Chapter 36 Seven
CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
SEVEN
A few days later…
I’m in heaven.
I lounge comfortably in bed, relishing the feel of Grace’s soft body melding to my side and the weight of her head on my chest. The dichotomy between her beauty and my ugliness is stark, perhaps even wrong.
But there’s also something poetic about it—that a monster like me could be made soft by the mere presence of her goodness, by experiencing the sweetness of her soul.
I stare down at her lovingly, brushing my fingers through her dark hair as she sleeps. With the other hand, I rub her soft belly, secretly hoping I was successful last night, and that my seed is growing inside her.
At the memory of her pussy dripping with my release, my balls tighten with the need to take her again. But she’s sleeping so soundly, and I’ve been keeping her up far too much this past week. She deserves her rest.
I settle down, my mind wandering to pleasant memories of this past week.
My wounds are nearly healed now, and I’ve been taking care of Grace again—my favorite hobby.
Now that I’m not worried about Grace running away, I’ve given her free run of the apartment building, allowing her to explore the many different rooms and items I’ve collected.
When she goes exploring, I like to watch her on my cameras, and when I get bored, I’ll put on my red mask and go track her down. It’s a fun little game Grace likes to play, and I’m more than happy to oblige—especially if it means I get to taste her sweet pussy.
Speaking of eating…
I gaze down at her, wondering what I should cook her for breakfast this morning. I want it to be special, to show her how much I appreciate and love her. She still hasn’t said she loves me back, but I can be patient. I will be patient, for Grace.
The only thing that worries me is that she’s been asking to contact her friend, Saffron. She promises she only wants to call and explain that she’s safe so Saffron doesn’t worry, but a small part of me worries she’s still trying to escape.
The worst part is that if she asked me to let her go now, I would do so. I love her so much, I’d be willing to live without her if that’s what really made her happy. Thankfully, though, it seems Grace has come to truly care for me.
She chose me.
My head feels fuzzy at the memory of the day she told me she wanted to stay. I’ve never been so happy, and every day since then has only gotten better.
Half of me is scared that it’s going to be ripped away from me. I’ve never been allowed to be happy in my life, and I’m worried this is no exception.
Grace stirs at that moment, looking up with glassy, sleep-filled eyes, chasing all my fears away. “Good morning,” she whispers, reaching her head out to cup my face.
I lean into her touch, closing my eyes as heated sparks spread over my skin. “Good morning, angel. How’d you sleep?”
“Perfect.” She tilts her chin up to place a kiss on my jaw. “You make a very good pillow. I think you missed your calling.”
I chuckle under my breath, tightening my grip on her waist. I slide my hand down, rubbing my palm over her stomach, loving how soft she is. At the feel of her, my cock jumps, desperate to be inside her, needing to fill her again and again.
To my great dismay, Grace reaches down, attempting to move my hand from her stomach. As if I would let that happen.
“Seven…”
“What?” I lean down, kissing the tip of her nose.
“I love your body, Grace. You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever laid eyes on, and I’m going to worship you the way you deserve.
” I capture her mouth in a bruising kiss, and when I pull away, she’s panting and flushed, and the embarrassed gleam has faded from her eyes, replaced with something tender.
“Seven…”
“Yes, angel?”
Before she has a chance to answer, a furry gray ball leaps onto the bed, heading straight for Grace’s face. Zorro’s claws dig into my chest as he snuggles up against her cheek, flopping onto his side and exposing his belly in his excitement.
“Good morning to you, too, Zorro.” She laughs as she reaches up to give him his much-needed scratches. “Looks like someone had their coffee already.”
A soft, raspy purr emanates from the animal’s throat as he nuzzles his nose deeper into Grace’s cheek, the picture of content.
“We should trim his nails.” I gaze down at the tiny red pearls of blood beading across my chest.
“Is that safe?”
“I guess we’ll find out.” I shrug, the motion throwing Zorro slightly off balance. He turns to me with those beady black eyes and lets out a hiss before going back to snuggling Grace like nothing happened.
Grace barks a laugh, a sound so intoxicating I can’t keep the smile off my face. It makes me happy when I never thought I could be.
Grace’s stomach growls, breaking me out of my love-stricken thoughts. “Hungry?” I ask, pressing a tender kiss to the top of her head. “Pancakes? Omelet? Bacon and eggs? What are you feeling?”
“I think Zorro would like some bacon.”
I lean in, nuzzling the side of her face Zorro isn’t occupying. “And what does my angel want?”
“The same.”
I kiss her nose. “Then it will be so. I’ll be right back, beautiful.”
I slide out of bed, grabbing a pair of boxers and pulling them on. I turn my head over my shoulder, my veins lighting with fire when I notice Grace staring hungrily.
As much as I want to hold her to the bed and fuck her until she can’t remember her name, I know my angel needs sustenance. She’s weak enough from the way I took her last night, and I don't want to break her before I’ve had a real chance to enjoy her.
Cock aching, I slip into the kitchen, trying to focus past the desire fogging my brain.
Wanting to get back to Grace as soon as possible, I quickly whip up a few pieces of bacon and a fruit platter, then head back into the bedroom.
Grace lights up at the smell of the bacon, reaching out and making grabbing motions with her hands.
“Are you doing a crab dance for food?” I ask, climbing back into bed with a grin. “You don’t need to work for it. I’m happy to feed you.”
“Hush.” She reaches for a piece of bacon and pops it into her mouth. Her eyes roll back as a moan echoes in her throat, and a spike of jealousy lights my veins.
Calm down. It’s just bacon. You can’t hurt the bacon for making her moan.
I pick up a strawberry from the plate, inching it toward her mouth with a pleased smile. She opens for me, biting so close to the stem that she nearly takes my fingertips off.
I arch a brow as Grace tries to hide her mischievous smile. “What?”
“You tried to bite me.”
“Nuh-uh. I learned my lesson the first time.” She opens her mouth for me to feed her another piece of fruit, and, chuckling, I oblige her, picking a ripe piece of melon and placing it on her tongue.
I hand-feed Grace some more fruit while Zorro chomps down on his food on the floor, and for the first time in my life, I’m at peace.
I watch Grace’s throat as she swallows the fruit, leaning in steadily. “Kiss me. I need you.”
She obliges, leaning in and pressing her lips to mine in a passionate kiss. I can still taste the melon on her tongue, almost as sweet as her, and it drives me wild.
Grace pulls away much too soon for my liking, wearing a shy expression that makes me pause. “Are you okay?”
She nods, biting her lip as she lowers her gaze. “Seven… I wanted to tell you… that is, I’ve been meaning to tell you something for a while.”
My chest lights with hope, and I’m too afraid to breathe, to speak. “What is it?”
She smiles, her face heating with a blush. “I want to say that I lo—”
A crash sounds from the main entrance of the apartment, cutting her off before she gets to finish. She turns to me with wide, frightened eyes, her mouth parting in a gasp.
“What was that?”
More crashing, this time strong enough to make the walls shudder. Before I have the chance to investigate, a male voice shouts through the door, his tone brimming with authority.
“Moriton Police Department! Open the door!”
I freeze, all the blood draining steadily from my face.
No. No, no, no. How could I have forgotten about the police I killed that night?
I never went back to dispose of their bodies, leaving them there for the force to find.
They’ve probably been searching the city high and low since that night, determined more than ever to find me.
“Seven? What’s happening?”
Grace’s frantic voice pulls me out of whatever panicked state I was in, and I hold her close to my chest, holding my hands over her ears as more bangs echo throughout our haven.
“It’s okay, angel. I won’t let anything bad happen to you.”
My mind races through possible exit strategies, plans to get both of us out of this mess unscathed. We’re on the fifth floor, so going out the window isn’t an option. They probably have the building surrounded, anyway.
The only way out is through that front door.
I clutch Grace to me, my chest aching at the knowledge of what I have to do next. I have to give her up. There’s no other option. I won’t risk Grace getting hurt, and so I have to go with the police willingly.
Before she has time to protest, I pick her up and walk her over to the rug in the corner of the bedroom, pulling it aside to reveal a hidden latch cut into the wood floors.
I rip it open, then carefully place Grace into the small space cut into the floor.
Finally, I grab Zorro by the scruff and hand him off to Grace, who instinctively clutches the wriggling animal to her chest.
“Once they take me away, they’re going to search for you. It’s very important that they do not find you. Do you understand, Grace?”
She nods, biting her lip.
I reach in, cupping her face. “I don’t want them to use you.
More than that, I don’t trust them.” I look deep into her eyes, hoping she sees how serious I am.
“I’ve seen too many things, Grace, and I can tell you, the Moriton Police are not good people.
They will torture you to get any information you may have gained about me, no matter if I give it all up willingly.
I won’t let them hurt you. I won’t let anyone hurt you. ”
My expression grim, I reach into my pocket, pulling out two phones and shoving them into Grace’s hand. “When they’re gone, call Saffron to come pick you up. And then, when you’re alone, contact Viktor. He’s the only person I trust. He’ll keep you safe.”
“What about you?” she asks, her voice tinged with desperation. “How are you going to get away?”
“I’m not,” I say. “I’m going to give myself up.”
“What? No!” She shakes her head furiously. “You can’t!”
More banging sounds from outside the bedroom door, and I know we’re out of time.
“I love you, Grace.” I lean down to place a lingering kiss on her forehead. “I’m sorry.”
The look on her face when I close the hatch breaks my fucking heart.