Filed to story: Bound by Honor (Aria & Luca) Drama Story
“Hard day,” Lola said in a raspy voice. No question, a statement. She knew better than to ask questions. He knew she was close when the smell of stale and fresh smoke closed around him. When she didn’t have a drink or a dick in her mouth, she was smoking.
He turned. Her lips were coated in red lipstick, looking glossy and false. Everything about her did. Her black hair, dyed too many times, fell straight down her back. Held down with hairspray and whatever else women used to make their hair do things it wasn’t meant to do. Her lips twisted into a flirty smile, her eyes, rimmed with too much make-up flickered with eagerness. Oh yes, she liked it.
She wasn’t out of his reach.
He grabbed her arms and twisted her around, then threw her down on the bed. His hand tangled in her hair, pulling hard as his other hand opened his fly, then shoved up her skirt and thrust into her in one sharp merciless thrust. She cried out, in pain or lust, he didn’t know, didn’t care. She twisted her arms back, raked her long nails over his thighs, drawing blood. He hissed and fucked her harder, and harder until the image of porcelain skin left his mind, until he was back to being who he was meant to be.
A monster, nothing less.
CHAPTER NINE
Cara
I was woken by a sound I couldn’t place. Like claws on wood. My eyes flew open, staring up at a white ceiling, not my canopy bed. A few dark stains dotted the white that was actually more grey, as if someone had swatted flies or mosquitos and not bothered to clean up afterward. Confusion slithered through my sleepy mind, and then everything that had happened came crashing down on me. I jerked into a sitting position. It took a moment before I figured out the noise I’d heard. The dogs. They were in front of my door again.
Damn it. I really needed to go to the toilet, but with the dogs waiting for me that was out of the question. Not that I even knew where the bathroom was.
I stood slowly, legs shaky, and peered out of the small window. It looked out into a small garden. The lawn hadn’t been mowed in a while and like the house, the garden, too, was devoid of any decoration. Someone was screaming in the neighbor houses. A woman, followed by a man. The same couple I had overheard last night.
I leaned against the window sill, analyzing my surroundings. I’d always been good at math. I liked things neat and predictable. And where had all my laid out plans gotten me?
The fence caging in the garden was topped with barbed wire. Could I get over it? Probably not without hurting myself badly and then Growl would just have to send the dogs after me and they’d follow the trail. And what about the neighbors? Would they help me hide or would they just call Growl in hope of a reward? Probably the latter considering the people I had encountered so far.
The door screeched. I whirled around, body tensing with fear. Growl stepped inside, his eyes landing on me. I quickly covered my bra with my arms.
He seemed less unhinged than last night, and though his gaze slid over my half-naked upper body, his expression didn’t show any reaction. His right forearm was bandaged where I’d cut him. Above it there were more marks. Scratches that I didn’t remember inflicting, but I’d been in a panic so I wasn’t sure what exactly I’d done. He followed my gaze briefly but didn’t react. He didn’t seem to resent me for injuring him. I hoped that was a good sign.
“You are awake,” he said in a low voice. He’d never raised his voice the few times I’d heard him speak but his words carried enough power anyway.
I huffed at his statement but didn’t say anymore. The pressure on my bladder was growing close to unbearable. Behind Growl, two massive dogs appeared. They only reached his knees but considering Growl’s stature, that was more than a little intimidating. What was worse: they were panting and giving me a good look at their sharp teeth. They were definitely some kind of fight dogs. And judging by the scars on their faces and the rip in the ear of the black one, they’d fought a few battles. Growl put a backpack I hadn’t noticed before down on the ground between us. “I got a few things for you from your house.”
My house. I tried to conjure up an image of my cozy, beautiful home but images from last night were all I could come up with, and I’d rather not remember my house at all than like that. I stepped forward. “Did you see my mother and sister? How are they?”
Growl frowned. “No. They aren’t my concern.”
“But you must know something, anything. What did Falcone tell you before you came to our house?”
“I didn’t ask Falcone what his plans were. You shouldn’t ask so many questions. I don’t have the answers,” he said merely and was about to turn around.
“I need to go to the bathroom,” I babbled. I felt ashamed that I had to ask someone if I was allowed to go to the bathroom.
Growl paused, frown deepening. “Then why didn’t you go?”
I almost laughed. “Because I don’t know where it is and I thought I was supposed to stay in the room.”
“You can walk around the house whenever you want. I won’t lock you into your room. You aren’t a child.”
“Only a prisoner.”
One of his dark-brown brows twitched but I couldn’t link the reaction with an emotion. I didn’t know him well enough. And I doubted anyone knew him like that. To be honest, I wasn’t sure if he was capable of emotions at all, or if his facial expressions weren’t just his body’s natural reaction to outward influences or something he’d learned to imitate from being around other people.
When the silence became unbearable, I asked. “So I can leave if I want to?”
Growl’s amber eyes pierced me to the core. “You can try,” he rumbled. “But I will find you no matter where you go. I will follow you to the end of the world.”
“How romantic,” I whispered with false bravado.
“You are mine.”
“Stop saying that,” I snapped. I was so tired of him reminding me of it. I wanted to hit him hard for the hint of smugness and pride that had crossed his face when he’d said I was his.
“Are you done?” he asked emotionless. “Come on.” He turned without waiting for my reaction. I couldn’t believe him. I grabbed the backpack from the ground and was about to follow when I saw the dogs standing in the hallway in front of the room. I jerked to a stop. They both watched me calmly but with definite interest. My pulse picked up again. And I’d thought I was too tired to be afraid anymore. Definitely not.
“They won’t hurt you. They are good dogs,” Growl said, waiting for me down the narrow corridor. I wasn’t sure but I thought I heard a hint of amusement in his voice.
“They don’t look like good dogs,” I said hesitantly as I crept closer to them.
“Don’t judge things by their looks. It’s deceiving.”
My back against the wall, I walked past the dogs. They followed me slowly, their keen eyes never straying from me.
My gaze wandered over Growl. His tattoos and scars. “Sometimes the outside and the inside match,” I said quietly.