Page 69 of Psycho Sinners

She didn’t even know it, but she was going to be mine. I’d stop at nothing now to break her, to claim her.

As soon as that blade had plunged into me, I knew I wanted her. She was not weak, she was chaos in such a beautiful form, a woman men would one day fear.

My woman.

My lip curled as I cocked my head at her.

Such a beautiful little flame, one that refused to be snuffed out. I was beating her down, taking her as I saw fit, reminding her of her place here.

The tightness returned in my chest, an unease unfamiliar to me. It niggled at me too often, especially when I took her against her will, forced myself upon her.

Was it some bizarre remorse? Guilt? I’d not felt those things for as long as I could remember, even when I’d made men scream and beg for their lives as I plucked their eyes from their skull or fed them their own balls for defying our family.

Was Scarlet making me feel things? Things that made me more human? Just who was this woman? Our files on her were depressing, but not unusual for wild women. Problematic parents, a rough childhood.

Whatever it was, the damn little minx had me entranced, fascinated by her fiery spirit.

And she was going to be mine, one way or another.

23

SCARLET

Iawoke with a start, my heart pounding in my chest, sensing a presence that didn't belong. Kenny's warmth from the night before was gone, so he'd abandoned me. I rolled over, my heart lurching into my throat as my gaze landed on Cristian. He sat at the desk in my room, staring at me with an unsettling intensity as he drummed his fingers on the mahogany wood.

"What the fuck are you doing in here? How long have you been here?" I snarled, clutching the sheets tighter around my body. How long had the crazy fucker been watching me sleep?

A chill swept through me as another thought hit. How many times had he watched me sleep? I swallowed, wishing I hadn't thought of it, the idea making my skin crawl.

His face hardened, the playful glint in his eyes extinguishing as he leaned forward. "Why didn't you kill me?" he asked, his voice low and gravelly as those dark eyes devoured me.

There was something in them, a strange curiosity and something else I couldn't quite put my finger on. The air in the room felt electrified now as we stared at one another.

Why hadn't I? Was it because of his pain? Or some stupid part of me that had been somewhat sympathetic to this madman? I'd never forgive him for what he'd done to me, but a twisted part of me was slightly understanding. Besides, it was clear there was something wrong in his head. Maybe he'd been dropped as a baby after all, who knew?

I scoffed, trying to mask my unease. "I've only got a few weeks left before I'm free. Killing you would have me hunted down like a dog. Not to mention I wouldn't even be able to get out of here. Can you imagine your brothers coming home and finding me with your body? I'd get torn apart," I muttered. Unless he had his keycard on him, then I could steal it and run. But getting past security wouldn't be a walk in the part, and having a target on my back from the mafia was not something I wanted.

Cristian studied me intently, as if my answer wasn't good enough. But after a tense moment, he rose from the chair. "Julian has cooked. You're to join us."

I narrowed my eyes, my heart only now beginning to ease up. "Is that an order?"

His lips curved into a humorless smile. "Everything here is an order. You disobey, there will be punishments." The unspoken threat hung heavy in the air.

With no other choice, I slid out of bed and followed him downstairs to the dining area.

Whatever Julian had cooked, it smelled amazing, the aroma of fresh bacon wafting through the air before I even made it down the stairs fully.

"Hope you guys are hungry, I made eggs benedict," Julian stated, and my stomach grumbled. It was a classic favorite of mine, and I followed after Cristian as he sat down at the table, watching as Julian moved around the kitchen.

Kenny was seated by the kitchen island, watching his owner bustle around while his tail flicked. As I moved to sit down, Cristian gave me a pointed look. Ignoring it, I sat across from him, not wanting to be closer to him than necessary.

Julian set down plates for the three of us, and I arched a brow at him.

"I didn't realize you could cook so well," I admitted as I surveyed the delicious looking breakfast before me.

"I'm not only good at killing, pyro," Julian said with a wink, wiping the small smile from my face. Of course he had to remind me of his darker side right now when I was trying to compliment him.

I enjoyed the eggs benedict in front of me, trying to avoid Julian's lingering gaze. His eyes kept darting to the bandages wrapped around my arms, focusing on the new one, a reminder of Cristian's cruelty the night before.