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After all, what he put me through—he owes me.
“You need to eat, love.” The sound of James’ soft voice interrupts my more violent thoughts, and I glance up to see him staring at Alice. I know she’s been starving herself. I noticed way before James did, but I wanted to see how far she was going to go.
Most people panic when they start to face their own mortality. Their self-preservation kicks in. Instead, she pushed herself to the point of true starvation, and it wouldn’t have been much longer before her body succumbed. I’m impressed by her, yet oddly disappointed only because it would have been interesting to watch.
I have no regrets, though. Playing with her will be a lot more fun, and the house could use a bit of fun these days.
Alice says nothing, but she does look up and meet my gaze, and James follows suit. I smirk at him when his eyes narrow, and I lift my hand. ‘Daddy,’ I spell.
Not a letter of that word is a lie. He’s a natural caretaker, and even I appreciate it on my darker days when old memories threaten to choke me. It’ll be amusing to watch as Kane, Phoenix, and I all pull Alice to pieces and James puts her back together.
How long before she cracks?
Or…is she already shattered and glued back together?
I watch as Alice tears into one of the bread rolls and sops up broth, eating it delicately with her fingers.
It’s nice to be able to see her like this, without screens separating us. I pick up little details that we missed on the shoddy monitors—like how her fingernails are short and square-shaped and neatly manicured. Or how she’s got scars on her wrists like she’s broken out of bindings before.
She also doesn’t make noise at all, which I know is going to drive Phoenix up the wall, but I don’t think it’s on purpose. There were years we didn’t have access to her the way we did once Guido let her out of the walls of her home or boarding school, and I’m beginning to think the pretty little princess has training.
And won’t that be interesting to test.
I turn my gaze to Kane. ‘What now?’
Kane interprets for me aloud, which is annoying because the question was for him.
Slapping my hand on the table, I glare. ‘If she wants to know what I’m saying, she can learn just like everyone else.’
He gives me a long, considering look, then turns his gaze to Alice. “There are books in the library, and I’m sure Ari will show you videos online where you can learn ASL since he seems so very keen for you to understand him.”
I bare my teeth, but mostly because he’s not wrong. Oh, there’s something delicious about when my victims are tied down in my playroom and have no clue what’s happening to them. I love nothing more than giving them an order that could save their life, knowing they’ll fail because they don’t understand me.
It’s what little power I have over them after the way Guido robbed me.
I meet Alice’s gaze after a beat, and then I shrug, and she flushes prettily—dark and ruddy over the apples of her cheeks.
After what feels like an eternal standoff, she lets out a small breath. “Thank you.”
Mm.Interesting.
I stare at her a little longer, trying to see hints of the man who destroyed my ability to speak and tried to end my life, but I can’t find any sign that she’s like him. None of that is really a surprise. We’ve watched her long enough to know she’s just as much his victim as we were, but I was expecting more.
The soup is whisked away a few minutes later, and I barely pay attention to whoever Kane has serving them. A plate of roasted chicken drops in front of Kane, and I watch him pick at it as I catch his attention. ‘DNA test?’
He doesn’t look surprised that we know, and it’s obvious he’s not going to interpret that. ‘Tonight.’
I’m eager to see the results, and that makes my appetite perk up. I can tell Alice is uncomfortable with all the silence, but no one makes a move to remedy that. Instead, they all eat, and I revel in the anxiety trembling around the room.
* * *
I’m fairlysure Kane takes whatever material he needs for Alice while I’m upstairs because when I come back down, she’s in the parlor alone, hugging her body, staring across the dark courtyard. She looks confused and shaken, and I’m not sure if I want to poke at her and make it worse or go soft and seduce her into my bed.
Both are appealing.
I make sure my shoes are loud on the carpet since I can’t announce my presence, and even clearing my throat isn’t very loud, thanks to my ruined vocal cords. Alice stiffens when she hears me, but she doesn’t move from her position.
I slide in close, breathing in deeply and taking in the scent of lavender from her bath, and then I pull my phone out of my pocket and type on the screen. I only ever have to do this when Kane sends me on errands, and while it usually annoys me, I’m in too good a mood right now.
