Cruel Obsession Read online

  Walking a little further into the room, I say, “If you don’t stop running from me, you’ll force my hand. You’re going to make me do something I’d rather not. I’m not a monster, Dove, but I’ll do what I have to, to prove my point.”

  “I’m not scared of you,” she yells across the bed, her cheeks red. The tremble in her voice, giving away the lie.

  Shaking my head, I walk around the bed. Her eyes scan the room, and with nowhere else to go, she climbs up onto it. If my next move doesn’t work, I’ll have to subdue her with my body.

  “If you don’t stop, I’ll visit your friend from the shelter. Sasha...is it?” As soon as the words leave my lips, she freezes in the center of the bed. “Or maybe I’ll visit Donna at the New Haven Senior Care.”

  My threat hangs heavy in the air as I watch Dove’s face pale. She might act brave and fearless when it comes to her own safety, but she won’t risk the lives of the people she loves. She doesn’t know I wouldn’t actually hurt them.

  Not since I know how important those people are to her. Not knowing how well Donna took care of her and how good of a friend Sasha has been to her.

  Fresh tears pool in her eyes, and when she blinks, they slide down her cheeks.

  “Don’t… don’t hurt them. Please, I’ll do whatever you want. Just don’t hurt them.”

  I should feel satisfied with myself as I watch her drop down onto the mattress, her cheeks stained with sadness, but I hate that I had to go there.

  “I won’t hurt them unless you make me. Now, I want to show you around the house. This doesn’t have to be a prison, it’s all what you make of it. Will you behave now?”

  She nods and hesitantly crawls off the bed, her head lowered in defeat as she comes to stand next to me.

  “Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way. I’m Zane. I built this entire place for you. The library, gym, living room. Every inch of this place was built with you in mind.”

  That seems to get her attention, and she looks up from the floor and right at me.

  “Why would you build this place for me? I don’t even know you.” I ignore her question, knowing that answering one will lead to a million more.

  “Come, let me show you around.” I extend my hand, and she looks at it with hesitation before placing her own in mine. Pleasure sparks deep in my gut and radiates south into my cock. Her hand is so tiny, fragile, and warm. Before I let my brain drag me in a different direction, I start the tour.

  “This is the master bedroom, which we’ll share together. Through that door,” I point to the far-right door. “That’s the bathroom. There is a huge shower, and a tub for you to soak in since I know you like your baths.”

  Her eyes go impossibly wide, and I can only imagine what’s going on in her head right now. Tugging her out of the bedroom, I walk toward the living room. “You already know where the kitchen and dining room are. Here is the living room. I’ve got all your favorite movies and tv shows here.” She doesn’t say a thing just stares open-mouthed at the space.

  “Off the living room is a short hallway, which leads to the gym and library.” I point in the direction of the hall.

  Turning to me, she looks up at me, her wet lashes fanning against her cheek. “W-why would you do this, and how do you know what I like and don’t like?”

  Part of me wants to tell her nothing, to remain silent, but eventually, she’ll know the truth. Eventually, she’ll find out just how important she is to me.

  I tug her closer and grip her gently by the hip, loving the way she molds like clay to my will. “Because, Dove, I’ve been watching you. I know everything about you. What you like, what you don’t like. Your favorite foods, movies, what time you wake up in the morning. I even know when you get your period and for how long it lasts.”

  Shock, fear, confusion, it all blends into one on her face.

  “Y-you watched me?” She’s trembling now, and I know it’s not because she’s cold.

  “Yes, for a long time.” I can’t help but smile. Yes, she’s afraid now, but soon she’ll come to realize she has nothing to be afraid of, that everything I did was for her.

  “W-Why?”

  “I told you. Because I care for you, and I want you to be safe.”

  “I… I think I’m going to be sick.” She lifts a hand to her mouth, and I release her, watching as she runs away from me and in the direction of the bathroom. I follow behind her and walk in to see her hunched over the toilet. Gently, I pull her hair back away from her face as she empties her stomach contents into the bowl.

  “Shhh, it’s okay.” I soothe, using my other hand to rub up and down her back.

  “It’s not okay,” she whispers, “none of this is okay.” Her body goes rigid.

  I’m tempted to tighten my hold on her hair a little bit, but I don’t want to hurt her. That’s the last thing I want. There will be time for the things I want later, but right now, Dove needs me. She needs my kindness.

  “It might not make sense, or be okay right now, but eventually, you’ll come to terms with it. Change is hard.”

  Pulling away, the silky strands of her hair fall through my fingers as she scurries back against the side of the tub. Wiping at her mouth with the back of her sleeve, she peers up at me with confusion.

  “I don’t understand. I don’t know why I’m here or why I’m important to you or what any of this is. I just want to go home. Please, let me go home.” Tears well in her eyes again, tugging at my heartstrings, but I banish the thoughts away.

  I am her home, forever, and for always.

  “This is your home now, and it will be so until I say otherwise. Now, when you’re ready, you can come out and join me for dinner.” I want to take her into my arms, hold her and make her forget about the fear but it’s too soon. Instead, I do the only thing I can. I put some distance between us because like the old saying goes: Distance makes the heart grow fonder.

  11

  Zane walks out of the bathroom, leaving me alone with my thoughts, All I can do is sag against the vanity.

  The things he knows about me are terrifying and completely unnatural. It’s not normal to know how someone takes their coffee when you have not spent any time with that person. Nothing is normal about any of this, how can he not see how crazy this is?

  I’m exhausted and afraid of what’s to come. He’s been watching me… and the things that he knows. I bite my lip to stifle a whimper. I have to get it together and try to escape this prison.

  Forcing myself to use the breathing techniques Sharon taught me, I back away from the ledge of fear and analyze the information I have. He’s not going to let me go, that much is obvious. It’s clear he has an obsession of some sort with me, but he doesn’t want to hurt me, or at least it seems that way right now.

  Hugging my knees to my chest, I do my damnedest to try and come up with a solution, a way out, but there isn’t one. There is nothing, and that leaves me feeling hopeless and ten times more afraid.

  “Dove.” He calls my name from a distance, and then I hear him moving around, his feet barely make any noise. A moment later, he appears in the doorway, still shirtless.

  “Dinner is ready.”

  Shit. How long have I been sitting here?

  Pushing myself up from the floor, I come to stand in front of him. A ghost of a smile appears on his lips before he turns around and walks out.

  I follow him through the apartment, watching the muscles of his back move with every step he takes. I’m so mesmerized by them that I don’t realize when we’ve made it to the dining room table until he stops abruptly, and I slam right into his back.

  He spins around and grabs me by the forearms to steady me. His touch is gentle, warm, and makes me feel weird. Like he shouldn’t be kind to me.

  “Sorry.”

  “Nothing to be sorry about,” he says, his voice softer now. “Sit down. You must be hungry.” Now that he’s mentioned it, yes, I’m starving. Though I’m not going to tell him that.

  Looking
at the table, I see that he’s already prepared two bowls of what looks to be some kind of hearty soup. Taking a seat, I let the savory smell invade my nose, causing my stomach to growl loudly.

  “All we have is canned goods right now, no meat and no fresh produce. I wanted to be here when you woke up. That’s why I didn’t leave to get it earlier. Since you’re up now and know where everything is, I’m going to make a quick supply run after we eat.”

  Bringing the spoon to my mouth, I pause. “You’re going to leave me here?”

  “Yes, there is no need to worry. You’ll be completely safe here. No one is getting in.”

  “Or out?”

  “No, you won’t be able to leave without me.” He confirms what I already knew before adding. “But that’s for your own protection.” Like it’s important, I know that or something.

  “You keep saying you’re trying to protect me, but you never say from who or what?”

  His eye twitches, and I swear I see the cold mask of indifference fall back over his face. “Let’s not talk about that now. You need to eat. I can hear your stomach from here.”

  Shoving the spoon into my mouth, I bite back a groan as the soup lands against my tongue. I don’t care if it’s canned soup it takes like heaven right now. In a matter of minutes, I have my entire bowl eaten. Zane eats slowly, watching each and every bite I take, like it’s the most entertaining thing in the world.

  “You’re staring at me.”

  Zane shrugs. “I like watching you.”

  I swallow down the witty come back, and instead, get up and take my stuff into the kitchen. Placing the dirty dishes in the sink, I lean against the counter, trying to figure out what I’m supposed to do now.

  Shoving out of the dining room chair, he walks into the kitchen, and my eyes gravitate toward him. I try not to look at his perfectly sculpted stomach, or each ab that’s on display and definitely not the deep V partially hidden by his low hanging shorts.

  “I’m going to clean this up, get dressed, and then leave. Do you need anything while I’m out?” he asks, and I swear I can hear the smirk in his voice.

  “No.” Staring down at the floor, I shake my head.

  “Are you sure? This might be the last time I’ll go out for a while. We need to lay low for the next few weeks.”

  What does that mean?

  “What am I supposed to do while you’re gone?”

  “Whatever you want. This is your home too. Watch some tv, read a book, or take a bath.” He tosses out suggestions like he didn’t just kidnap me and threaten people I care about.

  “Okay.” I move out of the kitchen as he cleans up. Slowly, I walk into the living room and sit down on the sectional. Sinking into the leather, I wish I could enjoy it, but I’m too tense. My stomach churns, and I press a hand to it to keep the nausea inside at bay. Zane walks into the bedroom, and a moment later, returns fully dressed.

  He stops directly in front of me and squats down, bringing us eye to eye. I try to avert my gaze, but trying to look anywhere else is impossible with him right in front of me. “I’m going to leave now. I’ll be back before you know it. Don’t do anything stupid while I’m gone. Please. I don’t want to have to threaten you again, or worse, follow through on my threat.”

  Chewing on my bottom lip, I nod. What the hell could I possibly do anyway?

  “Good.” He smiles and then leans forward, pressing a kiss to my forehead. His lips burn where they touch my skin, and something strange erupts inside me. It’s foreign and confusing, and I don’t understand it because, in a strange way, that simple gesture is comforting to me. At the same time, it’s sickening too because I shouldn’t feel anything close to comfort from this man. He’s my captor, not my roommate or friend.

  Leaving me sitting on the couch, he walks up the stairs and pauses at the top. Leaning forward, I curiously watch as the door opens, and he walks out. Not even a second later does the door close heavily behind him. As soon as I’m alone, my chest feels heavy. I’m trapped and alone. Complete quiet blankets the room. All I can hear is the swooshing of blood in my ears and my own soft breathing.

  Do something! My brain screams. He said it will be a while before he leaves again, so this might be my only chance.

  * * *

  I spend the next two hours looking for a way out of here while trying to find things I could possibly use as weapons. With each passing minute, my hope diminishes. My first thought was to get a weight from the gym, but of course, that was the only door that was locked. I beat my fists against the door for a while before giving up.

  The fork was pretty much the best protection I could find. The second thing I found was a lamp with a heavy bottom. Taking off the shade, I do a few trial swings with it. I can do this. My anxiety is through the roof. I’ve never hurt a person before, never punched someone, never drew blood, and now I’m about to try and take out a guy bigger than me with a lamp.

  A few minutes later, I hear the door at the top of the stairs open. Oh, god. With the lamp clamped tightly in my hand, I scurry across the room and hide next to the stairs. I flatten myself against the wall and say a silent prayer. My heart is pounding so loudly I fear he might hear it. Sweat forms against my palms as I adjust my grip while listening to him descend the steps.

  You can do this. It’s this or nothing.

  His body comes into view, and I see that his arms are full of grocery bags. Perfect. Shutting all rational thinking down, I move out of my hiding spot and swing the lamp at his head just as he turns in my direction.

  I catch him across the face instead of the back of the head like I had planned. The lamp smashing into the side of his face.

  Shit! My hands tremble as I drop the lamp to the floor at the same time, he drops the grocery bags. I take an instinctive step back when he lifts a hand to his face in slow motion. When he pulls his hand away, I see red on his fingers.

  Blood. He’s bleeding. My lungs burn, and I freeze. The look in his eyes is murderous, rooting me in place and turning the blood in my veins to ice. All I can think is, this is it, this is where he kills me. Where he beats me and ties me to the bed. Where I die a slow, painful death.

  “Fuck, I told you to be good.” He’s almost growling like an animal, his lip is curled as he takes a threatening step toward me.

  “Please.” I lift my hands to protect my face because I know what’s coming. I know he’s going to hurt me. Bracing for the pain, I grit my teeth and squeeze my eyes shut.

  Except the pain never comes. Instead, he tenderly grabs my hands and lowers them while gently nudging me backward. In that moment, fear roots me to the floor, and I’m not sure I could scream or run away even if I wanted to. When my back collides with the wall, the air in my lungs expels, and I know I’m trapped.

  I haven’t known my captor long, but I already know that with him, I’m always trapped. I look anywhere but at his face. I don’t want to see the cut or the bruise on his cheek. I’m not a violent person, and I hate that this situation has made me into someone I’m not.

  His hand comes out of nowhere, and I flinch as he pinches my chin between two fingers, forcing me to look into his eyes. Dark black pools of nothingness reflect back at me.

  If there is anything I’ve learned about Zane, it’s that he is unreadable. Like a lake, you can’t see the bottom, but you know there’s something there beneath the surface. Lurking in the dark, deep waters. You just aren’t sure what it is. That’s Zane.

  Releasing my chin, he drags his knuckles over my cheek before he cups it. The gesture is gentle, kind, and it confuses me. I’d expected his rage, his anger, fury, but kindness? No way.

  “It doesn’t matter what you do to me, Dove. I will never put my hands on you in any way to cause you harm. I will never hurt you.” He leans into me, so close that I can feel his hot breath on my lips.

  This strange heat blooms in my belly, and my gaze darts from his eyes and down to his full lips and back again. I’m riding a teeter-totter of emotions and toeing the
line between what is right and wrong. This is wrong, bad. I want to kiss him, to let him consume me, to taste his venom on my lips, but I don’t understand why. I’m terrified, but also curious. I shouldn’t let my captor kiss me or touch me, but a very strange part of me craves him.

  As if he can read my mind, his lips descend on mine. Lifting my hands, I rest them against his chest. Do I want to stop him? My brain says, push him away, but my heart tells me to hold him close. My entire body trembles at the gentle brush of his top lip over mine before his bottom lip caresses mine.

  Though the kiss is soft, nothing more than a whisper, the intensity of it steals the air from my lungs. It evokes an emotion from deep within that I haven’t felt for years.

  Safe. Protected.

  The smell of clean soap and the warmth of his body clings to me. My ribs are a cage, and my heart is a bird beating against it to break free.

  Gripping onto the fabric of his shirt, I want to tug him closer, and I’m tempted to, but before I can, he’s pulling away. He breaks the kiss and presses his forehead against mine while placing his hands on either side of my head against the wall.

  We’re both panting and out of breath. His chest rises and falls rapidly, like kissing me was running a mile uphill.

  Licking my lips, the coppery tang of blood lingers on my tongue. It’s both shocking and alluring. How can I like this? It’s wrong…

  “You’re everything, Dove. Everything. You have no idea the things I’ve done for you. The blood that’s covered my hands. The darkness I’ve endured, but that’s okay because now you’re mine. You’re here, and you’re mine, and it was all worth it in the end.”

  Everything he is telling me confuses me more. Blood? Darkness? Is he telling me he’s hurt people for me? I don’t want to know, don’t want to ask, but I know, eventually, I’ll have to because deep down, I need to know.

  “I’m going to put the groceries away and meet you in the bedroom. Take a shower, so we can get ready for bed.”