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Our captor chuckles darkly and asks me, “Ah, Alana. I see you’ve recognized our guest.”
I try to rush to Andreas’ side, but the man standing next to me snaps his hand out and grabs the links cuffing my hands together, “Not yet, my dear. See, I’ve realized that Andreas here has really thrown a fucking wrench in my plans,” he says, and I feel the heat of his anger for the first time. “I wanted you both to see who I am, and I wanted to make sure you understood Andreas was no longer an option.”
I feel the blood drain from my face as he mentions getting rid of Andreas. “What do you mean no longer an option?” I ask, and I can feel a lump forming in my throat.
The man stands with an unsettling calmness as he cavalierly discusses upcoming murder like he’s discussing the weather. “We can’t let Andreas exist in a world where our love is successful, Alana. That will never work. None of this had to happen, but Mr. Rivera over here couldn’t keep his fucking hands to himself.”
“Please don’t hurt him. I’ll do whatever you want. Please…” my voice trails off as I watch the man’s hand slide up to the white mask. I feel my eyes widen as he removes it, and I see his face for the first time.
I whisper, my voice shaking. “Oh my God…”
50
Chapter Fifty
Andreas
Cold metal of the chain holding my wrists rattles and clangs while I try to free myself. The urge to stand, rush across the garage, and save Alana from the fucking madman who took us is strong, but the shackles don’t give way. The dim light of the garage casts eerie shadows across her face, but she looks seemingly unharmed, considering the circumstances.
I watch her as the recognition of who I am crosses her face. “Andreas?” she calls out for me before trying to cross the garage. I feel fury course through me as the man to her right jerks her by the chain that connects her hands and tells her he has to get rid of me for them to be together.
I keep my mouth shut for the time being because I don’t want to do anything to cause him to act rashly and end my life sooner than he intends. He stands there with a sinister stillness, and a chill races down my spine. In slow motion, I watch as his hand reaches for the white mask. As the mask hits the floor, my mind races through a blur of memories trying to connect the dots. And then it hits me like a sledgehammer. An icy shock of recognition courses through my blood as I stare into the eyes of the man responsible for our nightmare. It was a face I’ve seen before and recently.
“Oh my God, it can’t be…” Alana utters through tears that have fallen down her cheeks.
Confusion swirls around in my brain. I don’t recognize the fairly handsome brown-haired man standing in front of me. My eyes flash toward Alana, and I see she recognizes him.
Her voice catches in her throat and only a strangled whisper comes out. “It’s you… You’re a regular at the bar. I’ve served you while you worked on your laptop.”
Her revelation hangs in the air like a curse, a horrifying connection that binds the three of us in a web of terror.
* * *
HIM
My mind churns with a sinister intensity as I observe Andreas, bound and vulnerable in the dimly lit garage. The realization that both Alana and Andreas know my true identity sends a titillating shiver down my spine. The control that I currently have over the two is intense, and I feel drunk from the scenario I’ve created.
My face betrays no emotion, easily hiding the turmoil within while I weigh all of my options in my head. Should I silence him, once and for all? Or use him as leverage to ensure Alana’s compliance? I ponder as I play with the metal holding Alana’s hands together. Now that she’s close to me, I never want to let her go. Especially now that she knows who I am and how close I’ve been to her this entire time. It’s a heady feeling, and I can tell I’m getting addicted.
The sound of Alana’s trembling voice snaps me out of my thoughts. “Please, just let us go. We won’t tell anyone.”
I briefly consider her words, but choose to ignore her for the time being. I jerk her body closer to mine and continue to think about the elephant in the room. Using Andreas as leverage could provide me with a stronger hold over Alana, but there are risks involved. What if Andreas manages to escape or alert someone? It could all unravel.
But if I dispose of him now, it could send Alana into a state of despair. She might become more difficult to control, I reason with myself. My eyes dart between Andreas and Alana. The pressure is mounting, and I need to make a decision soon. Alana speaks again, only this time a sob wracks her body.
“We won’t say a word. Please, just don’t hurt him.”
I feel a dark satisfaction wash over me as I realize the fear I’ve instilled in them both. I lean closer to Andreas and put every ounce of contempt and malice in my body into my words. “Your fate, my dear Andreas, lies in your ability to make Alana cooperate. Prove useful to me, and perhaps, just perhaps, you’ll both make it out of this alive.”
Andreas swallows hard, and he locks eyes with me. I can see the fear and desperation in his eyes, but I also detect a flicker of defiance. Good. I want him to know that he’s in my grasp and that I have the power to end his fucking life at any moment. I release Alana from my grip and take a step back, giving Andreas some space to consider his options.
He clears his throat before speaking, and I can sense the fear in his voice. “What do you want from me?”
I smile at him, relishing because he’s completely at my mercy.
“Oh, I want a lot of things, Andreas. But for now, all I want is your complete obedience. Alana is mine now. But I don’t think she’ll be consolable if I kill you, so I’ll keep you around like our lost little Labrador, and you can live in the garage to give her purpose.”
To drive home my point, I walk toward him and kick him in the ribs as hard as I can. The meaty sound echoes off the walls, and Alana cries harder. Andreas groans, then looks at Alana, who’s now trembling uncontrollably, and then back at me. “Fine, I’ll behave.”
