Chapter 13
ADELINA
The rain coated my skin in a thin, cold sheet, and Cezar looked thirsty enough to drink it right off me. I couldn’t wait to get out of there. I glanced at him again and moved toward the car. Like a shadow, he followed. I reached for the door, but his hand shot past mine and opened it first.
A menacing gentleman.
Silence settled between us, thick and pulsing with everything neither of us dared to say. Madness had its claws in me. Why couldn’t I have what I wanted in this shitty life? Right now, I wanted Cezar Torrim.
The drive took too long, leading us to an abandoned castle. It was far more spectacular than the last one—the one that burned to the ground because of a certain someone. When the engine went quiet, I stayed in my seat, steadying myself, ready to give my every desire to this man.
Cezar got out first and circled to my side. When I stepped out, he took my hand like we were about to share a final dance in the rain. His breathing gave him away. He was struggling to hold himself back.
I led us through the grand doors of the castle. The structure was magnificent even as it decayed into something beautifully ruined. We had to find a new place for all the activities we indulged in after what happened that night. This location was perfect. Hidden. Isolated.
He never asked why this place, why here.
A heavy silence clung to him, replacing his usual commentary as we walked down a long, dark hallway. These were the rooms where we carried out our interrogations, and I had plans for Cezar.
He surveyed the area I led us into. Equipment lay scattered everywhere, each piece meant for a different kind of suffering. Among it sat a more comfortable chair—the one I usually took when I wanted to watch Dorin or the others work. A throne left to rot with the rest of the building.
But the chair in the center was different.
Reserved for the unfortunate souls we forced answers out of. No one left it alive. A witness to countless endings, it waited for the next victim, expecting him.
Vasile had designed it himself, one of his more charming inventions. With the push of a button, the chains cinched around our subjects. There was a release button too, though that one never saw use.
I walked up to Cezar and unbuttoned his suit jacket, then pushed it open along with the shirt underneath.
The fabric fell back, revealing a body carved from dangerous intent.
I wanted bare skin. Skin I could mark with teeth and nails.
He tensed, but he closed his eyes and swallowed hard, his chest heaving in slow breaths that spoke of surrender.
Is he nervous?
When his hand moved to his belt, I stopped him with my touch. His eyes narrowed, a silent question lingering there, but he lowered his hand without argument. I had no intention of making him feel good. I wanted to torment him.
He will suffer because of me.
I refused to let him see any sign of intimidation, even though my pulse was racing. I had never done anything so impulsive before. Hunger like this had rules, and I would not let myself feed on anything except him.
“Sit,” I demanded, and he obeyed.
He was going to let me do as I pleased. His eyes followed every movement I made.
I grabbed the chains and guided his arms above his head.
Without a word, he clasped his hands behind his neck.
He knew exactly what I wanted without me saying it.
I’d done this a hundred times, but uncertainty crept in anyway.
Nothing about this felt familiar. The ritual had shifted into something new.
My breath caught as I stared at the scars across his back. Some deep. Some newer. A map of pain he seemed to carry alone. I hesitated too long, frozen by the sight of them. I forced myself to keep going. That wasn’t what either of us came here for.
Or was it?
His cologne hit me next, something familiar, the scent threading through the moments I’d shared with him.
The veins in his arms stood out as I secured the restraints.
I grabbed a simple belt and wrapped it around his waist, binding his body to the chair.
Flesh to metal. He drew a quick breath at the cold bite against his skin.
I followed the cords to the observation chair, where the controls waited.
One button could break bones. The other would set him free.
I wanted to lick him.
I sat down, crossed my legs, leaned back, and pressed the button.
The chains tightened, dragging his arms lower.
His legs tried to push off the chair, but the belt held him captive.
Thankfully, the chair was an ally, bolted to the ground.
His face shifted, teeth clenched, body straining against the pain. He endured it in silence.
“Cezar,” I whispered, “I am standing on the edge of restraint. I worry that once I step in, I won’t have the strength to climb out again. So, tell me… how far are you willing to descend with me into this darkness?”
How far would he let me go?
Everyone breaks.
“I surrendered my control to you long ago, Petal. My body, my will—use me however you desire.” His voice was rough. A canvas of submission, waiting, craving.
“The safe word is Rose.” My lips curved into a slow smile. “Let’s begin.”