Page 39 of Deranged and Obsessed Omnibus: Vol 1

I was insane, wanting to take care of this man… this criminal.

“I might have some clothes for you too.” I remembered the box of clothing that had been left by the previous owner, the box I put out of sight, out of mind, and had obviously forgotten about until now. “They’re old and were left by the guy who used to live here. I don’t know if they’ll even fit, but they’re better than... that.” I gestured at his prison garb.

His eyes narrowed slightly, and it was clear he was studying me, no doubt trying to figure out my angle. When I just stood there and didn’t elaborate, he nodded. “I’d appreciate that. I could use a shower while I’m at it. “

I glanced at the grease that covered his hands and forearms. The last thing I should’ve been doing was offering him any pleasantries when he’d turned my life upside down, but I nodded once again.

“Give me a second, and I’ll get the clothes,” I muttered, and without another word, I turned and headed for where I stored the box.

Man, I was good and fucked up.

Chapter Eight

Evelina

The storage closet was damp and dark, and the faint smell of cedar mingling with the musty air filled my nose and made me scrunch it up before I lightly coughed.

I stood there for a second, just staring at the shelves that held folded piles of clothes and a few bottles of cleaning products. My mind and body were at war at that moment, as I thought about just running—testing to see if he’d follow through with his threats. And the other part of me pointed out that he hadn’t hurt me yet, and maybe if I played along, he’d show me mercy.

In the end, I focused on searching for something clean enough for Kane. My heartbeat drummed erratically, louder in the confined space, as though it was trying to remind me that I was still alive.

Once I returned, I saw he was already making the fire. I didn’t know if I’d been in the closet, contemplating my life for that long, or if Kane had moved at the speed of light to retrieve the wood from outside and ready the fireplace.

When it was lit, he stalked toward me, and I swallowed thickly before handing him the items. Without a word, he headed to the bathroom but stopped on the stairs and looked back at me, a silent warning on his face. I knew what it was saying… or threatening.

“Run, little girl. Let me chase you.”

“I’ll be in the living room.” My words might have been too soft for him to hear, but whatever he saw on my face satisfied him, and he continued his way up to the bathroom.

My mind was spinning as I tried to figure out what the hell was happening to me and why Kane intrigued me so much.

I had to be just as fucked up as he was.

Despite having a shitty upbringing, one that could make anyone feel fragile and beaten down, I managed to survive. All those things that happened to me in the past had shaped me into who I was today. It all sharpened me, blackened my heart and soul, and I knew I was now stronger than ever before.

And then there was a hunger inside me that grew more and more insatiable with every moment I spent under Kane’s calculating gaze and his undeniable, brutal dominance. He radiated power and made me feel both terrified and... something else that coiled in my belly and spread throughout my entire body.

He turned me on in a sick way.

But it wasn’t just about him. It wasn’tbecauseof him. This twisted darkness I felt—this deranged and almost obsessive need to experience something unhinged—had been there long before Kane burst into my life and turned my world upside down in the blink of an eye.

I was born with it—I concluded long ago. But living alone and keeping myself isolate from everyone else let me bury it deep down, where even I could hide from it. My sickness had been carefully disguised behind my calm facial expression when I watched my father’s face contort in agony after finishing his last meal.

Once a week, I thought about that night, the night I watched while his body seized as the poison did its work. And then I just sat there and stared at my father’s still figure, slumped over the table with blood and other bodily fluids seeping out of his mouth, nose, and ears.

After that was when I told myself I had to be… normal. I washed the symbolic blood from my hands and buried the pieces of my dark self so far down it couldn’t breathe.

But it had been resuscitated by Kane’s arrival.

Pushing thoughts of my past away, I heard him descend the stairs. He came into the room, and I held my breath. My heart instantly picked up its pace, my nipples hardened, and I felt a tingle right between my thighs.

Through the thin, white T-shirt, I could see his chest. His skin must have been damp when he put the shirt on, because I could clearly make out the scars littering the wide expanse, ones that probably told stories I would not want to hear.

His dark eyes were locked on me, but neither of us spoke. But fuck was I turned on.

I’m a sick bitch.

Even so, instinct had me taking several steps back when he came closer.

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