Chapter 24
Emerson
I’ve wandered the house for the past week, looking at anything and everything I can find. Some days, Gannix isn’t here, but I took his warning to heart and haven’t tried to leave. Not that I have anywhere to go. He sold my fucking house.
I walk down the stairs into what I assume is the basement and shove the door open. I slide my hand against the wall until I find the light switch and flip it on. At first, I’m not sure what the hell I’m seeing, but the more I look around, the more I understand.
“What the hell?” I mumble under my breath. I walk further into the room and take it all in. Chains hang from the ceiling and the walls. There’s a bed in the corner covered in black comforters and sheets.
I make my way over and run my hand along the soft cover as I look over at the chains hanging from the headboard.
“You find anything interesting?” His voice startles me and I jolt slightly before turning and looking at him.
“Into some fifty shades type shit?” I ask him. He smiles. He actually fucking smiles, and it’s breathtaking.
“No. Torture? Yes.”
“Torture?”
“In a way.”
“I don’t understand,” I tell him.
“Delayed satisfaction, Em. The way you couldn’t reach what you wanted, the way I can hold you hostage until I feel like letting you come.”
“You do that?” I ask, finding myself curious.
“At times, but in this room, no.”
“Why not?”
“I’ve never brought a woman back to my house apart from you,” he informs me. Something warms in my chest at his words, although I don’t know why. I should be afraid of being here, but I’m not. It’s … comfortable. I don’t feel like his hostage even if I’m not allowed to leave.
“What? Why?”
“It’s not something I do.”
“Then why have this room?” He walks over and reaches up, running his fingers along my cheeks.
“For a day like this. When I found what I wanted,” he replies, caressing my cheek.
“And if I refused?”
“Are you refusing?” he asks, his tone low and lethal. I turn my head and glance at the chains attached to the wall and wonder what it would be like to be chained and at his mercy like this. Would I like it? Hate it?
“I … I don’t know.” I turn back to face him, and he smiles again.
“You’re torn if you’d like it or not, right?” I nod my head. “You’d love it and hate it at the same time. You’d feel high, and you’d want that release, but when I bring you to the edge over and over, you’ll be euphoric.”
“How do you know?”
“Because I know you, Emerson.” With that, he lowers his head, his lips brushing against mine. I’m hesitant at first, but when he starts to kiss me, I melt. Something about Gannix feels like everything I’ve ever wanted in my life and I can’t explain why that is. It makes no sense. None of this does.
But his kiss is rough. He’s taking what he wants as he devours my mouth, and again, I love it. His tongue sweeps past my lips, and I reach up, running my hand around the back of his neck, tugging him closer to me. His hands slide down and wrap around my waist, lifting me in his arms, and I immediately wrap my legs around his waist. He walks with me in his arms, slamming me against the wall with so much force the air leaves my lungs.
I’m panting, wanting more, rubbing my body against his. How does he know exactly what I need when I need it? His lips pull away from mine and roam down my neck, where he sinks his teeth in. I cry out and moan while his tongue glides over the area he bit. My body is on fire as I grind it against him.
“You’re making me crazy,” he whispers before nipping at my ear.
“You’re doing the same to me,” I admit.
“We can’t do this right now,” he says, stepping away from the wall and letting my legs fall to the floor.
“What? Why?”
“Such a greedy little pussy you have, Em. Always wanting me.”
“You can’t just kiss me like that and then walk away.”
“I’m not walking away. I wanted to talk to you,” he says.
“About what?”
“There’s an event coming up, and I’d like you to go with me,” he says, shocking the hell out of me. I thought I wasn’t allowed out of the house. He sees the look on my face and sighs.
“I was hoping you’d like to go.”
“Out of the house?”
“Yes, out of the house. This event is important to me and I would hope you’d act accordingly.”
“So don’t tell them you kidnapped me and kept me hostage?” I ask playfully. There it is. That smile hits me in my ovaries.
“I would like it very much if you didn’t bring that up.”
“What about your brother? Are you not worried about him showing up?”
“Not at this event. My brother … he likes to plan his attacks,” he informs me. A chill runs down my spine, and I wrap my arms around myself. Gannix steps forward and places his hands on my shoulders, looking me in the eye.
“I won’t let him hurt you again, Emerson. He won’t lay a fucking hand on you.”
“How can I believe that?”
“Because I’m telling you that. I’m promising you that.”
“And your promises should mean something to me?” I ask him. His eyes darken as if he’s going to get mad, but he doesn’t. Instead, he sighs and steps back.
“I get it. You don’t trust me yet. And I understand that, but I’m asking you, on this, to believe me.”
“Okay.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah. Okay. I’ll believe you. You haven’t done anything you haven’t said you were going to do so far,” I tell him, which is true. Everything he’s said he was going to do, he’s done.
“Good. So, the event?” I shrug.
“I’ll go.”
“You don’t even want to know what it’s about?”
“I figured you’d tell me that.”
“You’re right. It’s a charity event. We raise money for the orphanage.” My eyebrows shoot up, and my mouth falls open. He does that? He raises money for orphans? Why can’t I picture him doing that? Why is that so hard to believe?
“I know what you’re thinking. And the answer is simple. We might not have been orphans, but I’ve seen what it’s like firsthand. I didn’t like it. In fact, I wanted to kill anyone who laid a hand on a child,” he reveals to me.
“Have you? I mean … killed any of them?”
“You want the honest answer?” I nod my head. “Yes.” I don’t know why that surprises me. He’s a murderer. I knew that about him.
“And you don’t feel bad?”
“No. Should I?”
“You took someone’s life, Gannix!”
“Someone who hurts children, Emerson! If I think about how I was raised, I should have killed my father too. He made me this,” he yells, pointing at himself. “He made me the fucking monster I am, so why shouldn’t I keep another child from going through that?” His anger is rising, and I can see it in his eyes. The fire dances in his dark gaze, and it makes me wonder just how bad his childhood was.
“I …”
“Don’t say anything. Fuck this,” he snarls before turning and heading for the stairs. I rush toward him, grabbing his hand and tugging him back.
“Wait.”
“What?” he finally turns to face me, and I see the rage in him, but I also see the side of him that truly cares about the kids.
“I’m sorry.”
“For what?”
“All of it, Gannix. The fact you feel like you should have had to kill your parents. The way they hurt you. The way you feel like you’re broken.” His eyes dance between mine before he finally moves, wrapping his hand around the back of my neck, tugging me toward him, and crashing his mouth to mine. His kiss is intense and heated and one I don’t want to end.
When he finally pulls back, he rests his forehead against mine and just breathes.
“I knew you were special, Emerson. I knew you were going to be different from the others.”
“How so?”
“I don’t know. I could just feel it. I knew that deep down you’d understand me and why I do the things I do,” he responds. I don’t know how much I understand. I don’t know what he thinks I see.
“I don’t know what you want from me, Gannix?”
“What I want from you? I want everything, Emerson. Everything.”
“What if I can’t give it to you?”
“You can. You just don’t see it yet. You don’t know what you can give because your mom took so much from you, just like mine did. She made you think the worst of yourself when all I can see is the best.”
“I … I’ve cheated on people, Gannix. I’ve never really been faithful to anyone.” Admitting that is harder than I thought it would be but it’s the truth. It’s why Brandon left me.
“Oh, baby. That’s because you were never with a man like me. The way I’m going to fuck you, the things I’m going to do to you, you won’t think about another man.”