Page 13 of The Depraved Prince
“Did you kill the men that took me?”
That catches Hayden’s attention. He looks at me as if he’s hesitating to answer that truthfully. Then he zeroes in on the book again, unbothered, and turns a page.
“Yes.” Hayden clenches his jaw briskly.
Relief washes over me. They’re gone. They can’t get to me anymore.
My breathing finally reaches an average pace, and I let my head rest against the window as I try to flush out the dark thoughts of my unknown future.
If he wanted to kill me, I think he would have done it already. Sitting next to my newly made enemy, I wonderwhatthese people are. What can grow sharp teeth like that? How can their eyes switch colors? Why do they want my blood?
Vampires? Animals? Aliens?
Soon, the physical and mental exhaustion catches up with me with each passing minute. I close my eyes and try not to think about my reality as I fall into the darkness that pulls me.
“Put Your Head On My Shoulder” by Paul Anka starts to play softly, and I swallow anxiously, following the curve of my lips. I love this song. Even when I’m enduring the most disastrous uncanny night of my life, the music still manages to distract me.
“Turn it up,” Hayden orders the driver, and the volume rises seconds later. I focus on the lyrics and let myself succumb to my exhaustion.
Cold,velvet sheets are underneath me, hugging my body. I blink rapidly and take in my surroundings blankly.
I’m in my bedroom again. I’m in my bed, on top of my brown cozy blankets. I’m okay.
I try to remember how I got here, but does it really matter? Sleepiness still clouds my brain, causing fog. I can’t help it, but a small smile forms as the safety of my room warms me.
Familiarity.
It all must have been a horrible, vivid dream. I’m on my stomach, looking at my lamp and snow globes on my shelf. Everything is lined up perfectly—nothing out of place. My white and pink roller skates are tucked underneath my desk like I usually place them when I get off work. My Garfield clock ticks and that’s when I notice it’s around five in the morning, and the sun hasn’t greeted me yet. The only lighting in my room is the fairy lights above my headboard.
I groan into my brown pillow, and the dreadful memories of last night come crashing into my brain like fire erupting in my heart and soul. I move my wrist, and sure enough, it slaps meback with a large amount of pain and radiates throughout my arm.
I hiss as I try to relax my muscles and joints. I close my eyes and grind my teeth. Nope. It wasn’t a dream. The memories set in. They all sink me down a black hole, forcing me to remember that I was kidnappedtwicein one night.
What happened?
The last thing I remember, I was in Hayden’s vehicle. He kidnapped me from my original kidnappers.
The fighting, the snarling, all the dark blood.
If I wasn’t awake before, I really am now. A familiar, deep voice interrupts my thoughts, making my heart sink so low I’m afraid it will never beat normal again.
“Bambi girl, sleep alright?”
Hayden Drago.
I quickly flip up from my stomach and sit up, ready to defend myself. I rush away from the direction of his voice, pushing my legs down onto the mattress to support my back. I scoot until I hit the headboard hard.
No, no, no, this can’t be happening.
I bring my knees to my chest, holding them so rigidly it hurts.
“I’ll scream,” I threaten. My vision blurs as my heart pounds. I know my threat is useless.
Wait, where’s my dog?
Cooper is nowhere in sight to protect me, but maybe if I scream, my dad and Cooper will hear me and rush in. Maybe even the neighbors will call the police to complain about the noise.
“I’d prefer you didn’t if you want to live.If you want your dad to live.” Hayden casually warns me as he leans against my door, still dressed in his suit from hours ago, playing with his Rolex watch nonchalantly. He’s so simple about everything while I’m deeply disturbed.
