Page 12 of Unbinding the Demon
“No! Now get inside!”His voice was again more of a growl as he yanked on my body.
My knuckles turned white, and it felt like my hands would snap off. Old white paint chipped beneath my black fingernails as my grip gave out, and I was pulled into the darkness. A big strong arm locked my back against his chest, and the door slammed shut behind us, enshrouding my sight in a veil of impenetrable darkness. With a quick pull of a string, he clicked on a dusty old table lamp, revealing a large antiquated foyer.
Thunder rumbled outside while I scanned the shabby and outdated place with caution. Water-stained maroon walls stretched up to the double-height ceiling. A large, dark walnut staircase with intricate carvings curved up from the right side of the foyer, leading to a balcony that framed the room. A dusty crystal chandelier hung above us like frozen teardrops draping mournfully from strings. There was a double-wide archway leading to what I assumed was the living room straight ahead, and a smaller one on the left that probably led to a kitchen.
I stood there, soaking wet, drunk, and trembling with fear. Dripping raven locks fell over my shoulder and tickled my arm as Ashton leaned his face above my head. “You can relax. I promise you’re in no danger here,” his voice was honeyed, and his breath felt warm as it fanned my ear. He used his free hand to brush up and down my arm, attempting to lull me into a sense of contentment.
Two large yellow eyes materialized in the shadows of the living room, reflecting against the light with a gleam that conveyed an unsettling intelligence. I stiffened against Ashton in fright, feeling as though my blood had dropped several degrees and frozen my limbs. A menacing growl resonated throughout the room. Then a huge black wolf emerged from the darkness and came charging over.
I screamed in terror and shielded my face, bracing myself to be violently attacked.“Holy fuck!”The snarling wolf hurdled up at us with its massive size towering over my slight frame...Not in danger, he says!? Not in fucking danger!?
The sound of snarls turned into loud puppy-dog licks and deep laughter. “Down, Belzar, down.” I peeked up, finding Ashton laughing while trying to push the wolf off, using the arm that wasn’t busy constricting me. The wolf backed down with a small yip, happily wagging its fluffy whip of a tail. I blinked down at it in befuddlement, and it looked back at me with intelligent, almost human-like curiosity. “Good boy!” Ashton lovingly praised. Meanwhile, I wondered just how drunk I actually was.
“This is my dog, Belzar.” He flashed a charming smile and gestured to thedog. The worry must have been quite evident on my face because he laughed and gave my stiff body a good, rough shake. “Don’t be frightened by him. He’d never harm...you.”
“Are you sure about that?”
“Of course I am. He’s very well-behaved,” he chuckled again as he threw me over his shoulder and placed a large hand firmly on my butt. Then he started to ascend the tall, curved staircase.
“Are you seriously going to carry me like this again?” I grumbled.
“Yes.” He smacked my butt with a wide grin. “I am.”
Belzar licked his lips and let out a small whine as he watched us leave. Gazing back down at the massive mongrel, I was certain that the thing was a freaking wolf and that Ashton was a big, muscly liar. I wanted to kick and scream, to tell this homicidal douchebag to take his filthy hands off me, but I knew better than to attack a dog owner in front of their“dog.”I certainly didn’t want that terrifying thing ripping me to shreds.
We disappeared down a long hallway with a worn scarlet rug and a dim, flickering light overhead. Dusty paintings of natural scenery and random people who looked nothing like Ashton adorned the walls as we passed by. He carried me into a good-sized and surprisingly clean bathroom. The walls were half wood with peeling green Victorian-style wallpaper. Everything else seemed in pretty decent shape, though. A large, beautiful claw-foot tub rested next to a lofty bay window with potted plants and candles adorning the windowsill.
“I’m going to start you a bath,” he stated as he set me down with care. “It will help to calm your nerves, plus you’re filthy.” His eyes raked up and down my body, and he wore a smirk that suggested mischief.
“Well, I can’t deny that.” I glanced down at my disheveled self.
After all the shenanigans he’d put me through, I was covered in grass stains and mud. He stepped over to the tub and turned on the water, allowing a loud torrent to pour into the basin. Then he used a little matchbox to light the candles resting on the windowsill, humming to himself as he did so. I tried not to draw attention to myself as I glanced back down the hall, wondering what the actual frick to do.
Should I make a run for it?
If my drunken ass managed to make it back downstairs, would that supposed dog attack me before I could even make it out the door? I was too scared to try. This guy had killed someone not even an hour ago, and I was a witness. Who knew what he was capable of or what he might have planned for me? The water stopped, and I glanced back over at him, taking notice of how the candlelight kissed his attractive features.
“Alright, it’s ready. You can climb in.” He patted the edge of the tub as he got up and walked toward the door. With a quick flick of his finger, he turned off the light, leaving the room lit by only the candles. Then, with a seductive wink and a flirty smile, he walked out and closed the door.
What a psycho...
It might have been the alcohol or the fact that I was freezing—it was definitely the alcohol. But I found myself tempted by the hot, steaming water. Ever so carefully, I opened the door a crack and peered out to make sure that he was really gone. The coast seemed all clear, so I began undressing out of my filthy, wet clothes.
My naked body slid inch by inch into the deep, hot bath. The steaming water brought heavenly warmth to my freezing skin, soothing away all the tension in my muscles. With closed eyes and a small smile on my lips, I sank down with a little hum of delight. I was so relaxed that I almost forgot where I was and how I had gotten here.
“You look peaceful,” a deep voice came from across the room, ripping me out of my peaceful moment.
Holy shit! I didn’t even hear him open the door!
“Hey! Get out of here!”I scrambled to hide my nakedness beneath the water. My large green eyes glared at him from behind the rim of the tub as I slunk further down.
He’d gotten cleaned up and changed into a pair of black sweatpants, allowing his bare and perfectly sculpted upper body to be on full display. The strange veiny black tattoo on his left shoulder appeared bolder than the others in the dim lighting. I furrowed my brows in bewilderment at the sight of them. This was my first time seeing him shirtless in real life, so how could I have seen his tattoos in my dream? Perhaps it was a false memory?
“No way. You’re drunk as a skunk, so I need to be in here to make sure you don’t drown in my bathtub,” he argued while handing me a glass of water. “Here, drink this. It will help you feel better in the morning.”
My hand slipped out of the water as I cautiously took the glass from him. “This had better be just water.” I sniffed it with suspicion and then took a small sip. He smiled in satisfaction, then pulled a stool up behind the tub and sat down. I hugged my arms to my chest for modesty as he grabbed a bottle of oil from the windowsill.
“Turn around,” he instructed in a soft voice while squeezing some oil into his hand. I hesitated at first, but eventually turned my back to him since I didn’t want this psycho to fucking kill me, too.
