Beautiful Monster (Dark Lies Duet 2)

He's on his back, one arm under his head, the other across his midsection. A man without a care in the world. What would it take to kill him here and now?

Instead of wondering, I dare to ask the question heaviest on my heart. “Where is Cynthia? What did you do to her?”

The room is dark, but I can make out his eyes opening. “Can't you just go to sleep?”

“Not until I know. I won't let you go to sleep, either, so you might as well tell me. Did you kidnap her? Are you holding her somewhere? Did you…” I can't even bring myself to say it.

He spares me that, at least. “She's safe. Alive. I have her somewhere remote, but she's in one piece. You can believe that, trust me.”

“Trust you? Do you hear yourself?”

He turns his head slowly until he's facing me. “Did you think I would kill her? Or even hurt her badly? I only hurt her as much as I needed to in order to take her. That's all. But I know how much she means to you. She did keep you safe and protected all these years. I can't forget that, either.”

“Then why did you do it?”

“She recognized me. I couldn't let her move around freely when she knew who I was. But she's perfectly fine. You don't need to worry about her.”

I damn near roll my eyes. Right. I'm sure that's the truth. Because he's been so honest in the past.

“I need to see her.” He turns his face toward the ceiling, but I can't let it go. I won't. “I need to see for myself that she's okay, and I need her to see me, too. I'm sure it's not easy. She's probably worried sick, the way I am about her.”

All he does is grunt, and my resentment grows. “You expect to keep me locked in this room? Do you want me to behave myself? Then I want to see Cynthia. You just said you know how much she means to me. You're right. I want to see her.”

“And you'll behave yourself?”

Why do I feel like I'm making a deal with the devil? Right. Because I am. “I will. I'll do what you want. Anything, so long as I get to see her for myself.”

Silence unfurls between us, and every passing moment ratchets up the tension that's found its way back into my muscles so soon after my bath. Is he going to toy with me some more? I can only imagine that's exactly what he's going to do. And there's nothing I can do to stop him.

“Fine. Behave yourself, and I'll take you to her. I promise.” He closes his eyes again. “Now go to sleep before I change my mind.”

I know better than to look a gift horse in the mouth. Besides, I'm exhausted. I have no choice but to close my eyes when they start to close by themselves. And soon, there's nothing but darkness.

4

CHRISTIAN

“Come on,” she grunts. The sound of Siân’s voice, followed by her panting and the wiggling of something, pulls me from my sleep. “Open, dammit.”

Wiping the sleep from my eyes, I first check the space directly next to me. Not that I expected to see her tiny frame tucked in beside me. I already know she isn’t. But it’s my brain's way of confirming the obvious. When I finally direct my attention to the other side of the room, Siân is kneeling at the door, using something to try to wedge the door open.

She has her shoulders hiked around her ears, and her concentration is so deep she doesn’t notice me watching her. It doesn’t surprise me one bit that she’s already trying to escape, and if I’m honest, I’m glad she did. It’ll give me a reason to punish her.

I slip out of bed, my toes nestling in the rug beneath it, and when my bare feet hit the cold wooden floors, a shiver runs the length of my spine. Siân remains focused on her attempt to free herself, but she’s no longer kneeling. Instead, she gives the knob one more shake before succumbing to defeat. Sad shoulders and an exasperated breath are the only reactions she has.

At least until she catches a glimpse of me from the corner of her eye. She sucks in a shaky breath, her bottom lip quivering at the sight of me. I stalk toward her only to peer down at her, torn between whether to kiss her or spank her for defying me.

“Are you done?” I ask while reaching out to stroke her cheek.

She turns her head to keep me from touching her, and when I inch closer, she presses her back as far as she possibly can into the door. Undoubtedly she wishes she could disappear or somehow magically slip through the hard surface just so that she could be anywhere but here. Sorry to disappoint, topolina. This is the only place she’ll ever step foot in again.