Page 59 of To Love a Monster
His smile vanishes.“But now?”He closes the space between us, slow and unhurried.Just ...walking toward me like he’s already made up his mind.Like he knows how this ends and he’s just taking his time getting there.
I backpedal instinctively, retreating deeper into the kitchen.My hip clips the edge of the counter and I barely feel it.My hand slides into the drawer and my fingers scrape the edges of metal, just barely.
His eyes flick to it and he holds his gaze.Then he grins.“Go ahead,” he says.Voice low and mocking.“Grab it.”I do.My fingers close around the handle of the butcher knife before I can second-guess the movement.It scrapes against the metal divider as I draw it out.
Carl stops—he’s just a few steps away now.He looks at the knife then at me before chuckling.“Cute,” he murmurs.“You think you’re dangerous now or...?”
But I don’t respond.Because this time, I don’t need to speak for him to know I’m not playing anymore.The knife feels small in my hand, but I raise it anyway.He watches me, calm and amused.
Then my gaze flicks up to the vent, to where Nikolai said he had a camera.My heartbeat spikes, if Nikolai’s watching then he’ll see what’s going on.He’ll come for me.
He follows my gaze and chuckles again.“Oh, that little thing?”Carl says.“Don’t you worry about it.He won’t be seeing anything.I made sure to loop the feed before I knocked.”
My stomach drops like the floor’s been ripped out beneath me and there’s a sick twist in my chest, sharp and paralyzing.If the feed’s looped ...Nikolai truly has no idea.
He steps forward then, slow and steady.“I saw the way he fucked you, you know,” he murmurs.“I hacked into the cameras and watched every beautiful second.”
My breath catches and my spine locks.He’s lying.He has to be lying.
He chuckles, low and thick in a way that coils in my gut like oil.“Every breath.Every moan you made.You opened up for him like a desperate little minx.He thought he had you all to himself,” Carl continues, his voice a low rasp.“Thought he was the only one watching you come apart.The only one watching you shake when he wrapped his hands around your throat.You really are into some kinky shit, aren’t you?I must say, I was pleasantly surprised by that.”His grin spreads and he leans closer.“I timed it, you know.Every sound you made.Every fucking gasp.”My stomach turns.“When he made you choke, while he made you beg?”he says, tilting his head like he’s reliving it.“I paused it.Rewound it.Watched it again.I didn’t even have to touch myself at first, you were enough.But later...”
His grin widens.“I came almost every time you did, couldn’t help myself.You sound like you were made to be watched.”I don’t move, it’s like I’m frozen in my own skin, bile crawling up the back of my throat.
“He thought he owned that moment,” he says.“But I was there too.Closer than he ever knew.While you were moaning for him, you were making me come.”
“Go to hell,” I snap, even though my voice barely holds.
He narrows his eyes, his gaze is colder now, almost feral.“I was going to be patient, let you ease into it.Offer you a choice and play the game a bit.Just for shits and giggles.”He steps closer.“But now?”His smile dies.“I guess I’ll just have to settle for sloppy seconds.After all...” He leans in, breath touching my cheek.
I lunge before he can finish his sentence, blade flashing as he sidesteps like he was waiting for it.His laugh cuts through the room, low and amused.“Feisty,” he says, circling slowly.“God, I love that.Makes the whole thing so much more fun when they fight back.”
His eyes gleam.Not with fear, not with surprise, but with hunger.Then he stops, just for a second, and moves his head like he’s listening for something in the walls.Then he steps back and I’ve got the space I need.If I can get past him fast enough and slip out the door, I might be able to get to Nikolai before Carl catches me.Seizing the opportunity, I bolt.But he catches me mid-turn.
Fast and brutal as his arm locks around my waist like steel and slams me back into the wall.The plaster groans under the impact, pain shooting through my shoulder as my wrist twists in his grip.
I cry out, more shock than pain at first, but then his fingers close tighter and tighter until the knife clatters to the ground and my hand goes numb.He doesn’t flinch, doesn’t blink.Just lifts the picture again, holding it like a trophy in one hand.
“You want to see him again?”he murmurs, his body presses into mine, all lean muscle and menace.And I feel him, hard, grinding into my hip like a promise.I twist, trying to pull away but he only smiles until I spit in his face.
He doesn’t react for a heartbeat, just lets it slide down his cheek.Then he grins and I snap.My knee drives up, hard and fast, landing straight between his legs.He doubles over with a strangled curse, staggering just enough for me to bolt toward the door.
I almost make it before his hand tangles in my hair, ripping me backward with a vicious yank.I scream, clawing at his wrist as my heels slip on the floor and I fight like hell, nails dragging across his skin, catching his arm, his face.
But he’s stronger and manages to throw me to the ground hard.My elbow cracks against the wood and stars burst in my vision.Carl stands over me, breathing heavily.He wipes his face with the back of his hand and looks down, amused.
“Well, that was rude,” he says.“I’ll make sure you kiss it better later.”He crouches and grabs my chin in one hand.
“But first?”His smile widens, teeth bared.“Let’s go pay an old friend a visit.”I scream as his fist connects with the side of my face.My vision narrows, tunneling in on the splintered floorboard beneath my cheek.The sound of my heartbeat thunders in my ears, then slowly begins to fade ...like a radio dial turned slowly to static.I feel my fingers twitch once.Then nothing
