He hums, “I see.” He looks past me and to the laptop sitting on the desk. I love this little office he made for me. It’s so cute with all the book nerd touches, and the large window gives me more sunlight than I’d ever get in the bedroom.
“I think maybe a short break would be nice. We could go get you more flowers.” I look up at him with surprise.
“Would you like that, kitten?” he asks.
“Yes, Anthony.” I nearly crawl up his body with the need to press my lips to his. But I’m an obedient pet. I keep my hands planted firmly on my thighs and wait for his direction.
“Do you think you’re ready to go out?” he asks.
I nod my head. I’m never been outside of these locked rooms. The only exception was that one night. The night I gave myself to him completely. I crave a different environment. A voice deep inside me tells me I can run; I just need one chance. But it’s such a small voice, I barely hear it.
“Come, kitten. I think you need a break.” My brow furrows with confusion at first and then I realize he meant I need a break from work. He holds his hand out for me and I take it instantly.
He chuckles as he reads the writing on my tank top. It’s a racerback that hangs just past my ass and is almost as long as my yellow shorts. The top reads, Book lovers never go to bed alone.
I give him a small smile and walk with him as he presses the keys to unlock the door. I know not to look even though he doesn’t try to hide the code from me.
It’s cold and dark and empty down here. Only a florescent light is above us. It looks so dungeonlike compared to my room. I stay behind him as we walk up the stairs and he presses in keys to another lock. He doesn’t give me the chance to look, but I don’t mind. I just make a note of it. I’m not sure why though.
My eyes wince as he opens the door and leads me into an open-concept first floor. I take a look around in wonder as if seeing Anthony for the first time in a new light. I don’t remember this room when I was out before.
There’s a large slate fireplace with a flat-screen television above it. Everything is modern with dark accents and clean lines. It’s orderly and nearly barren of any character at all. For some reason it makes me sad. His bedroom was like this, too.
“There’s a farm stand down the street,” he says as he leads me through the hall without giving me a moment to look around. There are stairs to the right, next to the front door and a hallway that looks like a dead end. That’s where he took me. A smile spreads on my face as I remember.
He opens the door and keeps my hand in his. I’m surprised to see that his home isn’t in the middle of nowhere. It’s just a normal house, in a homey cul-de-sac. There are two kids riding bikes to our right, and a third playing with chalk on the sidewalk. Anthony walks to the left and leads me past the houses to a busier street. The sounds of kids playing and a car passing me by seem odd, but comforting. Out in the cabin, I never had this. I like it. It’s different.
It doesn’t fit with how I pictured Anthony would live though.
“You look surprised, kitten,” he says without looking at me. He knew I’d be surprised. He does this often. He says things or asks questions when he already knows what my response will be. He thinks I haven’t caught on, but I have. He needs it though. And I’m happy to give it to him.
“I am,” I answer honestly.
“Monsters don’t live in the dark; they hide in plain sight.” His response makes my heart twist in my hollow chest.
“You’re not a monster.” I spit out the words and look away. I can feel his eyes on me as we stand at the stop sign and a car drives through the intersection. He tugs my hand and we walk to the front of the development and to the right. I can see the stand ahead. It’s a shabby-looking shack that’s probably been there before the development was built.
“I don’t understand.” I can’t help that the words fly out of my mouth.
“What’s that?” Cars fly by us but the breeze still feels fresh against my skin.
“Why do you think you’re a monster?” I ask him. Ever since he told me about his mother, I’ve thought he was broken, but never a monster. He’s just missing a piece of his heart. I ache to fill that hole for him.
“Many people have died because of me, kitten. That makes me a monster in a normal person’s eyes.” I know he’s including his mother in that statement. And I hate that.
I stay quiet as we walk closer to the empty stand. There’s an old man sitting behind a wooden counter in the shack. Baskets of produce are on the ground, but the flowers are on the counter.
“What are you thinking?” he asks as he lifts a bouquet of purple and pink flowers to my nose. I inhale deeply and close my eyes.
I shake my head at his question and take the flowers from him with a smile. I whisper close to him so the old man doesn’t hear, “I don’t think you’re a monster.” My fingers play with the tiny soft petals, but I’m careful not to break them.
He looks down at me while he digs in his pocket for his wallet. “You did at one point, kitten; you were right about me then.”
Anthony
I’m so fucking tired. I haven’t slept in I don’t know how many hours. I drag my hand over my face. Fuck, that hit was brutal. It was a former Cassano who double-crossed Marcus. The Don, Marcus Cassano, wanted him to suffer, but I wasn’t prepared for that shit. It was a struggle to get him to say a damn word and when he did, it left me frozen with panic.
“Cassanos are coming for you.” His dark eyes stare back at me as blood drips from his mouth. The bruises are already starting to show as he wobbles in the chair he’s chained down to. Even with all the pain we’ve inflicted, he laughs at me as I stare back with anger.
He looked right at me and I knew why. Tommy smashed his fist into the dumb fucker’s face. Too hard and too fast though. That’s the only info we got from him.
Tommy kept asking me what I thought he meant. I couldn’t even look him in the eyes as I lied to him, and told him I had no idea. They want her back. They want her dead. My time’s up.
I push the door open to the house and then kick it shut. That didn’t go as planned. My eyes fly to the backroom, to where the stairs are to the basement. If I’d die, she’d be in there alone for three days until the door would unlock and let her out. I need to change that shit. She wouldn’t be okay for that long. She’d be hurting and hungry. I decide on twenty-four hours, tops. And then all her doors are opening.
I head to my bedroom and go right to the monitors so I can change that shit now. It’s done within two minutes and I find myself staring at her sleeping form on the bed. She’s got a book in her hands still. I squint at the screen, but I don’t recognize which one it is. That stack of books on her nightstand has been there for a week. I don’t remember what books I got her though. It’s rare that she’s got a paperback. She’s usually on her Kindle whenever I check on her. I’m glad she found something that I picked out for her. Well, she fell asleep, so maybe she didn’t like it all that much. A lazy smile kicks my lips up.
She should be waking up soon and getting ready for me. Waiting for me. I don’t give a fuck that I’m worn out. I’m not making her wait. Not today. Not ever again if I can help it.