Page 33 of Ruthless Keeper
It doesn’t look like there’s any need for threats here. Monster radiates the sort of authority Father could never mimic.
Monster leads me straight through the entryway, out the doors, and into the glaring sun. The air is what hits me first; fresh, clean,filled with scents of grass and dirt and nature. Then, the gentle breeze fluttering across my cheeks swirls around my senses, almost bringing a smile to my lips. I gaze around the large field leading up to the annex, and the several paved roads that branch out in varying directions. The buildings are scattered around, all of which look newly renovated.
I don’t get much of a chance to observe before Monster begins to lead me down a path veering left, away from all the buildings. “We’ve contemplated expanding our territory and buying out more land,” he tells me. “We’re discussing maybe having a stable with some horses. Perhaps even cattle. Giving this place some recreation and self-sufficiency.”
I don’t respond, but I do listen with interest.
“Max suggested putting you in charge of agriculture—if you’d like,” Monster goes on. “I’d definitely like to do some farming here. A lot of the time, the guys don’t have work to do, and that’s when they get in trouble. Besides, it would be nice to eat produce grown right here. But, if all you want to do is garden and experiment with flowers, that’s alright too. Whatever makes you happy.”
I don’t respond.
Monster glances at me. “You’re allowed to talk, Flower.”
“What is there to say?”
He shrugs, squinting up at the sun. “Whatwouldmake you happy?”
“I don’t know what happiness is.” A startling revelation that I’m still trying to come to terms with.
Monster stops cold, forcing me to also stumble to a stop. His brows furrow as he turns me to face him. “What do you mean?”
I shrug.
“Scarlett.” His voice is sterner. “What the fuck do you mean, you don’t know what happiness is?”
“I’ve lived my life haunted and hunted by cruel men who wanted to take from me. I was battling the terror that my father would find me when you found me. Then, I was battling the terror that youormy father would find me. That didn’t leave a lot of room for happiness. It only left… survival.”
Monster blinks slowly. Sadness shines in his eyes. Notpity,but genuine sadness. Maybe even empathy.
He draws me in for an embrace, and for some reason, I go willingly. I let him hold me even though my arms remain limply by my sides. He rests his chin on my head. “Maybe we can learn what happiness is together, hmm?” When I don’t respond, he keeps talking. “I haven’t really had the chance or desire to find happiness, Flower. It’s always been one task, one job after another. Life is an eternal checklist that you can never quite wrap up on time, isn’t it?”
I go a little tense in his arms, because his words resonate deeply with me. Lifeisan endless checklist, and happiness has never been part of the roster—seemingly for either of us.
“I want my checklist to include our happiness,” he says softly. “Would you like that?”
“You speak as if it’s a possibility.”
“Anything’s a possibility, baby, if only you’re willing to make it happen.”
Chapter Twelve
Scarlett
The rest of our long walk is taken in silence. Monster holds my wrist in lieu of my hand for the entirety of the lazy stroll, occasionally brushing his hand through my hair or squeezing my nape. It’s almost like he’s reminding himself that I’m here and I’m real—that he has me entirely under his control.
Dozens of questions sit on the tip of my tongue. I want to ask why he has my name tattooed over his heart. Why he’s so obsessed with me. Why he disguises torture as love. Why he is the way he is… what life events molded him to become this person.
I keep all of my questions to myself. They’re irrelevant—the answers don’t matter.
“We’re almost there,” Monster tells me, touching a hand to the small of my back. He touches me as much as he can when we’re together, and the touches aren’t always sexual, but they’re always possessive.
The paved path gives way to a dirt road, and I gaze at the lush green fields on either side. I’d have to test the soil, but my gut’s telling me that this is fertile, healthy land that would be ideal for farming. I spot a structure in the distance—one that glints beneath the sunlight, and I find my steps subconsciously speeding as intuition niggles in my gut.
A minute later, I make out that it’s not just a structure—it’s a house. And not just ahouse,it’s ahugegreenhouse.
From the outside, the greenhouse gleams like a monolith of glass and shadow. Black steel ribs curve around high-performance smart glass I recognize from some conferences I’ve attended. It’s extremely expensive and state of the art; it’s engineered to shift opacity based on light and temperature. Solar panels are seamlessly embedded along the roofline, giving the structure silent and sustainable power. There are no wires, no visible hinges to the greenhouse. Just clean-cut, purposeful lines.
“Holy shit,” I breathe, eyes widening.
