Billionaire's Captive Complete Trilogy - Stasia Black Page 0,9

scrub a hand down my face. This is not a freaking horror movie. I’m just being silly and letting myself get freaked out. There are people around everywhere and the security at a party like this has to be insane.

No one would try anything while we were in a public place and literally all I’d have to do is scream. I mean, the party is being thrown by Cora Ubeli and her husband was supposed to be a big bad mob boss—and that’s not even taking into account the rumors about Mrs. Ubeli herself.

No one’s dumb enough to try to screw with any of the Ubeli’s guests.

I blink hard to reorient myself, then turn right at the fork and head further into the labyrinth. Chill bumps race down my arms, both from the cold night air and the dark night. And I do really want to know who’s been sending the roses all these years. It’s never felt like someone malicious.

Strings of lights are woven into the hedges here and there, along with the occasional standing sconce, but it’s only barely enough to see where I’m going.

So pretty. I sigh and trace my fingertips along the lights.

Pretty lights in the dark night. Haha! I trip again.

Whoops! I barely catch myself and frown down at the mist covering the ground.

Well, that’s why I’m tripping. I can barely see my feet. Ooh look, another fork in the path. Another right turn. More twinkly lights.

But the lights seem to blink in and out, and for a second I can’t make out anything at all. The mist is especially heavy here for some reason, like someone’s blown a fog machine over the garden.

“Hello?” I call out, waving a hand uselessly at the mist to try to see.

I blink hard and take another step down the path. My step stumbles though and the path spins crazily.

Whoa, I don’t feel so good. I blink again and reach out for balance. My hand brushes against shrubbery but I can’t get a good grip and stumble again.

Shit. When was the last time I ate? I have a bad habit of working through meals and today I don’t think I even grabbed anything from the snack machines, I was so anxious about the newest round of experiments.

And then there was the champagne… The world slants sideways for a moment, mists and hedges and ground all becoming distorted in front of me like a funhouse mirror.

What the—?

I stumble forward and finally make it all the way down the path.

It’s a dead end.

There’s no one waiting for me.

I frown and grab my dizzy head. Is this all some joke? Someone’s funny idea of screwing with me? Or did I take a wrong turn and not realize it? I’m really not feeling so good.

I hold a hand out to the sculpted branches of the box hedge for balance. I really need to get back to the party. Have to— Have to eat something before I pass out.

I turn around to head back—

And scream.

In front of me, blocking the path back into the rest of the maze, is a monster. Huge. Horns sticking out of his head. A freaking demon monster! Heading through the mists towards me.

I scream and stumble backwards into the hedge. Dark-leafed branches scratch at me.

“You’re hallucinating,” I whisper frantically to myself. “Someone spiked the punch.” I’ve heard of that happening before. People spiking punch with party drugs so that parties turn into, like, orgies. And whatever they put in this time is hitting me way, way wrong.

The scary demon monster takes another step towards me.

I whimper, blinking over and over as it comes in and out of focus, swathed in mist.

Not real. He isn’t real.

But he sure as hell looks real, all six massive feet of him. Chest like a champion wrestler with huge, oversized muscles, barely constrained by a dress shirt, no jacket.

As he comes closer, dark eyes glare down at me from a bronzed demon face. He’s a— A monster.

“What do you want from me?” I whisper, fear cinching my chest tight. I should scream. I need to scream people so can come help me. But my vocal cords are frozen like my legs.

He grins and I frown. Wait, his mouth, it’s different. I blink repeatedly. Is he— Is he wearing a mask?

“What do I want from you?” His voice is a low, brutal growl. “Everything, little girl.”

Oh shit. Run. I need to run.

But he’s backed me into a corner. There’s nowhere to go where he won’t