Chapter 12
Chapter Twelve
Lily
“Welcome home,” Killian says, his tone mocking as he shoves open the door, dragging me into a house in the middle of nowhere.
“Where are we?” I ask, trying to get out of his grip, but he pushes me to the ground.
“Rostrevor.” He removes his jacket and tosses it somewhere.
I look up with rage. “Be more specific.”
He turns his focus on me, and I bring my knees to my chest as he looks down at me. “Somewhere far from Providence, Rhode Island.”
There’s something eerie in the calmness of his voice and demeanor.
“Are you going to untie me?” I snap.
“Are you going to put up a fight?” His cold stare sends a chill down my spine.
“Guess that’s a risk you’ll have to take.”
He bends down, feet solid on the floor, his forearms propped on his knees as he examines me. “Do you know who I am?”
Of course I do. He was at Selene’s wedding when she pointed out that he had helped Cameron save her.
Stasia said he’d known Darius a long time, and she warned me that he came with strings attached, someone you want in your corner but keep at arm’s length.
There was something about him that made me want to get under his skin.
“Someone’s lackey. Who put you up to this? ”
“Right.” He smiles, charming yet dangerous. “Your actions will determine how soon you’ll get to go home.”
“I’m not scared of you. I’m not stupid either. I’m here as leverage. If you kill me, you gain nothing.”
“Well then, I hope you’re worth the price I paid.”
Killian strides toward me, pulling out a pocketknife. Pulling me off the floor, he spins me around and frees my wrists that were bound together. However, I don’t feel any freer than before. The massive windows surrounding the main floor do nothing to ease the feeling of being trapped.
I feel him behind me, his mouth touching my ear as he whispers, “If you make things difficult for me, then I’m going to be sure your life is as miserable as possible.
I will dismantle anything you find joy in, and at the end of it all, you’re going to be wishing for the cage I rescued you from.
And if you really test my limits, Liliana, I’ll gut you and tear your limbs piece by piece to feed you to the pigs. ”
Turning around, Killian’s eyes lock with mine. His stare is cold and lifeless. I could bolt right now. Thrust the palm of my hand upward into his nose, breaking it, and run. But if he is willing to untie me, it means he’s not scared. Which tells me there are only darker things out there.
“You’re going to be staying here,” Killian says, his deep voice a little unsettling as he leads the way to the kitchen. “The alarms are going to be engaged at all times. You won’t be able to come or go as you please, but you have access to all the rooms here.”
“You’re really doing this then. Kidnapping me. You’re going to screw up everything you have with the Costellos.”
“Do I look concerned?” He stops and stands there, effortlessly casual, with his hands in his pockets.
My stomach turns as I look up at him, my ears ringing.
The thought of being trapped within the walls of his house has my skin crawling and my heart racing.
I let out a slow breath and drag another one in, trying to keep the panic from setting in.
This has to be better than living inside a cage… right?
“Come,” he demands, heading down the hall.
I follow without a word, observing my new cage. This one, though, is colorful—hues of blue, red, and green throughout. The foyer opens into a space that breathes with light, a seamless transition into an open-plan expanse where the boundaries between kitchen, living, and dining blur into one.
My heels click on the premium marble-grey tile floor.
To the left, the kitchen stands as the heart of the home, a masterpiece of clean lines and quiet luxury.
Quartz countertops shimmer under the recessed lighting, the cool, stone surfaces contrasting beautifully with the rich, dark cabinetry.
It’s a space designed for lingering, where the hum of a hidden dishwasher is the only intrusion in the stillness.
“You live alone?” I question.
“This was my mother’s home.”
Moving further into the living area, the atmosphere shifts from functional to intimate.
A Stovax wood-burning stove sits as the room's anchor, its glass face promising long, amber-lit evenings. Above, a discreet projector screen waits, ready to transform this quiet sanctuary into a private theater at a moment’s notice.
“Explains a lot,” I comment.
Killian stops and turns in my direction. “It may not be up to your standards, but if you prefer a metal cage, it can be arranged.”
I gulp, watching him walk toward the staircase and up the flight of stairs. “The bedrooms are up here. Follow me.”
My feet are frozen to the floor.
“Now!” he shouts, his voice echoing down the stairs, piercing through my bones.
I can’t follow him, but my feet don’t seem to get the message.
It’s like my body is forcing me to act on autopilot, doing whatever it takes to keep me alive.
Each step I take has my chest tightening and the walls closing in around me.
Everything around me starts to shake, or maybe it’s me that’s shaking.
I can’t tell. I sink down on the bottom step, clutching my knees to my chest. I breathe in for eight and breathe out for four, repeating it over and over again.
It doesn’t help.
I could fight back, but if I do that, he’s going to kill me. Or he’s going to make me suffer.
“Liliana!” he snaps, coming down the stairs with thudding footsteps that turn my blood to ice. “Do I need to drag your ass up the stairs by your hair?”
I get to my feet, feeling like my legs are going to give out. When I turn, he’s standing there, glowering down at me. One foot moves in front of the other, and I grip the railing until my knuckles turn white and ache.
The upper level reveals a layout of thoughtful privacy. The floor tile gives way to wide-plank oak-effect flooring, a softer, warmer texture underfoot. There are four doors up here.
Killian points to one. “Bathroom.” He points to another. “I’ll be sleeping in there. You can choose any of the other rooms.”
What gives him the audacity to be a prick? I’m here against my will; I’m not running. Can’t he just be kind? I wonder if his mother raised him this way.
“Why are you doing this?” I question, placing my hands on my hips. “You know once my sisters learn that you’re keeping me locked up here, it will be hell for you.”
“Will it?” he challenges, stepping closer to me. “They don’t even know you’re missing. I take it they believe you’re off traveling or on some rich man’s yacht, fucking him for free shit.”
I react before I process whether this is a good move. My hand smacks his face. “You know nothing about me.”
He sticks his tongue inside his mouth against his cheek, adjusting his face as he turns his head back to face me.
Killian’s piercing blue eyes, which seem to hold a thousand untold stories, shift from cold calculation to a smoldering intensity.
With each step he takes forward, I take one back until I’m up against the wall.
“I know enough.” He reaches out, his fingers trailing along the side of my cheek, grazing the side of my neck, pausing when my pulse jumps. A whimper escapes me before I can hold it back, and the bastard smirks. He looks pleased with himself as he steps away. “You really need a shower.”
“I’m sure your mother would be really proud of you,” I spit out.
“I’ll ask her when I visit her grave tomorrow,” he says over his shoulder.
Shutting my eyes, I silently curse to myself.
I head for one of the doors, but the knob is stuck.
My body flinches when I feel Killian push it open from behind me.
I feel numb as I step into the room. It’s all warm browns and greens and flowing white linens that feel like settling into an enchanted forest somewhere.
It’s not the kind of bedroom I would ever plan for myself, but I’m grateful I at least have a bed and not a cold floor to sleep on.
Killian stands in the doorway as I enter the room. The holster on his chest holds a gun on each side of his obliques. A dark thought crosses my mind for a moment. Could I get my hands on one and use it on myself?
“You don’t have the balls to do it,” Killian says as though knowing what I was thinking.
Pretending otherwise, I ask, “Do what?”
“Take a life. Let alone yours.” He leans against the doorframe, just watching me awkwardly hold the hem at the bottom of the hoodie. Standing at an imposing height, he possesses a lean, athletic build and black tapered hair that speaks of a life lived on the edge.
“You don’t know what I’m capable of,” I reply, holding my head up.
“I will admit, you put up a good fight in the car.” A mocking laugh escapes his mouth, exuding an air of authority and sophistication. “We can have another go around. You beat me, I’ll let you go.”
“I’ll make you eat your words.”
“I’ll be more than happy to put your entitled ass in place.”
His amusement irritates me. My lower back is beginning to ache, and I know it’s only a matter of hours before it all goes downhill for me.
The pain is severe this time, but I expect that since I haven’t been able to take my medication.
I’m not looking forward to the next few days, but I am ready to endure what’s coming for me.
It’s the sole reason I backed down. My body is about to be weakened, and I wouldn’t survive being out there alone.
“You can’t keep me here forever.” My pulse pounds in my ears, my blood rushing through my veins and making my body impossibly warm.
“No one knows you’re here. With me. I can keep you for as long as I want.”
There's something dangerous in the way he smiles, reaching out to run his hand over my cheek. His fingers trail along my pulse, feeling the way it hammers. Quickly grabbing his hand, I sink my teeth into his flesh. With a growl, he steps back and slaps me across the face.
“You’re going to pay for that.”