Ruin (Rhodes #1) - Rina Kent Page 0,32
say.
In a single leap, a dozen of my Dobermans jumps the animal, fangs sinking into its fur. They ready to rip out chunks of meat when a loud shot rings in the air.
“Halt!” Dylan shouts from a distance, and the Dobermans retreat back. He clicks his rifle again, and with another shot ends the trembling deer’s misery.
My left eye twitches. The bastard ruined my fun.
‘So you’re considering the idea,’ Aunt and Father say at the same time.
Yes, demons. It’s a tempting one.
. . . . .
The solace of the grey darkness allays my thoughts as I walk the dungeons’ corridors. The supplies and food I’m carrying should keep Mae alive.
Will I find her crying?
The first crack to her unavoidable decimation will be a mesmerising view. If I let the hounds or the jaguars shred her apart, I suspect it would present a similar pleasure contrast to tormenting her with her fear of darkness. She should’ve never expressed her weakness in front of me.
Although the logical thing is to let her rot in there for a few more days, I can’t seem to stay away.
Since the dungeon room’s cameras aren’t night-equipped, I can’t even watch from a distance. Not seeing her for a day sat ill with me in a way I don’t even like admitting to myself.
When I open the door, darkness and a cool smell of dampness greet me. I click the remote switch in my pocket. The lamp springs to life, casting light over the room and onto a human corpse on the floor.
The first thought is...blankness. Then, a rush of something I can’t recognise hits me with a flipping force.
Mae lies in a foetal position, silky strands of hair cocoon her face, masking her features.
Is she dead?
Trembles erupt in her limbs as if answering my question.
After putting the supplies at the corner, I crouch by her head and remove the hair off her face. Ghostly pale skin peeks from underneath the blond strands, glistening with a mixture of sweat and tears. Her eyes are sealed shut with obvious effort. The fullness of her lips trembles, causing her teeth to chatter.
A panic attack?
Huh. The dark did play its trick on her. More than enough.
“It’s over, little deer.” I shake her shoulders. “Open your eyes.”
A few seconds tick by before she complies. The blueness of her puffy eyes greets me in its most miserable form. The bright colour almost fades into Kane’s dull blue.
I don’t like it.
Why the hell am I not liking this?
I shouldn’t care if she’s losing the gleam that shined so brightly in those oceans of blue, and yet, here I am, needing them to go back the way they were.
What the hell is wrong with me.
In a swift movement, her arms wrap around my neck, her face buries into the crook of my shoulder.
What in the gates of hell...?
Unable to hold my balance, I stagger and fall backwards. My arse hits the cold ground with impact.
What is she doing?
My reflexes shoot to throw her away, but for some reason, my arms don’t move. I remain still at the feel of her trembling body. Her chest plasters against mine, the dampness of her face soaks the collar of my shirt.
“Please don’t throw me in the dark again,” she whispers, her voice quivering and weak. “I’ll do anything you want. I promise.”
Fuck.
Define anything, Mae.
Chapter Ten
Mae
Sixteen years ago,
I’m trapped.
I wanted to hide from Sydney. I didn’t mean to get lost and end up in this hole.
My eyes blink but darkness renders them blind.
“Syd!” I shout, my fingers clutching my doll with strangling force.
A voice similar to mine calls back Syd’s name, over and over, until it disappears. Something constricts the back of my throat. I open my mouth to scream. Only choked cries come out.
“Daddy! Mummy! Help!” Snot and tears stain my face.
I lift a shaky hand in front of me but see neither my flesh nor the doll. My sobs grow louder. So loud that the voices mimicking mine erupt in terrifying screams.
A shadow with no eyes emerges from the ground in a grey halo. I flinch, my cries become hysterical.
Incapable of moving my frozen feet, I punch the approaching figure with my free hand. My fist connects with thin air.
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