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My footsteps slowed down, stretching my held arm out as I stared back the way we came.
One rough yank had me tripping over my own feet to keep up with the man leading me. Even that couldn’t make me look away from that brass doorknob. I longed to feel the metal cool my palm. I wanted to escape into that room and wrap myself in its familiarity. I knew what to expect in those walls.
That fantasy was ripped away when I was yanked in front of Mason to stare at a skull etched into a doorhandle. A shiver raced up my spine as he plucked a key out of his pocket. As far as I knew, this was the den of death, where I’d be trapped inside and forgotten in the dark.
The soft click of a lock opening thundered through my ears like a stampede. I could feel my heart sink as the door swung. It felt like the whoosh of air toying with my hair was going to blow me over, but that could’ve been the fear weakening my knees.
“Go on,” was the only warning I got.
One quick shove of my shoulder jarred me across the precipice of no return. The first thing I noticed was the smell. Crisp and fresh with a hint of oak. A lot like the air outside, which is what I assumed it was when a breeze cooled my skin. That’s when I realized that my eyes were closed.
I told myself to open them so I could look around and see my fate. But the sound of the lock being slid back into place weighed my already heavy lids down. Mason moved around and I stayed where I was. Listening to his footsteps echo while my body trembled with fear. The bunny was out in the open, locked in the den with the lion.
If I open my eyes then I might find someplace to hide.
That thought sounded so comforting that my left eye creaked open. As soon as I saw where I was standing, the left followed suit. The black marble flooring beneath my feet spanned across the entire room, then flowed up the bottom part of cream colored walls. I looked over to the left where sheer white curtains were billowing from the breeze blowing in through two large open glass doors. Beyond those was what appeared to be a balcony with two cast iron chairs and a table.
On the other side was a fireplace encased in the same marble as the floor, with a large TV hung above. My eyes swung from the soft cream rug in front of the fireplace to a black leather bound chair in the corner, next to a cherrywood shelf. I couldn’t help but notice the book on the top.Alice In Wonderland.
Mason sauntered over to the raised part of the floor in the middle of the room. My pulse picked up as he stepped up to a large circular bed and sat down. The bed itself looked soft, with lots of pillows, black sheets, and a cream blanket. It was a stark contrast to the punching bag hung beside it. Just like the man sitting on the edge of the mattress.
I couldn’t help but ask, “Is this your room?”
The hardened glare he shot my way caused me to take a step back. I was going to assume that this was indeed his room, which broke my heart. The little boy I knew would never sleep in a place like this. Sure, there were personal touches in here. A little blue pillow on the chair and an antique candelabra that had been repurposed as a chandelier – but they were all sharp and cold.
Like how I made him.
Mason dropped his elbows on his thighs and gave a small wave, “Come here.”
“Why?” Being around Mason on a normal day wasn’t a good idea, but adding a bed in the mix meant something else entirely.
His green eyes locked on mine and I could practically hear him say, ‘because I fucking said so.’ I couldn’t escape out the door – that was locked. That didn’t mean I couldn’t hide. The wardrobe looked big enough for me to shimmy into. Or I could go for the door on the other side of the room, which I assumed led to the bathroom.
“You want to play a little hunter-prey, I’m game.” The smirk that curled his lip was anything but playful. “But I might get a little too excited.”
I’d seen Mason angry, pissed off, and pissed off while lustful. My aching jaw was a stark reminder of that. Wasn’t sure I wanted to add excited to that.
“Now, Freckles!”
My feet were moving before he could finish speaking my nickname. Unfortunately they weren’t taking me away from danger, but closer to it. I stopped at the bottom of the two steps leading to the bed and stared at the floor.
“What are you going to do?”
“I’m not going to do anything. You are.”
My wide eyes snapped back to the man leering down at me. What did that mean,I was?
“Now come here,” he growled, while pointing at the spot between his open legs.
If I went along with what he said, then maybe I could trick myself into believing that this was just another day. Another time Mason Kessler would get his kicks by humiliating me. The unfamiliar and I weren’t friends. Survival depended on knowing what was coming next. But as much as I tried to fool myself, this wasn’t normal behavior. I had no idea what was going to happen, and that was utterly horrifying.
Panic had me spinning on my heels to run away, but Mason caught me before I could take a step. He grabbed my arm and roughly yanked me in between his legs, bringing me face to face with the beast. And I meant beast. The darkness twinkling in his bright jade eyes stole my breath. I stood there staring back at a man who was so much bigger and stronger than me that we were the same height when he was sitting.
“There.” Mason’s expression softened a touch. “That wasn’t so hard, now was it.”
“I guess not.” My trembling body would disagree.
“Alright,” he leaned back, placing his palms flat on the bed behind him. “Now we can get down to business.”
