Her Wicked Plan

29. Veronica

This morning, I woke up and thought over the words Leo had spoken to me the day before. The promise he made me keep about staying away from that bitch, Ruby.

I told him I would and would try to keep my word. Only because I know the reward I will receive for doing as I’m told.

That means if she tries to pull some bullshit, I’ll have to bite my tongue. I’m not even sure she will attempt to do anything. Not with how terrified she seemed when I walked past their table, and she basically ran out of the room to escape me.

Humming to myself, I throw on my clothes for the day—a tank top, sweatpants, and a cardigan—easy clothing to remove. You know, just in case the session today is a special one.

When I enter the cafeteria, I spot Eliza right away. Shit.

I haven’t seen her since I was locked away in the dungeon. Eliza knew I was taken there; she witnessed the fight firsthand. That said, she can’t be mad at me for not following up on our deal.

She spots me immediately, flashing a careful smile in my direction. She probably thinks that being in solitary changed me. Made me meaner. It had changed me. It always does, each time worse than the last, but I have to tone that shit down because if not, it can ruin everything.

“Hi, Veronica.” No nickname today. She is hesitant with me, waiting for me to explode.

“Hey, Eliza.” I offer my best fake smile.

“Wanna sit down?” she offers, waving a hand to the empty seat across from her.

I only came in here to force myself to eat, knowing that if I didn’t, I’d have a stomachache—something I do not want to deal with during my session.

It’s only been a day out of the hole, and I still haven’t fully recovered my appetite. It usually takes a couple of days to hit me. That’s how it always happens.

I gaze around the cafeteria, girls diverting their eyes from me, afraid that if I catch them staring at me the wrong way, I’ll pounce on them. Everyone knows patients are on edge when they return from solitary.

Jittery and jumpy.

No one wants to get on the wrong side of the person who spent a week locked up by themselves—someone whose mind was taken by the shadows in the dark. Mine still seems to be intact for now, but that could honestly change at any moment.

Tearing my gaze from the others, I bring it to where the ladies behind the counter serve our food. There is one person in line, but staring at them from behind, watching them decide on what they want to eat, gets shoved from my vision when I hear the most annoying noise.

The black-rimmed clock on the wall above the door ticks super loudly behind me. My head snaps back to the clock, narrowing my eyes at it.

I hope it will shut up if I give it the death stare. Has the sound of the ticking hands always been that obnoxious or is it just really quiet in here?

“Veronica?” Worry settles in Eliza’s voice.

My eyes dance over her face when my attention focuses back on her. Her brown skin is smooth, glowing almost, with tiny freckles draped over her nose. Our freckles could be identical. The green and brown of her eyes hold concern and hesitation as they cautiously stare at me.

The longer I stare at her, taking in her features, the slower the clock ticks. Its noise had to have been deafening because I spent a week in utter silence. Aside from the constant drip of the faucet in the tiny sink, the room held no sound.

“Sorry.” I shake my head, tossing the thoughts from my mind. “Uh... I’ll grab some food and sit with you.”

She nods her head in understanding. As I walk away, Eliza keeps her eyes on me—they all do. Without looking in their direction, I can sense their pupils burning into my skin like a bunch of lasers.

Usually, I don’t mind the gawking, but today it’s different. When I grab the styrofoam plate and wrap my fingers around a sandwich from under the heat lamp, I detect them observing me as if I am a sideshow in a circus.

Scratching.

That’s what it feels like their eyes are doing to my skin. It’s as if their eyes have grown claws, and the sharp nails are digging into my skin. My head tilts to the side, and my neck cracks as I brush off the unwelcoming sensation.

Well, at least I try to. It’s irritating. I don’t remember being this vulnerable the last time I came out of solitary. I don’t want it to mess with me. I liked who I was just fine.

Drawing a deep breath, I snatch the sandwich and slam it onto my plate with a thud. I spin around on my feet to find every person who had been staring at me, quickly dropping their eyes.

All except Eliza. She doesn’t seem to care that I caught her watching me.She might be getting braver.

With the plate tightly secured, I head back to where Eliza is sitting. I’m surprised the styrofoam in my hands hasn’t snapped in half with how firm my hold is.

Plopping down into the seat across from her, I loosen my hold on the plate, letting it fall carelessly onto the table. Eliza flinches at the sound of plastic hitting metal.

“Sorry.” I apologize for no reason other than the fact that I have no idea what I want to say. I know I made it clear I wanted to ask her questions, but where do I begin? “I’m also sorry that the breakfast we should have had last week was taken away.”

Eliza takes a moment to gaze at me. She takes time to assess me, my skin crawling again under her stare. “Hearing you apologize is odd.”

“You’ll never hear it again.” I huff with an attempted laugh. “Don’t get used to it.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it.” The corner of her lip pulls upward. “You don’t have to apologize, though. I can’t be mad at you for missing breakfast when the circumstances were what they were.”

Inhaling a deep breath, my fingers pick at the sandwich before me. Peeling a small piece of bread off, I pop it into my mouth. It’s dry, having sat under the heating lamp for too long. I should have gotten a drink to go with it, seeing as it’s hard to get down my throat.

As if reading my mind, Eliza stands and walks over to the water station, pouring two drinks. A cup is placed before me, but I don’t acknowledge it yet. My eyes stay trained on Eliza as she takes her seat.

“I had the same sandwich earlier. The bread was so dry I couldn’t finish it without water.”

“I’m not sure I can finish it with water.” I pluck off a piece of the egg and cheese and taste it. It’s not awful, although my stomach still twists at the thought of consuming food. It could use some salt.

Eliza watches me still. “No appetite?”

I don’t hold back the sigh. “Nope. It hasn’t come back yet.”

“Does that always happen?” The question pulls my attention away from the sandwich, and my eyes lift to Eliza’s. She gives me a knowing look. I’m not stupid. I know she knows that wasn’t my first time down there.

“Usually,” I answer smoothly. “I have a feeling it’s going to take a while to come back this time around.” Swallowing hard, I let go of the calmness in my voice, allowing it to become rough when I say, “I’m not going to sit here and talk about my time away. If you want to learn more about solitary, then talk to someone else who is willing to share. Or better yet”—I lean into the table—“break out of your shell and do something to get you sent down there.”

She stirs uncomfortably in her seat. I”m not sure whether it’s because of the tone in my voice or the thought of getting sent to solitary. Her uneasiness brings warmth to my body. It’s the first time I’ve felt it since Leo kissed me in his office after my “breakdown.” Her being uncomfortable brings me joy, I guess you could say.

Maybe it won’t take that long to get back to the old me.

“No offense, I don’t think I’ll ever get set down there.”

“That’s because you’re straight as an arrow. You won’t leave the little shell you have yourself curled up in.” I take another bite of the sandwich. The water stays untouched. “It’s nice and warm in there, isn’t it? Why on Earth would you ever want to leave?”

“I’ve been trying to hold myself together even though it has been difficult,” she admits.

Finally, I pick up the water since the second bite was harder to swallow. After I wet my throat, I say, “Have the voices come back?”

Her eyes fall to the table. “They never left. I’ve just gotten better at ignoring them.”

Interesting.“Were they always there? Or did they start when you killed that man?”

Eliza sucks in a sharp breath. “They started before I killed him. Not long before, though. My mother said that I would always be talking to my imaginary friend when I was little. I don’t really remember any of that.” She sighs and taps her temple. “I’m guessing all the trauma blocked it out.”

“But you remember killing him,” I point out.

Her head nods slowly. “Every single detail.”

My attention has peaked. “Sharing is caring, Eliza.”

She remains silent for a long time with her eyes shut tight. Rolling her lips, she nods. Are the voices talking to her right now?Warning her not to share the story? Before I can ask, she talks.

“It was a normal day. I had classes at the University from the morning until the afternoon. After that, I had to work.”

Her eyes stay on mine as she speaks, but she isn’t staring at me. She appears to be in a daze. Like she has been teleported back in time and dropped back into the situation. It’s kind of creepy.

“I got home late that night, and my mom”s new boyfriend was still there. He was always over.”

The disgust that rolled off her tongue at the last sentence sent shivers down my spine. She hated the man. That much is clear.

“When I walked in the house, I could smell the alcohol. He didn’t have to be in the same room for me to smell it.” She takes a deep breath. With the scent that strong and the long inhale she took, was the smell of alcohol engraved in her nose?

“There were empty beer cans on the coffee table, the dining room table, and the kitchen counter. He had started drinking earlier that day, which made me realize he hadn’t had a good day.” She wets her lips, one blink before she continues. “When I realized the situation I was walking in on, my heart started racing. It wasn’t the first time he had been drunk under my mother’s roof.”

She pauses for a moment, recalling what happens next. “But this time was the time he crossed the line?”

Her eyes finally focus on me as she realizes that I’m sitting across from her. “Yeah. I heard shouting from her room. He was yelling. She was crying... begging for his forgiveness. She did nothing wrong. She never did.” Eliza swallows hard. “My mother was my best friend. I would do anything for her. Do you have someone in your life like that?”

My sister.“I do.”

“Then you know that nothing will stop you from protecting that one person in this world that you love. When I pushed the door open, he had a gun pointing at her. He always carried that gun. Said it was for his protection as well as ours whenever he stayed over.” She laughs hastily. “My mother”s eyes slipped to mine. A silent plea gleamed in hers, begging me to leave the room. To run. That I shouldn’t have to witness the fight.”

My throat starts tightening, the anticipation eating at my skin.

“I’m not even sure what he was yelling about that day. There was a rush that filled my ears, blocking him out. A loud roar of silence and then... that’s when the voices started.” Tears well in her eyes, but she blinks them away. One rolls down her cheek, but she doesn’t move to brush it away. “They said, ‘he’s going to kill her if you don’t kill him first,’ and when I heard that, I shook my head. Sure, he was yelling at her. Drunk as always, but there was no way he was going to shoot her. Nothing my mother could have done would have caused him to shoot her. There was just no way.”

Silence overcame her. I watch curiously as her eyes dance around the air. She is reliving the moment as we sit at this table. If I were anyone other than myself, I would reach over and touch her hand. I would let her know that I’m here, that she isn’t in the bedroom.

Despite my being me, I do just that. When I make contact, she quietly gasps. I pull her out of the memory, her eyes glazed over with tears.

“He did it, didn’t he?” The question comes out quietly.

She doesn’t need to answer with words. The answer is written all over her face.

“He shot her in the head. Right between her eyebrows. I must have let out a scream because then he was turning around. I didn’t realize for a moment because I was too busy watching the life fade from my mother”s eyes.” Finally lifting a hand, she wipes away a tear. “When my eyes locked with his, utter fear flooded my body. The voices started again: ‘You couldn’t save your own mother. Can you even save yourself?’”

Her body shudders at the memory. “It kept telling me I had to kill him to save myself. To avenge my mother. I didn’t have time to come up with a plan when he stalked over to me. His grip on my hair was so tight that I thought he would pull out the strands. He was saying something to me, but I couldn’t hear him over the voice in my head. All I remember is him yanking me towards the bed, tossing me next to my mother. My eyes stayed on his because if I glanced at my mother’s body for a second, he would have the upper hand.”

“I crawled back on the bed as the gun hung low at his side. The other hand reached for his belt, and I knew what was happening. As he was undoing it, unsnapping the button of his jeans. Bile rose in my throat, but I held it back. My back hit the headboard. I was trapped. He kneeled on the bed and grabbed my ankle. That voice in my head yelled at me to fight back. Once his pants were halfway down, I kicked him right in the groin. His body bent over, and that”s when I heard the gun fall to the floor.”

My own heart is racing at the images she is painting. The fact that he was planning on taking advantage of her makes my blood boil. If she hadn’t killed him, I would have found him myself and done it.

“With him bent over, I slammed the bottom of my foot into his face, sending him backward. I wasn’t aware of the strength my body had, but he tumbled back into the wall when the voice reminded me the gun was on the floor. I picked it up and shot him without hesitation. First, between his legs, I wanted to hear him scream in pain. Make him feel the same amount of pain that I was in. He yelled. He begged for me to spare his life, but the only voice I listened to was the one in my head. I shot him between the eyes without hesitation, just like he did with my mother.”

“Was that the first time he was going to do that to you?”

“Yes.” She nods. “Between the crashing waves and the voice in my ear, I heard snippets of his words: how pretty I was, how he should have done this a long time ago.”

My body shudders with disgust. “It was self-defense. Why are you here then?”

She sighs, coming back into the present with me. At the asylum. “I didn’t have time to call the police. The neighbors did that for me since they heard multiple gunshots. When the cops got there, I still had the gun in my hand. Two dead people were in the room. I told the officer what happened. I couldn’t stop crying and begging them to quiet the voices in my head. They sent me for a psych evaluation, and here I am.”

Goosebumps litter my skin. My eyes drop to my barely eaten sandwich, now likely cold. I wasn’t going to finish it anyway. “Here you are.”

“I guess I don’t mind being sent here,” she says, falling back into her chair. “My mother was the only one I had. Without her, I’m not sure what I would have done. It’s better this way.”

“Being locked in here isn’t for the better, Eliza,” I state.

“Is the person you love the most still alive?”

“Yes.”

“Then you don’t know what it feels like to lose everything.”

After she finished, Eliza left me alone to sit with her story. The whole thing played out in my head again, but this time around, I thought of what I would have done if I caught my sister”s boyfriend screaming at her like that. If he were holding a gun to her head.

I would have had my knife on me. It would have been thrown into his back before he had the chance to think about pulling the trigger.

The impact of the knife on his back would have caught him by surprise, and the gun would fall to the ground. I’d dive for it and shoot him right then. I’d be the hero in my sister’s story for once.

That played out in my head as I walked down the hall. I was so deep in thought that I didn’t realize that I stumbled upon Scarlet and Leo conversing. Seeing her with him turns my blood hot.

Why does she think she can have him? Better yet, what makes her think she can have other doctors or nurses here? Sure, she’s beautiful, but a darkness stirs deep within her. One that, if brought to the surface, she would be locked away in here.

What makes me mad is that he could have her. The way they speak with one another seems easy for them. As if they have known each other for their whole lives. It irritates me.

They have more of a connection than he and I do. If he chose her, they wouldn’t have to sneak around like we do.

He is gambling big time on me.

He senses my presence the way he always seems to do. His beautiful face finds mine, the stubble on his skin growing thicker.

That smile he had for Scarlet falls at the sight of me, and then he says goodbye. He heads my way, but I don’t greet him. I don’t even acknowledge his presence as I walk directly past him.

A faint sigh leaves his mouth. The squeak of his shoes on the floor tells me he is following me. He speaks when we are out of earshot, approaching the door to the hall of offices.

“It wasn’t what it looked like.”

“What wasn’t?” I wrap the cream cardigan tighter around my body while he scans his card to open the door.

“Me talking with Scarlet,” he states. “I was just being friendly. She is a coworker.”

“Yes, I’m aware that she works here, Leo. I’m not stupid.” My tone is bitter. Suddenly, I stop in my tracks. He takes two more steps before he stops and turns towards me. “Why do you think I care?”

“You’re seriously asking me that?” He rolls his eyes, stepping forward. “After what we have done in my office?” Another step closer. “The confession of how I feel about you? Does none of that matter?” He halts when he is an inch away from me. “After all that, you’ll still stand here and act like a jealous little brat?”

“I’m not jealous of her.” My face curls in disgust. “Can I ask you something, though?”

“By all means.”

“If we weren’t doing... this.” I gesture between us. “Would you be interested in her?”

He closes the gap between us. My chest presses against his body. “That sounds an awful lot like jealousy, Vee.”

I grit my teeth together. “Answer the damn question. And don’t lie.”

“Okay.” He nods. “Yes. I think I would be interested in her. She is very pretty, and I’d think we get along.”

My jaw tightens more. I draw a deep breath through my nose, trying my best not to let him see how much his answer bothered me. “What’s stopping you from asking her out? You could go out with a coworker if you wanted.”

“You know why.” His eyes trail up and down my body.

“Hmm.” I hum. “Should we go start our session in the privacy of your office? Then you can tell me why you can’t?”

“Why don’t I show you?” His beautiful lips smirk, and he walks towards his office.

My heart skips a beat, but I don’t hesitate to follow him.

Leo stands at the entrance, allowing enough room for me to walk past him. Behind me, he locked the door, and the sound made my heart pick up that beat. When he turns towards me, his eyes are dark and full of lust.

“Go sit on my desk,” he orders, bringing up a hand to unfasten the buttons of his dress shirt.

“And if I don’t want to?” I’m being defiant, and for what? Oh, that’s right! To get a rise out of him. I love seeing the way he responds to me not listening.

Head hanging low, he emits a rough chuckle, and his fingers stop their movements. His feet move quickly toward me, and his hand flies up to grab my face. “Get on the fucking desk.”

I hold his gaze, wanting to put up more of a fight, but his hand tightens with every second that passes, and his eyes grow darker.

“Disobey me and see what happens. Maybe I will ask Scarlet out.” It was a low blow, and he grins at the flare of heat in my eyes. “You don’t want that to happen, so”—he yanks me forward, his lips hovering over mine—“get on my desk. Now.”

“Yes, sir.” I obey through pinched cheeks.

His hand falls, releasing me to listen to his order. I hoist myself on the cool surface, waiting for him to tell me what to do next.

The way I would do anything this man tells me to is unnerving. Never in my life had I obeyed an order given to me, but with him? Leo could give me one look, and I’d drop to my knees.

“The sweater.” He points to the cardigan wrapped around my body. “Lose it.”

Bringing the fabric over my shoulder, I peel it off and toss it into the chair I should sit in. The rush of cold air coasting against my skin also raises goosebumps all over my body. My heart keeps that quick beat in anticipation of what will happen.

Leo has since moved and is standing before me. He removed his white dress shirt, revealing a white tank top beneath it. And his tattoos. The sight of those alone causes my mouth to water.

The white fabric of his tank top also leaves his body, and he tosses it in his office chair. Leo breathes heavily as my eyes wander down his body, inspecting each spot of black ink.

I reach out my hand, gently tracing the lines of the snake under his pec. A hiss of breath escapes him at my touch, but I remain focused on the tattoo. The details are amazing.

Each scale I traced my finger across was done so well. My eyes leave the snake to look at the many designs on his body. They were all perfectly done. Small individual pieces of art on the most beautiful man in existence.

Leaning forward, I press my lips to the snake. His body stiffens, and a groan pulls from his throat. I look at him through my lashes. “Are you finally going to fuck me?”

“Not today.” He shakes his head, making me pout. “You made me a promise to me only yesterday, Vee. I will need to see you keep it to give you what you want.”

“Why?” I move away from his body. “You don’t believe I will keep my word?”

“Actions are better than words, little angel.” He cups my chin between his fingers. “Once I see you keep your promise, I will fuck you. That is my promise to you, and God, I hope you can be a good girl and keep your word.” His thumb brushes against my bottom lip. “Because I’ve been dying to have your tight pussy wrapped around my cock.”

My lips part at his words, and he shoves his thumb into my mouth. Eagerly taking whatever he gives me, my tongue swirls around him in circles, lapping up the taste of him.

“Fuck, Vee.” He moans desperately. “You could make even an angel sin with this mouth of yours.”

His words make me smile around him because it’s what I’m counting on.

Leo pulls his thumb from my mouth, and his hands meet the waistband of my sweats. Telling me to lift, the palms of my hands push up against the desk, helping him remove them.

“Why do you call me little angel?” I ask as the fabric works its way down my legs. “I’m anything but.”

He smirks. “True. You do things at your own pace. Say whatever the hell you want without thinking of the consequences. You even killed before.” A soft kiss presses to my inner thigh. “You instill fear in others, making them cower when you’re near. You’re the devil in disguise.” He lifts his eyes to me. “But when you’re with me, you change. You act different with me, and you listen like an angel. You obey me as if I were your God.”

“I don’t believe in God.”

“And yet, here I am.” His teeth graze my skin. “I’ve told you before, Vee, I am your God. Even though I kneel before you, you will always worship me on your knees like the perfect little angel you are, isn’t that right?”

I nod, wetting my lips. “Is this how you plan on showing me why you can’t go out with her?” My breath stutters as he inches deeper between my legs.

“Yes.” A cool breath of air hits my sensitive clit. Then he lightly licks me. “I know she won’t taste like you.” He strengthens his hold on my hips, dragging me closer to him. “You have a taste I crave . . . that I need. No one else can provide me with what I desire this much.”

Dipping his tongue down, he enters me fully. I’m half off the desk now, my legs draped over his bare shoulders as he devours me like a meal.

I want to use my hand to muffle the sounds that want to blast out of my mouth, but I’m afraid if I loosen my grip on the edge of his desk, I’ll fall backward.

His tongue pushes deeper into me. One of my hands frees itself from the desk and dives into his hair. Leo’s dark eyes stare at me, sending me into a spiral.

Moans vibrate against my body as he continues fucking me with his tongue, only stopping when he moves up, sucking my clit harshly into his mouth. At this moment, I feel weak. My stomach starts to clench, and my thighs close in around his head.

“I want all of it.” He pants against me. “Drown me in it, Vee.”

That was my undoing.

My fingers in his hair pull tighter, his mouth and nose buried in me, and he is uncaring that I am suffocating him. He moans again, and I give him everything I have.

My head falls back, and a soft cry leaves me. It’s the only noise I allow passed my lips as I continue through my orgasm. Leo is the only man that I’ve ever been with who can give me a proper orgasm.

The only one that can make me come within seconds. His fingers dig deeper into my skin as he attempts to go deeper inside of me like he can’t get enough.

“Leo!” I gasp.

“Too sensitive?” He pulls back a little, his face wet with my arousal. I nod my head, entranced at the sight below me. “That’s too bad. You’re going to give me one more.”

Before I could object, he dives back in. Licking, sucking, and biting at my clit as two fingers thrust into me. My hips buck off the table, an inaudible noise passing my lips. He drapes an arm over my lap, keeping me from lifting again.

Curling his fingers quickly, Leo doesn’t let up, but soon enough, I’m coming undone again. A sound of approval muffles against me, and I’m breathing too hard.

“So fucking good,” he whispers while he licks his lips, cleaning me off his face.

Standing up from the floor, his hand wraps around the back of my neck, and he pulls me into a kiss. His tongues slide in, and I can taste myself on him. He is right. I taste incredible. It wasn”t like this when I tasted myself on my fingers on those lonely nights. But mixed with the taste of him? It’s a fucking delicacy.

“Now, it’s your turn to show me why I can’t ask her out.”