Page 36 of Carnival Stalker

Tilly freezes, and I can feel her tense against me. “Punished? How?” she murmurs.

“I’m going to have to increase security if you’re going to keep trying to escape.” I pull her wrists higher, stretching her body against mine, emphasizing my strength and her vulnerability. “And we’ll have to move you somewhere more secure.”

She makes a frightened sound, and I know she’s picturing a dark, windowless room. I smile at the image. Maybe I will put her in a room like that to teach her a lesson.

“No, please!” She tries to jerk her wrists out of my grasp, turning her head to look at me over her shoulder, her eyes wide and frightened. “You can’t keep me locked up. I’ll go crazy.”

I chuckle, my chest vibrating against her back. “Well, we can’t have that, can we? So, maybe you’ll start behaving and save us both the trouble.”

She sags against me, defeated. “What do you mean by ‘more secure’?” she whispers.

I trail my lips along her neck, loving the way she shivers in response. “I have a place. Underground. No windows, no easy way out.”

“No!” She twists in my arms, renewed panic in her eyes. “You can’t do that. Please, Phoenix, you can’t?—”

I cut her off with a sharp tug on her wrists. “You’re not leaving me a choice, Tilly,” I snarl. “Do you understand? It’s for your own good.”

She’s quiet for a moment, her breath ragged. Finally, she whispers, “Why do you even want me? I don’t understand. I’m nothing special.”

I bury my face in her hair, inhaling her sweet scent. “Nothing special? Of course, you are. You’re everything to me. But you need to learn that running isn’t an option. You’re mine, and you’re staying put.”

“Okay,” she says, her voice shaking. “Just please don’t take me to that place. I’ll be good. I won’t try to run away again.”

I smile against her hair, victory singing through my veins. “Maybe,” I murmur. “We’ll see.”

She whimpers, her body going lax against mine, and I know she’s accepted her fate, at least for now. I run my hands up and down her arms, soothing her even as I plot out the details of her captivity.

I tighten my hold on her, breathing in the scent of her hair, relishing the feel of her soft body pressed against mine. This little escape attempt of hers was a minor setback, but it’s nothing I can’t handle. Tilly is mine; one day, she’ll willingly accept that fact. Until then, I’ll have to keep her close and safe from the dangers of the world and herself.

22

TILLY

Idrag my feet beside Phoenix, feeling like I’m walking through quicksand. The weight of my defeat pulls me down, each step a struggle.

Phoenix is insane, and the realization hits me like a ton of bricks. I’ve never felt so trapped, so utterly helpless. His threat to put me underground looms over me like a dark cloud.

I imagine being buried, enclosed in a small space with no way out, and my heart pounds. I start to question if I even want to escape him anymore.

He tightens his grip on my arm, pulling me closer.

I recall the way he just made me come on his cock in the woods, the intensity of my orgasm. My cheeks burn at the memory, and a part of me craves that feeling again.

It’s sick and twisted, but I can’t deny he’s dredging up feelings I didn’t know I had, which scares me.

I glance at him, taking in his sharp jawline and the tattoos that adorn his muscular arms. There’s somethingabout him that draws me in, even as I fear him and hate him.

I try to understand the complex mix of emotions swirling inside me—fear, desire, and confusion. It’s like being on a rollercoaster, my stomach dropping as we reach the peak before plummeting downward.

My mind races as I contemplate my next move. Do I keep trying to escape, knowing the futility of it all? Or do I resign myself to my fate, to being his captive? I think of how he touches me, the sparks that ignite in my body despite my efforts to resist.

I slow my steps, my feet feeling like lead. “I won’t ever run again, Phoenix.” My voice is quiet. “But please don’t take me underground. I’m scared of the dark.” The words slip out before I can stop them, exposing my deepest fear.

The tension between us is palpable. I brace myself for his reaction, for the storm to erupt. But instead, Phoenix’s eyes soften, searching mine. He hesitates, and in that moment, I see the conflict within him—the tortured soul behind the ruthless exterior.

“Okay, Tills. No underground cell for you.” His voice is low. “But that means you can’t try to escape again. Ever. You have to promise me that.”

I know the weight of my words even before they leave my mouth. “I promise.”

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