“Never say never.” He tightens his grip on my thigh as if to cement his words.
I try and fail to remove his hand. It’s like he’s attached to me by an invisible string.
“Speaking of never, how come you’ve never replied to my text or followed me back on Instagram?”
He followed me on Instagram? I didn’t notice that. Then again, I haven’t been in the right frame of mind since yesterday. I’m also still sleep-deprived because even though Maya allowed me to share her bed, I couldn’t relax enough to sleep after those damn texts and the images of his hand on my throat.
“Ever thought that maybe, just maybe, I don’t like you?”
“Small detail that can be changed.”
“Not even if you turn into a saint.”
“Why would I do something so dull? Besides, you might fool the whole world, yourself included, but I’m well aware that you’re not into saints. Not even a little. Not even close.”
I swallow. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Oh, my little muse. We’re cut from the same cloth, you and I. Well, not identical cloth, but it’s similar enough. And if I have to prove it, so be it.”
The car comes to a halt and I stiffen in my seat as I look at the dark building in the middle of nowhere.
Landon’s grip on my thigh brings me back to him. A terrifying smirk lifts his lips. “Welcome to my territory.”
10
MIA
I knew I was in trouble when Landon's pretentious car pulled up to the abandoned house, its gates creaking open to reveal a nightmare I couldn't escape.
The goosebumps and tingles that snaked through my body shrivel to a slow death as the old castle-like building materializes in front of me.
It looks straight out of a medieval war—one that didn’t go so well for whoever protected whatever this place.
The gray walls have nearly turned green with the smudges left by nature. Brittle leaves rustle in the wind, their jagged edges scraping against the blurry windows like the claws of a desperate animal.
The only new element in the property’s immediate surroundings is the refurbished massive black gate that Landon drives through.
Even though the car remains steady, I can see the uneven, rutty road. The trees either have branches that resemble a witch’s bony hand or contain so many intertwined leaves, you can’t tell where one ends and the other begins.
The beds of flowers have withered to their tragic death, leaving gruesome skeletons in their wake. A grim stench reeks from every nook of this house that could serve as a den of ghosts and paranormal creatures.
The car comes to a slow halt near the front door. That is, if the old wooden shape with metal strips can be called a door.
“What do you think?”
I startle at the sudden appearance of Landon near my ear. The asshole moves like an evil snake, without making any sound whatsoever.
“About what? The poor imitation of a haunted house?” I pretend to be completely unaffected, although my stomach twists into a thousand knots.
“No imitation in sight.” His hot breath skims along the shell of my ear as his hand grips my thigh tighter. “This is an actual haunted house. It is said that its previous owner became unstable due to the horrors of the war and cast a spell on the place. Ever since then, his family members have met tragic deaths, and anyone who enters never comes out of it sane.”
“That explains your personality, then,” I sign with a sweet smile.
He chuckles, his chest rumbling against the side of my arm. And just like that, the tingles and goosebumps resurrect from the ashes as if they were never slaughtered.
“Stop being so hot.” He bites the shell of my ear. Like he did last night. Only, now, it’s more intimate and provokes a throbbing between my inner thighs.
My nails dig into my palm, but I have no clue how to react to the strong physical reaction building inside me.
Then, as if to make matters worse, he licks the spot he bit and I have to clamp my lips shut to keep from making any noises.
As easily and fast as he touched me, he releases me. “Now, come out.”
Just like that, he steps out of the car, leaving me in a heap of cryptic emotions.
It takes me a few seconds to gather my wits. I need to snap out of it. Since I’ve found myself in this situation anyway, might as well give Landon a taste of his own medicine so he regrets messing with me.
Armed with my new resolve, I push the door open and step out, chin held high and my nose nearly touching the sky.
The sudden chill causes more goosebumps to erupt on my skin, but part of that has to do with my company tonight.
Landon is waiting for me with that irritating smirk and amusement glinting in his deep blues. The color of an angry ocean and a midnight sky.
The color of my worst nightmares as well.
“You’re not a delicate princess, after all. I’m impressed.”
“Impressing you is the last item on my agenda.”
“And yet you’re doing it so well, I almost doubt it’s on purpose. You know, like when you crashed my party and seduced me in the bathroom.”
“That was only so I could distract you, and it worked.” I sigh, shaking my head. “Men.”
“What was that?”
“Men are so simple, no matter how grandiose they think they are.” I jut my chin in his direction. “You’re part of the herd, Mr. I’m Smarter Than You And Your Entire Bloodline.”
“I am smarter than you and your entire bloodline, or you wouldn’t be here, in the palm of my hand, exactly how I planned it.”
“I’m in no one’s palm. And the only reason I’m here is because you threatened my sister. I wouldn’t have given you the time of the day under different circumstances.”
“But you are giving me the time of the day.”
“Unwillingly.”
“Doesn’t matter.”
“My free will doesn’t matter?”
“The excuses you offer your mind don’t. I have no interest in participating in whatever lies you tell yourself to convince your brain that you’re not remotely attracted to me. Unlike you, I don’t sugarcoat the truth.”
He reaches into his pocket and retrieves a key that looks like one of those enchanted treasure findings and uses it to open the door.
It creaks and squeaks like a dying person’s attempt to resurrect.
My spine jerks into a line at the graphic noise, but I still wear the mask of indifference. Or I hope I do as I carefully follow the beast into his lair.
The inside isn’t any better than the outside. Upon entry, I’m hit by the musty smell of the decaying building. The wind howling through the trees outside sounds ten times louder inside.
Grim, somber medieval stairs greet us in the middle of the foyer. There’s a sofa and a few chairs that have lost their color, appearing pale pink instead of what I assume was once bright orange.
The wooden flooring is chipped everywhere, and the few intact pieces look older than the British monarchy. It creaks every time we take a step. While I’m careful, Landon walks with a sense of pride that’s completely uncalled for.
My gaze strays to the open door to the left—probably a kitchen or a dining room. No matter how much I search for signs of life, this place seems more dead than my voice.
Whatever angle you look at it from, it’s too shabby, messy, and underwhelming to fit someone as elegant and well-kept as Landon.
As much as I hate the asshole, he is illegally good-looking and has the charisma of a model in anything he wears. Even earlier in a hoodie and sunglasses, many stared at him, whispering to each other as if he were a celebrity.
Of course, the bastard basked in every second of the attention he got, despite trying not to get on my brother's and cousins’ radar.
Landon is not only a psychopath but also a raging narcissist.
Psychopaths are born not made. I wonder what type of gene pool resulted in his existence and why he turned out like this when Bran is one of the best people I’ve met?
Wait…why am I curious about the asshole? I don’t give two hecks about him and his warped psychology.
“It is said that the lady of the house fell down these very stairs and broke her neck.” His sudden hot words in my ear make me shudder.