Page 37 of Cruel Cravings

He’s still here. He’s right where I left him. If I’m not mistaken, he hasn’t budged an inch.

His dark eyes, the same shade as a forest, meet mine. He’s communicating the same message he had earlier.

Patience and calm.

Almost a sense of curiosity, like he’s waiting to see what I do next.

“You’re still here,” I whisper more to myself than him.

He doesn’t respond.

No surprise. I should probably stop expecting it out of him… until I force him.

I take a shaky step closer, studying him the way he’s done me so many times. His posture is unchanged. His massive hands are clenched into fists, though he gives no other signs he’ll react violently. He could likely break or bend the chain, yet he hasn’t even tried.

A man like him might be strong enough. He’schoosingto be here.

I press the base of my palms against my eyes and take the time to settle my nerves. I’ve already let him get to me once—losing control, screaming, smashing things. I can’t afford that kind of fuck up again.

Not right now. Not when I’m on the verge of finding out what happened to my sister.

I have to be strategic. Composed.

When I lower my hands, he’s still watching me.

“Why didn’t you try to leave?” I ask. “You could’ve if you wanted to.”

I take his silence as reassurance my assumption is correct—he won’t try to escape. At least not anytime soon. He might just be sick enough that he’s enjoying this. That he’s looking forward to this time between us.

Which means I have to use every moment I have him captive to my advantage.

But first… I need to clean myself up. Get myself together.

I lean closer and drop my voice to a whisper, my gaze holding his hostage. “Don’t worry, we have a long night ahead of us. We’re going to have a lot of fun together.”

12.Jael

VILLAIN - K/DA, Madison Beer, Kim Petras

The first thing I do when I walk out of the room I’m keeping the shadow man in is take a hot shower. The heat and steam work wonders for clearing my head. The water pours over me, relaxing my tight and aching muscles and washing away any grime from the last few days.

My eyes close and the noise in my head quiets down for the first time in… I can’t even remember.

I use some of the Klums’s shampoo and conditioner, though it’s not the best option for type four hair. But it’s what’s on hand and the conditioner feels amazing on my scalp as I work it through my zigzag of wet curls.

Once out of the shower, I towel off and then moisturize head to toe. My dark brown skin glows and there’s a lightness inside me that couldn’t be more different from the crazed, wound-up woman I’d been only moments ago.

This is exactly what I needed.

I flick the bedroom closet’s light on and explore what the Klums have hanging from their racks. Mrs. Klum is shorter andplumper than I am, but I find an oversized flannel shirt and pair of capris that will do given the situation.

No one else will see me but him…

The shadow man who has stalked me every mile I’ve traveled. The man who has spent years tormenting me, and who I now have chained to a chair.

Even in separate rooms, I can feel his presence. I can pick up on his raw energy that threatens to consume me even when I’m the one in control. I’m the one with the keys to his chains. It’s me who has the knives and guns.

I breathe through the frustration and remind myself to keep my cool.

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