"Get some rest," he tells me, but we both know I won't sleep a wink tonight.
I watch him leave before sighing loudly and staring up at the ceiling. Tomorrow, I will talk to Adeline and find out the truth. I want to know what she knows and what she doesn't. And then I will need to come to a decision…although it feels like a decision has already been made.
The dark monster inside of me has already dug its claws into Adeline and claimed her as his.
And I don't know if I will ever be able to let her go until I get what I want.
CHAPTER 13
ADELINE
THE NEXT DAY I take a long bath, finding solace in the warm water. My throat still hurts from screaming myself hoarse last night, and my eyes feel swollen and sore from crying so much.
I lean my head against the tiled wall and sigh deeply. I feel physically and emotionally exhausted, and I've been here less than a week. How much longer can I keep this up?
The conversation we had over dinner last night replays in my mind. A nagging feeling in the back of my mind keeps telling me to just give in to him so I can leave. But how could I live with myself afterwards? I can't even imagine having sex with a total stranger, let alone mykidnapper.
I think back to last night and the way I screamed at Lucien that I hated him. I still can't believe I said that to the man who holds my fate in his hands.
He could kill me and not even think twice about it.
Lucien is obviously a very powerful and influential man. He has a mansion on a private island in the middle of nowhere apparently, and his hundred or so staff is completely loyal to the man…or should I saymonster.
Feeling defeated, I step out of the tub and drain the water. I quickly dry off and wrap one towel around my hair and a second one around my body before walking into the bedroom to find something to wear. My steps falter as I realize I'm not alone.
Sitting in one of the occasional chairs in the corner of the room is Lucien. He's wearing a black button up shirt and black trousers, and his hair is slicked back and gelled neatly again.
I can't help but stare at his bare feet and wonder why he forbids shoes to be worn by anyone in his home. Maria had instructed me not to wear footwear last night for dinner even though there were a few pairs of high heels in the closet. She hadn't offered an explanation as to the reasoning behind that request.
When I look up, I realize he's shamelessly perusing my towel-covered body. I cinch the towel tighter around me and glare at him when he meets my eyes finally.
Did he come here to rape me? Is he going to take what he bought?
I swallow hard past the lump forming in my throat, and I take a few steps back towards the bathroom.
Lucien stands and puts his hands up defensively. "I won't touch you. I just came to talk," he says in a soft voice, as if he's afraid he'll frighten me away.
I watch as he tucks his hands into his pockets and stands still, his dark eyes piercing mine. They are like two black, unwavering pits, giving me a glimpse of the dark, disturbed soul lying underneath.
A tear cascades down my cheek, and he watches it, transfixed on its movement. "Are you…are you going to…" I choke on my words, holding back a sob. I can't even manage to get the nasty, unthinkable word out of my mouth. It's lodged deep in my throat. And in a way, I feel like if I don't say it out loud, maybe it won't happen.
"I don't rape women," he says coldly, clearly getting my meaning. "I didn't get a chance to explain the rules to you before you…before you ruined dinner."
Before I ruined dinner?I think to myself. I'd like to know what he thinks any other woman in my situation would have done. Surely the women he kept here before me didn't give him what he wanted without a fight.
"I'm not sure what your handler told you was going to happen, but this is not the way things work around here. You don't get to back out of our deal because you're having second thoughts."
I'm stunned into silence as I try to make sense of what he's telling me. I kind of feel like I'm in a room full of people and am the only one not getting the joke.
He hesitates for a moment before telling me, "The sooner you come to me and give me what I bought and want, the sooner you get paid and go home."
I stare at him in disbelief. "Y-you would l-let me go?" I stammer, my entire body trembling.
He nods once. "I let the other women before you go home as well."
His words hit me hard. I already knew there had been others. He has had sex with multiple other girls that he's kept prisoner…probably in the same room I've been sleeping in. "How many?" I ask, suddenly needing to know the answer.
"Six."
