His deranged, knowing smile threw me off, and I couldn't keep my face from scrunching up in confusion. Talking to him felt like I was working with only half the information he knew. “B-b-but you don't even know me?”
He was so close to me that I watched golden specks twinkle in his jewel-green eyes, staring into mine like he was trying to get lost. “I know more than you think, Kazia Lee, daughter of Margaret Jones. A recent graduate of psychology at Falcon University. You have an apartment fifteen minutes from your mother's house, and your favorite color is green, even if your whole wardrobe is a sea of grays, blacks, and white.”
The bed creaked as he shifted, and my stomach flopped as it grew harder and harder to swallow. “I know so many things, but it's not enough. I want to know more…. I want to know all the things.” His face hovered over mine as he moved from my lips to my cheek, down my neck. “I want to crack you open and watch your heartbeat, memorize its pattern so I can know it anywhere just by sound.”
My muscles seized, words barely falling from my lips, “P-p-please, don’t hurt me.” This time, I wasn't trying to sound weak. I wasn't trying to trick him. The truth spilled from me before I could catch it.
He froze, his grip on my hair growing tighter, his hot breath against my collarbone. “I vow never to harm a hair on this head.” He jerked upward and faced me, causing me to gasp at his lightning-quick reflexes. “You’re my savior. My person. My Romani. They told me so, and you know that they speak for the forces of nature that are not to be taken lightly.”
“T-t-they?”
“Yes,” he nodded, “they even said I’m your tool, guild, and protector.” Shifting back, he laid his head in my lap, taking my hand and resting it on his head. “Then, when it’s all done, we’re destined to be together forever.” His wistful sigh caught me off guard, and before I knew what I was doing, I ran my hand through his silky, dirty blonde locks.
“Mmmm,” he wrapped his arms around my waist, smiling as he closed his eyes. “Silence has never felt so sweet.” Burrowing his head deeper into my lap, he mumbled. “This is what I’ve been missing.”
Sitting there with this stranger in my lap, my thoughts were all over the place. What the hell was he talking about? Who are they? A bigger question: who are his brothers? Are they just as tattooed, violently beautiful, and psycho as him? He purred underneath my musings, feeling like a huge, ferocious lion was on my lap, ready to strike at any moment if I didn't play along.
Running my hands through his hair helped me focus on my situation. Glancing at my tied-up ankle, I knew I was in trouble. I just didn't know why. Why me? Why was I the one the crazy man brought home and kept like a pet?!
Breath, Kazia, breath. You need to clear your head. Think.
Thinking back to our interactions, other than drugging me, he hasn't hurt me…yet. He was for sure dangerous and a threat to my life; I mean, he drugged and kidnapped me, but at least I wasn't tied up to a table with him above me, threatening to chop off body parts. That was something to be thankful for.
A small fact from my psych studies came barreling through my brain, reminding me that most killers take their time with their prey. Biting the inside of my cheek, I thought the day was still young, and it could quickly get worse.
Looking down, my hands trembled, and my sensible side reared up with force.Stop freaking yourself out, Kazia!Shoving my hands underneath me, I reminded myself to breathe and stay calm. I needed to keep a clear mind and do everything and anything I could to survive this. Eyes rising, focusing on the volatile man before me, I knew I needed to calm him down first, make myself valuable to him… then wait for my moment to escape. I needed to survive this.
Old feelings from my childhood bubbled up; the overwhelming drive and the need to survive flooded my head. A strength I always held in reserve filled my soul with an unmatched determination. My mother taught me that I could only give up once I was dead, and that was my guiding north from now on. Never give up. Survive.
Glancing down, this man's eyes were closed, and a smile on his lips. And at that moment, he didn't look intimidating. He looked almost angelic, which was more jarring. His fingers dug into me like he could hear my thoughts, clutching like a child, smiling like he was on cloud nine. No malice or ill intent came from him, again making me wonder why I was going through all this. What was his motive?
Did he want to keep me locked up forever? Did the “they” he spoke about have a plan?
“Cezar,” he whispered, bringing me out of my thoughts.
His eyes opened, and those spellbinding green eyes caught me and pulled me in. “That's my name.” I nodded, and he smiled wider. “Say it.”
Gulping down, I could hear the command in his voice, and I fought to smile down at him. “Cezar. It's a pretty name. I like it.”
His whole face lit up like a Christmas tree. I could see from just that reaction that he had received little love and praise in his life. While the side of me that wanted to help people had her heartstrings tugged, the side that was determined to live knew I could use this to my advantage.
Scooting closer to me, he opened his mouth but was interrupted by banging on the door, and a cranky, low voice called out, “We need to talk. Get out here.”
Cezar clutched me harder like I would slip out of his fingers at any moment. Shaking his head, he mumbled, “I know. I know. They have to get on board, but it's two against one.” He lifted his head, his eyes drilling into mine like he was talking more about me than to me. “I’ll make them. They said you’re the only way. Our last.”
Before I could ask him what he meant, he popped up and strode to the door. Dread filled my bones as I looked around the unfamiliar room—desperate words caught in my throat.Don't leave me. I don't want to be alone.Biting my lip to keep the words from spilling, a copper taste filled my mouth, reminding me to be strong and not give in.
“I’ll be back. Make sure you drink that water on the nightstand.” The door opened, and the light shone on him, his arms and neck covered in tattoos. However, the large eye on his neck was taunting me, watching me even with his back turned.
He glanced back; his sheepish grin had me nodding and smiling back at him. “I'm sure you're starving, so I’ll bring you something. Plus, you need more meat on your bones. My woman can't be a stick.” He slipped through the door without a second thought. The closing of the door echoed, and the reality of my situation came crashing down.
Everything felt stagnant like all life got sucked out of the room as soon as he left. His footsteps echoed, the sound of them jarring me to look around, and I saw the glass of water on the nightstand. Water. I need to drink something. Leaning over, my fingers curled around the glass, bringing it to my face, and I paused. Glancing down at the clear liquid, the silence in the room deafening as my chest began to collapse. Tears spilled over, the small quake rippling in the water as I shook. Setting the water down, the glass clicked against the wood of the nightstand, I covered my mouth to muffle my cries and allowed myself to get it all out. Give me a moment to wallow in my situation because, after that, I’ll no longer throw myself a pity party. No. I was only going to focus on getting out of this alive.
5
KAZIA
Ifelt better when I took a shaky breath and swiped at the last tears stuck on my lashes. Something about sobbing and whispering, “Why me?” helped let it all out. Returning to a grounded place, I focused on what I could do. My first thing to do was assess my surroundings.
