He left because I didn’t kiss him back.
I should have kissed him back.
And even as my mind screams at me that I’m crazy, I go to bed desperately clinging to that thought.
My captor kissed me. I should have kissed him back.
10
Damien
“So, what do you say?”
It’s surprisingly easy to block out Everest. I keep my eyes fixed on my cell phone, ignoring him as he stands by the door of my office, impatiently shifting his weight from one foot to the other.
I’m watching my pet. She’s been sitting rigid on the couch, her hands trapped between her thighs, her eyes staring at some point to the right of her, for the past three hours.
I wonder what she’s looking at. There’s no television over there, no artwork. She literally chose the one part of the room that’s blank. A stretch of plain, off-white wall, and her eyes are glued to it as if it’s the most interesting thing in the apartment.
She’s really a fascinating creature.
“I want to take her shopping,” insists Everest.
“Go fuck yourself.”
“Come on, man. She’s lonely. Dirt-poor all her life, and now locked away, probably bored to death—”
“I said, fuck off,” I growl.
What is he talking about? She’s mine. How dare he talk about buying things for her?
“Okay,” he mutters. “So, I guess you’re planning on taking her out occasionally?”
“No one is doing anything,” I scowl. “Leave her in that apartment. I don’t want anyone to talk to her, or see her, or buy her shit. Leave her alone.”
Everest grits his teeth. “Listen, man. I’ve gone along with you. I’ve gone along with everything. I let you abduct—”
I interrupt him with a loud snort. “Oh, I didn’t realize you werelettingme do things now. How kind of you.”
“I mean—”
“You mean, shut up. I don’t want to hear you blather on about this. Case closed. Now go.”
He snaps his mouth shut and stalks off, fuming. I turn back to my computer, pulling up details on a tech company we’re acquiring. A step into Silicon Valley and a way to leave Oakley behind, for good.
It’s hard to focus, though, when that screen calls out to me. I glance at it, bemused to find my girl still staring at the wall.
What a weird little thing my possession is turning out to be.
I can’t wait to find out all there is to know about her. I wonder how long I can manage to stay away from her.
It’s been about four days since I kissed her, and I haven’t been back. No one else has been to the apartment to see her, either, apart from Lucy. But I told Lucy not to speak to her. I don’t even want her to look at her, and thankfully, she seems more than happy to follow my order.
No one looks or speaks to my pet but me.
I can tell that my absence drives her frantic.
She shifts on the couch, and I note once more her slim frame. I knew she was skinny from the surveillance tapes, but it was something else to hold her in my arms. She’s tiny. Her fear of me is certainly enticing, but I’m actually worried I might break her if I’m too rough. And I don’t know how to be anything but rough.
