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“But—”
“Go.” He waves him away.
“Dismissed with the ol’ flick of a finger. A classic choice.”
“Wolfson.”
“I know, I know. I can’t resist pushing your buttons and snapping your snaps. It’s what I do.” With a glance in my direction, a warning look, he leaves the room.
A minute later, the front door shuts, ripping another shiver through me.
“Can I get you anything?” Denver regards me with predatory stillness, his piercing gray eyes taking everything in, not missing a damn thing.
“Answers.” My voice quivers. “Why am I here? Why did you kidnap me?”
“Ah. Still wrapping yourself around that axle?”
“It’s a fair question.”
“With a complex answer.” His smile softens, but a chill lingers around the edges. “Life has a way of weaving intricate patterns, and sometimes, our roles in those patterns aren’t immediately clear.”
I clench my teeth, unable to find a kernel of meaning in his cryptic words. “Whatever role you expect me to play, I decline.”
“It’s too late for that. I know you didn’t want this. Neither did I. But here we are, both players in a grand design.” He leans back in his chair, steepling his fingers beneath his chin. “The choices we make, the paths we walk—they all contribute to a greater fate.”
“Why?” I struggle to wrap my head around his philosophical musings. “Why me?”
His alluring smile widens, masking dark things. “You possess a certain quality, a unique essence. You’re unlike anyone I’ve ever encountered.”
“And what exactly is it about me that’s so special?”
“Your spirit, your resilience, your adaptability, your size—it’s as if you hold a mirror to my own desires and aspirations. We are kindred souls, you and I.”
“You’re saying we’re connected somehow?” My heart races even faster as fear swirls through my bloodstream. “That’s why you brought me here?”
“Yes.” He nods slowly, his gaze unwavering. “You’re a key piece in this intricate plan.”
“A pawn, you mean?”
“I already told you. You’re no longer a mere pawn. You’re a player, and the stage is set for a performance you can’t escape.”
“Poetry at its finest.”
“The truth must dazzle gradually. Or every man be blind.” He inclines his head. “That, my girl, is Emily Dickinson. Poetry at its finest.”
He’s insane. Diabolical. The more he talks, the less I understand. Maybe that’s the point. If he wants me to be confused and afraid, mission accomplished.
Nothing is more terrifying than the thought of my fate irrevocably entwined with him.
“What’s the plan?” I push down the dread that pulses through me and force myself to hold his gaze. “What happens next?”
“Our actions, our choices, will shape what comes next.” His smile, that amalgam of magnetism and corruption, resurfaces. “The end of our performance remains unwritten. A performance that, I have no doubt, will leave us breathless. But how it ends is entirely up to you.”
Garbage. He’s spewing actual garbage from those deranged, chiseled lips.
I huddle into the blankets, my breath shallow. The weight of helplessness suffocates me, and I wonder if there’s any chance of survival. “Why are you doing this? What do you want from me?”
“People reveal themselves through actions, not words.”
“What actions?”
“You’ll play a crucial part in restoring the balance that has been disrupted.”
“That’s funny. Your sons tell me I upset the balance.”
“Kodiak.”
“What?”
“My soulful, broody son.” His lips spread, revealing teeth that gleam like ivory knives. “He’s the one who said you upset the balance.”
Fuck. Did I give something away? I suck at this. Of course, I do. I’m not versed in playing games with a madman.
“What happened to Kody’s back?”
“He hasn’t told you? I guess I’m not surprised. But he will eventually.” He intertwines his fingers on his lap. “Leo is more forthcoming with you now. You two have become quite close.”
Have we? How does he know? Oh God, does he know what we did in the workshop? Did Leo tell him?
“Why do you say that?” I fight to keep my expression neutral, to not reveal the full extent of the terror coursing through my veins.
“I smelled your cunt on his face.”
“What?” The stench of my horror permeates the air.
“Don’t look so appalled. It was only a matter of time. My boys are irresistible.”
“Is that what you told Gretchen after she raped Leo? He was just a child!”
“I have regrets. Gretchen’s behavior is one of them.” His gaze turns pensive, as if considering his words carefully. “There’s a certain map of events that needs mending. Threads have been pulled and woven in ways that have led us to this moment. As for what comes next, it will require your cooperation, your willingness to see beyond the immediate circumstances.”
“Be specific.”
“Patience. All will become clear in due time.”
“Will I ever be free, Denver?”
“You already are. You only need to open your eyes to see it.”
A cold sweat forms at the base of my spine. “You’re a twisted, mentally ill monster.”
“Call me what you will. I don’t care.”
