Page 31 of Madness

He really was beautiful. It was unfair to mankind. People’s insides should match their outsides. Someone like him shouldn’t be beautiful.

But that was how it worked in the animal kingdom. The most deadly animals drew the most attention. Like poisonous frogs. Or large cats. It made you want to come closer. That’s what Maddox was doing to me. I could feel him drawing me into his cage again.

“Why am I here?” I snapped, trying to put distance between us.

His smile fell immediately. His face hardened once again. I regretted my decision to be rude. My stomach tightened, in fear, of course.

“Eat.” He slammed his glass back on the table, making me jump when the dishes rattled.

I glanced down at the food on my plate. It was some kind of pasta dish with seafood and a red sauce. It smelled amazing. My stomach grumbled loudly.

I couldn’t remember the last time I’d had a full meal. Even longer since I had something I didn’t make. Something that looked and smelled…expensive. I lived on peanut butter and ramen.

Tears pricked my eyes as I looked at the plate. I hated to cry in front of people. But my nerves were on edge. Maddox drove me to the edge. I hated him. Hated his blood money. Hated that I would take it. Hated that I felt like I had no choices.

“Kincaid.” If I thought I would find comfort in him, I was wrong. His voice was as dead as he was. “I won’t ask you again. If you don’t pick up that fork and start eating, I’ll tie you down and feed you myself.”

Anger dried my tears as my head whipped to him. “You wouldn’t?”

“I would.” He gave me that sadistic smile again. “Only I’d strip you naked first.”

“You’re sick.”

“If I am, so are you.” His hand reached, shoving roughly between my thighs. Only wearing his shirt, there was nothing to stop him from brushing his fingers along my panty-clad center. “Because that threat soaked your panties. You want me to tie you up. To deliver some pain.”

“No.” He chuckled darkly at my protest. It had none of his earlier softness.

Electricity seemed to arc in the air around us as he watched my face. His fingers brushed up and down, teasing, as I tried not to react.

But I wanted to. I wanted to snap my legs together, trap him there. Lift my hips and lean into his touch. He was right; I was just as sick as him.

He pulled his fingers back, and I stopped myself from moaning at the loss of his touch. He brought them to his nose and inhaled deeply. As if he loved the smell of me as if he was savoring it. I should be disgusted. Instead, my pussy clenched.

“Eat, little dove.” He picked up his fork and started to eat as he waited for me.

“Why do you care?” I asked as I stared down at the delicious meal.

Why was I fighting so hard? It was like I wanted him to punish me. Like I wanted to push him. Sick.

“You’re starving, and I won’t have you breaking because of it.” I looked into those dead eyes, searching for an explanation. “When you do break, it’ll be because of what I’ve done to you. Not anything else. Only me.”

Sick. There was no other way to describe this. He was sick. And I was sick because I actually thought it sounded like he cared about me. In his own twisted way, of course.

I picked up my fork, bringing the first bite to my mouth. It was just as delicious as it looked. Salty and spicy. I moaned as I went back for more. I was going to eat this whole plate, and I wouldn’t be ashamed of it. It would probably be the only good thing of the night. I moaned again as I took a bite of the garlic bread that was served with it.

It was only when Maddox made a low groan that I looked at him. He was watching me as I ate. His eyes tracking my lips as my tongue came out to lick a drop of sauce off the corner. I watched as he shifted in his seat as if he was getting hard from this. Suddenly my throat was dry. I picked up the glass of water. I took small sips as I tried to figure out what was going on.

Every interaction with him was weirder than the last one. More intense. Darker. Obsessive. I had no idea what would happen next. It shouldn’t be thrilling. But for a sheltered girl like me, it was.

I wanted to know more about him. It was a mistake. I couldn’t help it. If I was going to sit here, if he was going to force his company on me, then I wanted to fulfill some of my curiosity.

“So I assume, based on the house, the staff, and the guards, that you’re not just a grunt in the Mafia.”

“No.” He continued to watch me eat.

“What are you then?” I asked.

“I’m acaporegime.” He grabbed his glass as he sat back to answer me. “I have roughly two thousand men I’m in charge of.”