Page 83 of Villainous Soul

“Please,” I begged. He slipped the pill in my mouth, and I spit it out. “I don’t want to take that.”

I felt my stomach cramp as the small bit of water I got down hit it, and I instantly threw it up on myself and Donovan.

His hand gripped my face. Digging his fingers into my cheeks, he clucked his tongue against the roof of his mouth. “Tsk, tsk, tsk, you ungrateful little bitch. Now look at what you’ve done. You’ll take the pill.” He picked it up off the ground and shoved it in my mouth again, pushing it down my throat with his fingers until I gagged and swallowed it.

“Please, can I have more water?”

He stood up, wiping his hands on his pants. “Maybe next time.”

I watched as he walked out of the room and shut the door, leaving me in complete darkness. Then I felt the weight of whatever he gave me take effect as I was slowly pulled into a deep slumber, and I was left only with the echo of a gun going off.

* * *

I awoke with a start,and the sound of the gunshot still ringing in my ears. Sitting up, I tried to get my bearings. I could have been asleep for hours or days. The room was frigid, and I wrapped the blanket tighter around me. I blinked several times, hoping my eyes would adjust to the shadows around me.

Shadows.

That could mean only one thing.

Light.

You could not have shadows without light. I stood up and walked toward the other side of the room, careful not to trip on anything. The air seemed softer here, and the pitch black faded into shades of gray. A large bureau sat against the wall. Its doors were ripped off and damaged from the same claw marks that marred the walls. An animal was kept in here at one point, and a large one. I walked to the side. Dim light was definitely coming through the space in the back. I set my shoulder against the solid wood and pushed. It creaked and moved an inch. I tried again, only to get the same result. There was a sound in the hallway, and I could hear the jingle of keys, so I hurried back to the mattress.

Donovan opened the door and entered, not bothering to close it. The light from the flashlight cut a beam into the dark room, landing straight on me. I glanced back at the bureau, but nothing looked amiss.

He looked like hell. His eyes appeared swollen and glassy, and his shirt was torn down the front and covered in blood.

“Where’s Aidan?” I asked anxiously. My voice was low and hoarse from being bone dry, and my lips were cracked.

Deep claw marks stretched across his chest. “Put this on, and I’ll give you some water.” He threw a white dress at me. “You stink, and we don’t want your husband seeing you this way.”

“Keir isn’t coming.” I forced the words out.

“He’ll come for you.”

“No, he won’t. He’s at a meeting. Bilderberg. It’s the reason he married me. Nothing could make him miss it.”

“You’re lying.” He pointed the gun at me. “Change.”

I kicked my shoes off and turned around, unfastening the button on my jeans. I unzipped them and pulled them off. Then I removed my sweater.

“Turn around.”

My skin prickled with fear, and every sensation in my body was heightened. There was no place for me to run. He would kill me. I knew it to be true because I had seen the madness in his eyes. I slowly turned to face him.

“Take everything off.”

I unclasped my bra and let it fall to the ground, then slipped out of my thong.

He walked toward me and ran his finger along my collarbone. “This is acceptance.”

He took my chin between his thumb and forefinger and kissed me, parting my lips with his tongue. His breath was stale and sour. “He will come,” he said, stepping back and picking up my discarded clothes. “He would be a fool not to, and when he does, we will be ready.”

He turned and left, locking the door behind him.

My body was covered in goosebumps, and I started to shiver so hard my teeth were chattering. I put on the thin white dress, no more than a slip, and wrapped the blanket over my shoulders. Then I returned to the cabinet and sat down, pushing it with my legs until it moved enough for me to see what was back there.

A small wooden door no bigger than a crawl space was set into the wall. I felt for the handle and pulled on it hard until it slowly creaked open. Then I crawled through the small space and found myself outside at the bottom of the rise.

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