Page 49 of Sinful Desires

I didn’t care about what Collin had to say. Aspen was mine. She’s been mine for the last three years, and she was about to find that out. After I got my revenge, I’d worship her body in ways that only the devil would approve of. Aspen Palmer wasn’t the fragile little girl she’d been three years ago. No. Now she was stronger, more vicious. But if there was one thing, I still knew about her, it was that she’d always be my little dove.

Chapter 15

Aspen

The floor was cold and hard beneath my body. I wasn’t sure how long I’d been down here, but it was enough to make my entire body numb. A couple days maybe? My stomach churned with the need to be filled, but he never came back. I thought for sure he’d at least feed me, but that would imply he gave a shit, which I already knew wasn’t possible.

When I left the house three years ago, I thought I was safe—that he couldn’t hurt me anymore. Apparently, fate had other plans.

Since being put in here, I haven’t got much sleep at all. Hell, I couldn’t even find it in me to be tired. The adrenaline maybe, or fear in general. The only thing I had on me to keep warm was my jacket, and it did the trick enough. Other than that, I was screwed. Every now and then, it would get colder, leading me to believe that the sun was setting when it did.

I shifted against the cold, hard floor and tucked my legs beneath me in an attempt to gain some comfort. Unfortunately, any position I tried seemed to be just as bad as the former.

Anger filtered through me as my mind spun. My list against Myles was lengthening. He couldn’t get away with this. There was no way out of here from the inside. I’d tried everything, from slamming my body against the door, to punching it, to screaming at the top of my lungs, and even throwing random sticks and rocks at it—including a random chair that had been propped against the wall.

It was pitch-black in here and the air was muddled with something thick and unwelcoming. We weren’t meant to be caged up and treated like animals. Sighing, I brought my knees to my chest and wrapped my arms around them.

The fear I’d initially felt had dissipated almost completely by now. Confusion took its place, burrowing into my skull as questions bounced around my brain. Why lock me up like this, instead of hurting me like I knew he wanted to? Granted, this form of torture could work if he continued to neglect my basic human needs.

My stomach grumbled again, reminding me that food was a basic necessity and without it, I’d starve to death. Just as I relaxed into the hard wall behind me, the clinking of metal sounded off in the distance, causing me to tense up.

Narrowing my eyes, I stared at the door intently. Was he finally coming back to feed me? To let me go? Hope sprung to life inside of me and I sat forward as the door swung open and dim lighting filtered through from the phone in his hand.

“Aspen?” Collin’s concerned voice caressed me as the light from his device found me. A choked sob fell from my lips as relief poured off me in waves.

“Shit,” he muttered, rushing down the steps and seeking me out. Once he reached me, he kneeled and pulled me into his arms, the warmth from his body blanketing me. I instantly melted into him. Everything about him was a welcoming contrast to what I’d been surrounded by. He smelled fresh, clean, manly, and was so warm. I nuzzled my nose into the exposed column of his neck, eliciting a shiver from him. “You’re fucking freezing,” he hissed, running his fingers through my tangled hair and covering my ears and neck the best he could with it.

“Did Myles tell you I was here?” I rasped, curious as to how he found me.

“That’s not important right now. Come on.” He snaked a hand around my waist and helped me to my feet. “Take off your jacket,” he continued, catching me off guard.

Normally, I would have questioned it. But seeing as how he was currently rescuing me from here and that I was far too weak to argue, I obliged, slipping off the leather that had chosen to adapt to the cold rather than to my body.

He offered me his phone, in which I hesitantly took, a question on the tip of my tongue that dwindled once he took his own hoodie off and offered it to me. Realization dawned on me, and my stomach fluttered from the kind gesture. I handed him his phone and my jacket, and then slipped his on over my head. It was baggy, but warm enough and it just so happened to have his scent all over it.

“Better?”

When I nodded, he wasted no time pulling me into his chest. Instantly, I buried my face in his chest, wrapping my hands in the front of his shirt to warm them. His hands dropped to my waist as he tugged me even tighter against him.

Maybe I’d been wrong about Collin, and he was different. He didn’t have to go out of his way, late at night, to come and rescue me. A part of me wanted to show him how grateful I was for the action. Even if it ended in regret later on.

“Let’s get out of here,” he suggested, pulling away from me and taking his warmth with him. His hand found mine in the darkness and he intertwined our fingers together, using his other hand to light our way through the cellar while my jacket rested in the crook of his arm.

My legs wobbled as he pulled me toward the exit, and I followed him up the steps and out of the cellar. Fresh air engulfed me, causing me to suck in a lungful of it.

I trembled as we made our way through the woods. It definitely felt like October now, and the weather would just get worse from here. As long as I could keep from getting locked out in the cold, I should be fine from here on out.

Our footsteps thudded against the ground as we walked, crunching twigs, leaves, possibly bugs. My eyes felt heavy as we trudged through the trees, but my body didn’t feel tired at all. As we made our way out of the woods, the soccer field came into view and a breath of relief escaped me.

From here, it didn’t take long for us to reach the dorms. He kept me close as we stepped into the elevator and he pressed the button, his gaze sweeping over me once we were secured inside. His hand was still wrapped around mine, and I could feel his arm against my own too. I’d never had someone want to be so close to me like this before—not like this.

Once the elevator came to a stop, he pulled me onto the floor. The hallway was vacant as expected, and it was safe to assume that everyone was sound asleep.

As we passed my room, my eyebrows raised into my hairline. “Collin?” I questioned in a hoarse voice. “My room is back there.”

“I know.” Was all he said as he continued to pull me along with him.

I decided not to question it further when he led me to his room at the end of the hall and opened the door. With one flick, the light illuminated the room, causing me to wince.

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