“Yes, dear. He should be a good little toy for you to ride tonight.”
The door opens, and I’m drilled with the instinct to protect Niklaus. To cause this woman irreversible pain. Does she plan on assaulting him? Is she going to make me watch? A stroke of irate flames licks the inside of my chest as Apple May shoves me into his room.
The door clicks shut behind us.
Niklaus doesn’t say anything as he sits up from his bed. And my stomach turns sour as I note that he’s restrained to the bed. But as his alert gaze shifts from Apple May to me, he only seems concerned as to why her nails are digging into my arm.
“I can only imagine my daughter did not let you two finish what you started because she’s been so overworked dealing with that woman she used to work with in the thirteenth room. Sky-something!” Apple May releases her vicious grip on my elbow and kicks me in the back toward Niklaus. I land on my knees in front of his bed, hissing at the zap of pain that crackles up my femurs. Niklaus tries to stand to catch me, tendons corded under his chin as the leather straps cut into his wrists. A guttural sound rumbles in his throat. He snaps his head up to stare at Apple May, and it’s as if the room shrinks to nothing but the deep, endless violence in his stormy blue eyes.
“Now, your wife pushed me right to the edge of my orgasm with the vivid description of your fingers inside of her. It was exquisite, but I wasn’t able to reach my climax because you two were robbed!Argh! My stupid, imbecile of a daughter!”
I drop my eyes to the floor feeling the weight of Niklaus now staring down at me.
“I’m sorry, you had my wife do what now?!” Niklaus remains calm, but each syllable is clipped as if he might explode if he lets his words out too fast.
The word snags in my chest.Wife.
“I had her give me a detailed recount of you performing your marital duties to finger her. It was just what I needed,” Apple May explains.
“Why?” Niklaus is quiet. He doesn’t yell, but that’s because fury lives in the weight of his tone.
Apple May blinks a few times. “I couldn’t sleep.”
I’d laugh if this weren’t so fucked up.
“You are fucking crazy,” Niklaus says.
“Pot kettle, baby.” Meridei’s mother flips her hair over her shoulder. “Back to business. I need you two to finish so that I might be able to finish. Understand?”
I scramble toward the bed, scared and desperate to reach Niklaus. I have a bad feeling. This insane woman has something up her sleeve, and I need to tell him this before it’s too late.
My weak hands find Niklaus’s shoulders, and I pull my lips to his ear.
“Whatever she forces us to do, you have my consent, okay? Whatever we need to do to survive this—you have it, okay?” I whisper frantically, eyes growing misty as he stares back at me. I’d never hold any of this against him. We’re in a place we’ve only ever read about like a scary folklore story.
The Emerald Lake Asylum has come back to life.
And it’s claimed us as it’s forgotten son and daughter. Anything that happens in this place—anything we have to do—it’s for survival. Nothing more.
Niklaus stares back into my eyes. “You’ve always had mine.”
I’m stung in the side of the neck. The bite is small, pointy, sharp. It’s a poke that stays in place for several seconds before a sudden release.
I wince, and Niklaus’s face darkens before his focus cuts to a space over my shoulder.
“What did you do to her?” Niklaus snarls.
“Oh relax, gorgeous. She’s going to thank me for this modest boost in a moment,” Apple May chimes, clapping her hands together in a manic uproar of excitement.
I sink to the floor, but Niklaus extends himself as much as he can to keep me close to him. With a few blinks, I almost smile at him in respite. I don’t feel anything. Was it supposed to be poison? Something to make me sick again?
“Spitfire?”
“I’m okay. I’m fi—”
A blast of heat spreads from my lower belly to the sensitive space between my legs before I can finish my sentence. I feel betrayed by my own body. It leaves my legs trembling and my back arching.
“Hey. Look at me.” Niklaus dips his head to get my attention. “Talk to me. What’s going on?”
