“
H
annah, wake up, my love.”
His sing-song voice pulls me from sleep, and I jolt upright, panting. Glancing around, I know we’re back in the cave, only this time I can see everything clearly. Paintings, beautiful works of art align the stone walls. Long, thin candles are lit at every corner. Majestic looking rugs hang where there should be openings.
“What, what more do you want?” I ask grumpily, fully aware that he’s trapped me once again. “Let me go back to sleep.”
So, I can dream this place away.
He jerks my chin up to look at him, his masked face now inches from mine. “You’ll not escape me, my love. Not even in your dreams.”
“Oh, I will,” I spit at him, pulling the white sheet over my breasts. “It’s only a matter of time.”
He laughs darkly. “Would you like to know what I’ve been doing while you were sleeping?”
Ew, gross.
Sneering, I flip my hair over a naked shoulder. “I can only imagine.” I roll my eyes.
This time when he laughs, it’s startlingly sincere. “Oh, nothing that dastardly, my love. After all, we have plenty of time for that
.”
“What, then?” I ask impatiently.
“I do hope you’ll like it, my gift to you…” he walks to a hanging rug and yanks it down.
Dear, God!
It’s Stacey, Amanda, and Lydia…
Their heads only.
On pikes…
I gasp, my whole body shaking in fear and disgust. “What did you do?”
His lips turn down in a frown. “You don’t like it? I can find others…”
“Ethan,” I gulp, staring at him with a newfound horror. “Why? How is this a gift?”
“Forget it,” he says angrily, pulling the rug back into place. “Father said you’d…” he trails off shaking his head. “Never mind, I should’ve known that man was up to his old tricks.”
“Tricks?” I question, not even attempting to hide my disgust.
“He suggested I bring home mistresses to keep you in line,” he reveals, shaking his dark head. “Like the Dracula movie, remember he had mistresses? Well, I told him I wouldn’t have another and that I’d never be unfaithful to you.”
“So, what, you killed them instead?” I laugh and cry at the same time.
“He said that you would see it as a sign of my unwavering loyalty…”
“You’re both mad, completely mad!”
“Just-never mind, I’ll get rid of the heads,” he snaps.
I have to find a way out of here, or I’ll be the next head on a pike. “Yes, please, get rid of…them. And no more killing, please.”
He turns then, stalking right up to the bed. “I vow it; I’ll never kill again…unless you’re in danger.”
Maybe this won’t be too hard after all, I think to myself, glancing around for that blasted cage.
“Thank you,” I tell him, hoping to confuse him with gratitude.
“Just in case you were thinking of another run,” he whispers, suddenly covering me with his heat. “Think again, my love.” He brings my hands up, effectively shackling me to the bed in the blink of an eye.
“Please, Ethan, let me go,” I implore, struggling against my constraints.
With a thrust he slides inside me, his teeth flashing in the darkness. “Never.”