Page 83 of Born in Depravity

I kicked off my shoes and climbed into bed with her. I didn’t say anything as I crawled under the covers with her and placed her on top of me. Her arms automatically wrapped around me tightly and she buried her face in my chest, her tears wetting my shirt.

“Shh, pet. It’s over now,” I said, patting her back. What the fuck did I know about offering anyone comfort? And had she been thinking clearly, she wouldn’t have come to me so willingly.

I cupped the back of her head against my chest and rubbed my other hand down her back, ignoring the feeling of her soft skin beneath my rough palm while I gave her time to calm down.

Memories of my dark past threatened to take over, and I gritted my teeth, trying hard to think about anything butthat.

I was no longer a defenseless boy, but a devil with all the power in his hands.

I was not defenseless, but Catalina was, and I—

I let out a small sigh, bringing my face down to take in her scent. She smelled like the shampoo Mikhail brought, but she also smelled like something else. Something that was uniquely her, and something that was sweet and addictive. As much as I tried to tell myself I wouldn’t let this small, insignificant girl get to me, I could slowly see myself becoming addicted to her.

She didn’t move away from me, and it took me a second to hear the muffled noises just outside the bedroom door, and another second for me to realize what it was.

Nikolay was having his fun.

I should have told Nikolay to move the man to the basement, but I wanted him tied outside the door. I wanted to make an example out of him. Plus, it had already been established what an attention whore Nikolay was. No doubt he was enjoying the audience.

The whole house would know he was having his fun right now, and no one would dare stop him.

Another muffled noise. At least Nikolay had the sense to shut the man’s mouth.

But it wouldn’t take Catalina long to hear him and realize what was going on. I rummaged through the drawer by the bedside table. Mikhail had stocked this with nearly everything, and it didn’t take me long to find what I was looking for. Over–the–ear black headphones.

Catalina pulled away from me.

My eyes clashed with wide, teary, red-rimmed brown ones. I didn’t say anything as I turned on the headphones and connected them to my phone. I turned on calming piano music and placed it over her ears.

She didn’t question me.

And I didn’t like the way having her eyes on me felt, so I moved her head back to my chest, and held her there. She adjusted a bit to get herself comfortable.

I used my other hand to text Nikolay.

I want him alive.

Two minutes later, the phone vibrated with his text.

Don’t worry. He will be.

It took less than a second for his second text to come in after.

But he’s going to wish he wasn’t.

I put the phone down and I held her closely to me, not wanting to examine what it was that I was feeling for this tiny girl who was supposed to be nothing more than a pawn in my own twisted games.

Only now, that statement felt like a big joke, and I wasn’t laughing.

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