AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“As do I,” he says. “We’ll talk later.”
Once he’s gone, I inspect the room, but realize it’s as void as any hotel room. Sure, there’s furniture, but there’s nothing in the drawers or closet. The photos on the walls are generic—landscapes and fields, and the color scheme is a combo of beige, brown, and olive green. It’s nice but definitely feels cold.
In the bathroom, I reach into the shower and turn the water on hot, letting it warm up while I step out of my dress and gather a washcloth and towel from the closet nearby. There’s unopened body wash, shampoo, and conditioner waiting for me inside the shower, and I wonder how many overnight guests he usually has.
I take my time washing my hair and body, and when I emerge from the steam-engulfed shower, I step onto the mat and dry myself off before wrapping the towel around my body. It’s a normal-sized one, so the slit shows my thigh plus a little more even after it’s secured around me.
A bottle of lotion sits near the sink, so I pump a few squirts into my hand and moisturize my skin before searching the drawers for a brush. I only find a comb, but it’s better than nothing. My hair is quite thick and naturally curly, so it’s gonna take a little longer than usual. I just hope I don’t break all the teeth. I start from the ends and work my way up. Once it’s tangle-free, I gather it at the top of my head and twist my long strands around, curling them into a tight rope before making a bun and tucking the ends underneath to secure it in place.
In a drawer to the right, there’s packaged toothbrushes and travel-sized toothpaste that I’ll put to use later after I go down and find a late night snack.
I open the door to the bedroom, peeking out to make sure nobody is inside, and I spot a pile of folded clothes on the bed waiting for me.
It’s an extra-large T-shirt and a pair of men’s pajama pants. The drawstring allows me to tighten it around my waist, but it definitely drags under my feet, making me have to pull them up as I walk.
The house is quiet. I glance at an alarm clock on the nightstand and see that it’s just after three in the morning. If I wasn’t so hungry, I’d climb into bed so I could pretend this entire day didn’t happen, but my stomach rumbles painfully.
I pull open the door slowly, peeking into the hall, but as I suspected, there’s nobody around. I creep down the hall, following the warm glow from the kitchen. I inspect the oven, noting the six burners separated by a double griddle. It has a steam and convection oven with a warming drawer. I’ve looked into different kitchen appliances as I dreamt of my future as a word class chef. This is definitely a twenty thousand dollar range.
I want to cook on this thing so bad, but I won’t. Instead, I go to the double panel fridge, opening it up to see it stocked full and neatly organized. I look for something simple, choosing to grab some deli meats and cheese to make a sandwich. It takes me opening several cabinets before I find the pantry. Though, it’s basically another walk-in closet.
When I emerge from the tiny grocery store he has in his kitchen, I have a loaf of bread in one hand and a couple of cookies I snatched from a jar in another.
Vicente is leaning against the counter wearing a black tee and a pair of drawstring pajama pants that match mine.
“Oh,” I say, startled at his sudden appearance, jumping slightly. “I thought you were asleep.”
“I hardly sleep.” He gestures at my ingredients at the table. “I see you’re making yourself at home.”
“I’m just hungry. I’ll clean up once I’m done.”
I think he’ll turn and leave me to eat in peace, but he doesn’t. He continues to watch my every move. I try to ignore him as I open up everything I need, but then I realize I don’t have a plate. After watching me open three different cabinets, he finally makes his way around and opens the correct one, handing me a plate.
“Thanks,” I murmur.
It isn’t until I’ve made the sandwich and put everything away that he speaks again.
“Reynaldo will be the one staying with you. He’ll be here in the morning before you head back home. Tell your friends he’s there because of the men you’ve had following you but remember he’s there as my ears and eyes. If he overhears you saying anything to your friends about what happened, he’s to immediately bring you to me and I’ll be forced to get rid of you myself. You understand?”
My face contorts into one of repulsion. “How can you say something like that as if it’s normal? Especially after what we did…” I trail off, not wanting to sound like we had a deep meaningful relationship, but still, if you make someone orgasm you’d think you’d hesitate on wanting to kill them. Maybe that’s just me.
He shifts on his feet, his hands sliding into the pockets of his pants. “This is normal to me, Mariella. That’s what you need to understand. I know nothing else. You can look at me like I’m a monster, but sometimes it takes being one in order to not become the prey. You’re not gonna find me with stalkers, because I will rid the earth of them before they can even learn what color shoes I’m wearing. You, on the other hand, will always be the prey because you’re too afraid to become what you need to be.”
“You don’t know shit about me,” I bite back. “I’m sorry I’m not readily willing to become a murderer.” I whisper the last word, my eyes darting around to see if any of his staff is around.
He smirks. “See? You condemn me for being so immoral, and yet, you’re too afraid to call me out with confidence. You whisper the word murderer like you don’t want me to be caught. Isn’t that strange?” he asks, cocking his head. “Yell it, Mariella. Scream at the top of your lungs that I’m a murderer.”
I shake my head once. “No.”
“Why? Afraid?”
The truth is yes I am, but of what? Of him? Of what the staff may do if I announce it? Will they call the cops? Isn’t that what I want?
“You know what you are,” I say.
“That’s where we differ. I know who I am and I’m comfortable with the truth, no matter how ugly. You don’t know almost anything about yourself.”
I scoff, snatching my plate off the counter and turning to leave. “Fucking asshole,” I mutter as I make my way toward the stairs.
