She was strikingly exotic, ethereal really. If allowed to blossom, I imagined she’d break hearts. I’d spare those foolish boys their infantile mistakes. Those youthful lovers too naïve to see she was venom. I wondered what kind of dreams she’d once had for her future. The life she imagined for herself.
She let out a long exhale as though unable to tolerate the danger. With each shallow breath, she sank into the seat as if trying to disappear.
“My father will unleash hell if you don’t let me go.”
Gliding over to her side, I grabbed a lock of Anya’s hair and pulled her head back. “Hell?” My lips moved in close to hers. “That’s where I’m taking you.”
She winced. “Fuck off.”
Grabbing her chin, I squeezed hard until she whimpered. “What did you just say to me?”
Her short breaths hit my lips. Breaking my glare, she turned her head submissively.
I let go of her chin.
I’d take my time to get to know her likes and dislikes. Then use this to play with her. Discover her fears. Then torment her with them. Psychological suffering was just as important as her physical pain. There was wisdom in taking my time to analyze her weaknesses. Use the knowledge to break her down. Wrecking her was going to be the finest entertainment.
“We have money,” she whispered. “Let me call my dad.”
I curled my fingers along her cheek. “I have your father’s gold.”
Realizing her ability to bargain was lost, she withdrew into the corner again. “Where are you taking me?”
Glancing at my watch, I estimated we’d be there in less than half an hour.
“Cassius, please.”
My name left her lips like a goddamn prayer. Reaching a part of me that lay dormant. I shivered off the effect. She could seduce a lesser man. Someone naïve to who she was.
The way her tongue darted to wet her lips was dangerously evocative. I’d captured an exquisite creature, and there was nothing crueler than to have her believe this was her fate.
“He’ll come after the gold,” she whispered.
“I have the only thing he’ll miss.”
With windswept futility, she turned her focus to the window.
Studying her reaction, I added, “I’m sure he’s willing to die for you.”
Anya’s expression went from disillusioned to something else as though an epiphany struck her. “He knew you’d come for us?”
“Yes.”
“Did you hurt his other—”
“His other what?”
She held my stare and then turned away. “I wasn’t sure if you’d done this before?”
“I’m a patient man.” My breath hitched. “I’m surprised your father didn’t warn you.”
“He was trying to protect us.”
“Clearly, he failed.”
“Why are you doing this?”
Reaching out to touch her, I tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and felt a pang of sadness for her, that she’d lived under the same roof all these years with a psychopath. “Exactly how much grief have I caused your family?”
She continued to stare out the window. “You’ve ruined my life. I’ve not been allowed to do anything. Go anywhere. A prisoner in my own home.”
“Sorry to hear that,” I lied.
Satisfaction settled in my gut that they’d been living in terror for a decade because of me.
Anya
Cassius didn’t know about the other children. Or maybe he was bluffing. One thing was sure, Dad and Mom had known this man was a threat. They’d made our lives hell for a reason. I wished they’d warned us. We probably wouldn’t have rebelled. We’d have seen them differently.
This bastard was the reason. He was the man who’d made our lives miserable.
I couldn’t think straight. I twisted my wrists to loosen the surrounding rope in case I got my chance to bolt.
I wondered if Dad would come for me like this man suggested. Though Cassius wouldn’t know about our strained relationship. Or that Mom looked down her nose at us. Maybe all this time, I’d been reading them both wrong. They’d been living in a bubble, too.
I had been too hard on my parents. They’d tried to love Archie and me but found themselves lacking from the trauma of losing their other children. They were grief-stricken. Unable to love to the same extent because their loss was too harrowing.
Still, something didn’t add up.
As Cassius and his men broke in, my parents hadn’t protected me when it mattered most. Shaking these thoughts away, born out of fear, I was at least reassured this man hadn’t found Archie.
I dared to look out the back window to see if we were being followed. But I just saw the other SUVs following, transporting his men.
Maybe my parents would send a car after us. So they’d know where I was being taken. I watched out for landmarks. Anything that would help give away our location. That was if I ever figured out a way to contact them. I would have to figure out a way to escape. Something told me that would be impossible.