the stairs, his body ripped with tension. There was no way of knowing who remained in the house, but I knew he couldn’t care less who saw me in my disrobed state. I was merely his possession. His pet. I envisioned spending every night in the dungeon, treated like some animal.
After he fucked me.
Spanked me.
Used me.
He stopped at the top of the stairs, his chest rising and falling from his heavy breathing. As he tipped his head, once again locking eyes with mine, I realized the opening he’d allowed me into was slammed shut and padlocked.
Perhaps forever.
“You’re right, Savannah. I am a monster.”
Chapter Twelve
Rafael
Monster.
The word was one I knew well. Just seeing her in the dungeon had been a point of no return. I didn’t want any part of destroying her life, let alone mine. I was finished with the bullshit of what some called humanity. I was through with even attempting to follow the order of what I was required to do. With my family.
With my life.
What I’d said to my father had been correct. It was past time I took full control, easing the burden that had remained on my father’s shoulders for years.
But things would be done my way, although I was beginning to question what that meant. I was no longer my mother’s son. For years she’d attempted to keep me protected, believing Javier would take my father’s reins. Maybe deep down inside I’d known I would be forced to step up to the plate.
As I walked Savannah into my office, I had difficulty with the beast still muzzled next to the surface, hungry to claw his way into the light. I loosened my grip, closing the door behind us. I pulled her clothing against my nose, drinking in her delicious perfume, hearing her disgusted huff. Exhaling, I placed her clothes onto the edge of the desk, merely darting a look in her direction. Just to see her continued rebellious attitude should have annoyed the hell out of me. Instead, I was thrown by her innocence, every action she made as if fearing judgment.
My judgment.
She was also still embarrassed by my gaze, attempting to cover her luscious naked body. I’d seen every inch of her, had tasted and fucked every hole yet she acted like I was a stranger on the street.
Maybe in some way I was—a dangerous stranger.
The man she’d experienced for a full day was long gone, shut away in a very deep hole. I’d been more than just a fool to allow him out, even awakening my heart. Never again. Not for any reason.
Still, I found it difficult to take my eyes off her at first. Savannah was that damn beautiful. However, as a blush shot up from her neck, crawling along her jaw and cheeks, I forced myself to turn away. Maybe she deserved a moment of privacy. I laughed softly to myself. I’d never given a shit about anyone’s privacy before, especially not a mole. She still had a stranglehold around me, the tethering almost overwhelming at this point.
I waited until I heard the sound of her bare feet padding in my direction before moving toward the window, absently peering outside. The darkness was somehow comforting, the oppressive shadows a reminder of the force yet to overcome. I was still able to see a hint of her reflection in the crystal-clear glass, her silhouette creating a solid thudding in my heart. The deal I’d made would seem ridiculous to some, including my father.
I’d never been impulsive in my entire life. Why now? More important, why her? Maybe there was more to gain, a way of getting information regarding Calleja that would require additional time spent with her. Or maybe she had nothing to do with the entire organization. What then? I couldn’t keep her, at least not if I wanted her to live, implied contract aside. Sighing, I yanked in my annoyance, tempering my need to consume her all over again.
“Would you care for a drink?”
She slowly turned her head in my direction, holding the blouse in front of her. “We’re going to be friends now? Are you going to tell me stories and act like you give a damn?”
The questions seemed so out of place, as if the intensity of our passionate moment had never happened. I couldn’t blame her for her icy demeanor. I’d forced a deal on her that she had no recourse but to accept. While I’d only seen a mild hint of shock in her after