eyes widen as I stalk toward her in silence. Her chest rises and falls rapidly, her gaze darting between me and the door.

She scrambles backward on the mattress, her fingers clawing at the sheets. I remain still, watching, waiting. The moment stretches like a rubber band about to snap.

Eden bolts. She launches herself off the mattress on the floor, making a desperate dash for the bathroom. My hand shoots out, catching the back of her neck. Her skin is hot under my palm as I drag her back to me, her feet stumbling beneath her.

I tear my shirt from her body and throw her onto the bed. The mattress creaks as she bounces once, twice. A small sound escapes her throat—half fear, half adrenaline rush, neither of which will save her.

Her hair fans out across my pillow, dark against the white cotton. I tower over her, silent.

I plant one knee on the mattress beside her hip, letting my weight pin her in place. My hand finds her throat, thumb applying just enough pressure to remind her who’s in control.

I watch her squirm, enjoying the way her pulse races under my grasp.

“Please,” she whispers, her voice trembling. “Let me go.”

The fear in her eyes only feeds my hunger. My fingers tighten, not enough to hurt but enough to remind her of her position.

“I won’t tell anyone. I promise. Just—please.” Her words catch as tears well up. She tugs weakly at my wrist, her small hands wrapping around mine.

I lean closer, letting the mask brush against her cheek. Her whole body shudders at the contact. The scent of her fear mingles with—arousal. Even now, while she’s begging for mercy, her body betrays her.

“I’ll do anything,” she pleads, her hips shifting. “Just let me leave.”

I tighten my grip on her throat, feeling her pulse flutter. My other hand slides down, tracing the curve of her jaw, then lower to her breasts. She’s like a trapped bird, searching desperately for an escape route.

“You don’t get to make demands.” My voice is little more than a growl behind the mask. “Shut the fuck up.”

Her eyes dart wildly, searching for an escape. I push her thighs apart with my knee, and she tries to close her legs to protect herself. The moment my hand touches her cunt through her panties, she’s liquid. Grabbing the fabric with one hand, I tear it apart.

“Oh, you’re a filthy little slut, aren’t you?” I growl, grinding my knee between her legs. “Getting off on being manhandled and not knowing what’s going to happen next.”

Her breath hitches as my fingers delve insider her.

“Please,” she whimpers. Her hands tug at mine, but she’s not trying to pull them away.

“You like that, don’t you? Begging does nothing for you.” I lean closer, pressing the knife against her throat.

She freezes, her eyes wide.

“But you’ve imagined this, haven’t you?” I taunt, twisting my fingers inside her. “Fantasized about what it would be like to be at some insane criminal’s mercy. This was always the way it was going to end, baby. With you begging, pleading, wet for me.”

Her mouth opens, and a broken sound escapes.

My dick throbs as her hips buck beneath me, desperate to get away and, at the same time, pulling me closer. I see the moment she breaks, her eyes going glassy, her mouth falling open.

“Fuck, you filthy slut,” I snarl, yanking her thighs further apart with a rough grip. “Such a fucking tease. You’ve been begging for this ever since you saw me.”

Her breath catches as I line up, my cock pulsing with anticipation. I’d planned on taking my time, making this last, but the way her body arches beneath me, offering herself up, sends me over the edge. In a rush, I unzip my jeans and free my cock, before slamming inside her.

The tightness that envelops me is heaven. Her head falls back, her mouth forming a perfect “O” of surprise and pleasure.

“You like that, don’t you?” I grind out, my hips snapping forward with enough force to push her slender frame up the mattress. “You like being manhandled, fucked hard and rough. Admit it.”

---