“Wynn.” I cupped his cheek and gave him a chaste kiss. “I could tell you, but I think you’ll question if what I say is true. If you see it, that’ll be it, you’ll know. You will know everything about me.” I slid my other hand behind his neck and squeezed. “But remember what I said—after you know, you can never leave.”
“You can’t keep me.”
“Wynn, staying will keep you safe. If you see the secrets in the dark and run, my family will find you simply to protect our legacy. I would try to keep you safe but…” I sighed. “This is your last chance.”
His gaze flickered to the door and then back to me. He licked his lips, and I followed the movement with my eyes.
“Show me,” he whispered.
I released my hold on him and unlocked the door. I opened it, and motioned for him to go. “You first. Don’t worry, nothing will bite you.”
He took the first step, and lights turned on. I closed and locked the door behind us. He was very slow as he descended into the room, and I let him take his time.
This part of the basement was finished. There was a cream carpet, a big L-shaped couch, even a large-screen TV. Wynn looked over his shoulder at me.
“Your secret is some sort of man-cave thing?”
I chuckled. “No, keep walking.”
I gestured to the wooden door in front of us. This led to a hallway and to where Wynn would discover all my skeletons.
He turned the knob and again, lights came on; these were dimmer. As we walked down the corridor I heard the sounds of one of my visitors.
“Are there people here?” Wynn asked, halting his steps.
“There are.”
His eyes widened. “What the…”
I leaned closer. “Keep walking, Wynn.”
He swallowed loudly. “Maybe uh?—”
I shook my head. “It’s too late for that; keep going.”
After a few shuttered steps we got to an open area. I watched Wynn’s face as he took in everything he was seeing. To the left there was a cage, and Corey was currently inside. His eyes were wide, but he was quiet as he stared in fear at us. To the right, naked and chained to the wall was Bear. He was still out of it but beginning to wake up. All the way in the far corner of the room was what appeared to be a furnace, but it was actually a vat. Inside was an acid blend that would break apart a body.
I couldn’t have a crematorium chamber in this castle. My uncle had built this in its place when he worried I’d do something stupid.
“Julian, what is this?”
I stepped up to the cage. “This is Corey, the man who assaulted Hannah.” Then I pointed to the naked guy. “That’s Bear, a.k.a. Leonard Mitchem.”
Wynn’s coloring paled. “Why do you have them as prisoners?”
“Well, you see. Corey hasn’t told us who paid him. I figured if he watched me kill Bear, he’d start talking.”
“I don’t know who paid me!” Corey shouted.
I tapped the bars. “It’s soundproof, so feel free to yell louder, and I think you’re lying.”
“I’m not.”
I nodded and moved over to Wynn. “Bear there, he’s sexually assaulted quite a few women, and whenever it comes to trial the victims either get amnesia or disappear. Why do you think that is?”
Wynn was breathing heavily. “Julian, you’re a killer?”
I see-sawed my hand. “My great-grandfather liked to call us inevitable executioners.” I shrugged. “Truth of the matter is, I’m a psychopath, Wynn. I wouldn’t say I’m devoid of all feeling, but it’s not like what you have. The need to kill is like a person’s need to breathe. It runs in the family, and we’ve found ways to make it work.”
