Page 20 of Twisted Obsession
“I don’t know,” she stammered, my grip on her hair tightening like a vise. “I thought she came out here, and you two had already left, but when Oliva came to get me to let me knowyou were wondering when we would be done, I knew something was wrong.”
“How long?” I pressed, my voice a low growl.
“I don’t know,” she hesitated, fear shading her voice. “Maybe half an hour.”
I pulled Camile’s face closer to mine, our breaths mingling in the tense air. “So help me, God. If you had anything to do with this, you will regret it for the rest of your life.”
I had never killed a woman, but if Camile had any part in Lara’s escape, she would wish for death. The only thing sparing her from immediate demise and instead earning her a severe punishment was the tracker embedded in Lara’s neck. On the night we took her from Boston, I confirmed her virginity and had a tracker inserted. I had anticipated the day mykukolkawould attempt to flee. The prospect of her punishment thrilled me, the idea of it sending a dark thrill through my veins. I might even carry it out in the torture chamber. There was nothing more exhilarating than the sight of fear illuminating her eyes.
~***~
“Where are you,kukolka? I know you’re here somewhere.” I stared down at the tracker app on my phone as I walked down the streets in Midtown.
I had Stepan by my side as I cursed beneath my breath that Lara would put herself in danger and come to this part of Manhattan. She had to be hiding in one of these makeshift cardboard shelters. I could smell her scent. Everything from vomit to who knew what stuck to the bottom of my $3000Berluti shoes. Everything I wore from head to toe would need to be burned.
Every crappy tent or cardboard box I looked into, I found nothing but a strung out junky going through withdrawals or a passed out drunk sleeping with not a care in the world. She had to be here somewhere. The dot on the app couldn’t be wrong.
I looked sideways and something, or rather someone, caught my eye. A flash of pink attached to a pair of legs I would know anywhere rounding the corner of an old building the homeless were using as shelter. Signaling to Stepan, he took off in the opposite direction to end up on the other side of the block while I headed in the direction that Lara had gone.
By the time I turned the corner, Stepan had her in his grasp—her legs and arms moving in every direction—slamming her fists against his back.
“Let me go, you asshole,” she cursed while a grin of satisfaction spread across Stepan’s face.
Stepan was a big man, but even he didn’t tolerate brats. “Shut the fuck up.” He did the exact thing I would have done and slapped his large hand across her perfect ass. The only difference was when she got to the mansion, it would be bare when she received her punishment.
Stepan lowered her down from his shoulder and set her on the ground. I placed my hands on her shoulders and turned her to face me. Placing my thumb and forefinger under her chin, I squeezed it enough to make her yelp.
“You knew what would happen if you disobeyed me?” I waited for her to respond, but she only nodded her head.
“Words, Lara,” I warned.
“Yes,” she hesitantly replied, before lowering her head. “I’m sorry.”
Her green eyes reeled me in, but instead of forgiving her, I clasped my hand around her neck and led her to the SUV. She would be in for a surprise once we got to the mansion. I wouldn’t be locking her in a cell in the torture chambers, but she would be receiving a punishment that would hurt as well as give her pleasure. The severity all depended on how honest she was about Camile helping her escape. I still felt she had something to do with it.
Chapter Eleven
Lara
The instant our eyes met, I knew I was in deep trouble. I had thought I was finally free, blending in with the homeless to hide long enough to figure out my next move. Yet, somehow, he managed to track me down, and I couldn’t fathom how. If not for Stepan's steadying presence, I would have collapsed to the ground. It wasn’t just about being caught—it was the dread of what awaited me back at the mansion.
Dmitri hadn’t spared me a single glance since we left Midtown. His silent treatment was a heavy weight on my chest. When I attempted to apologize once more for my escape, his icy glare cut through my resolve, silencing me instantly.
As Stepan eased the SUV to a stop by the mansion, Dmitri was out the door before Stepan had turned the engine off. He seized my arm with a grip like iron, yanking me across the seat and hauling me out with a force that promised bruises.He dragged me along the circular driveway, my heels skidding against the gravel, causing me to stumble as I struggled to keep my balance.
Dmitri’s hold on my arm was unyielding, his fingers sinking deeper with each step as he led me up the grand staircase to the second floor. I exhaled a shaky breath of relief; grateful he hadn’t directed me toward the kitchen and the stairs leading to the ominous torture chamber below.
Halting abruptly as though he could read my thoughts, he turned to face me, his steely gray eyes piercing into mine. He leaned down, his lips brushing my ear as he whispered with chilling intent, “Don’t think you are getting out of your punishment so easily.”
My fists clenched tightly at my sides as I struggled to pull away from him. It was a reckless decision, one I knew would cost me dearly, but if spending the rest of my days in a cell meant I wouldn’t have to marry him, it would be worth every second.
“Let go of me, asshole,” I spat, using my free hand to land a punch squarely on his face.
The blow caught him off guard, forcing him to release his grip on my arm and giving me a fleeting chance to escape. But it wasn’t enough. His arm quickly snaked around my waist, hoisting me up the remaining stairs with a strength that left me breathless.
“I’ll punish that filthy mouth of yours too,” he threatened, his voice a low growl as he held me firmly, positioning me on the plush carpet with my back pressed against his unyielding chest.
He maneuvered us into his room instead of the one where he had initially locked me, swiftly turning the key in the lockbefore releasing his iron grip. As I spun around to face him, a sinister expression flickered across his features. I had never encountered the devil himself, but in that moment, I was certain he stood before me.
