“No, I didn’t say that,” he murmurs, sliding his hand up to cover my breast. “I’m very fond of you. I told you I loved you just today, didn’t I?”
Are you even capable of love?
I don’t ask. I’m too afraid to.
Besides, would he even know?
“But you asked if it was different with Anae, so I’m telling you how it’s different.”
“Are you still sleeping with her?”
My fear grows the moment my words are out. I didn’t want to ask. I’m terrified of the answer.
“No,” he says, squeezing my tender flesh. “You told me you didn’t want me to sleep with anyone else, so I haven’t.”
“And she doesn’t find that odd?”
“Her sex drive was never as high as mine. That’s why she started finding prey for me to play with from the get-go. She wanted me by her side, but she didn’t want to spend all that time on her back. This way, everyone got what they wanted.”
I guess that makes sense. I can’t imagine it myself, but I know Anae and I don’t think the same way. “What about…” I stop, trying to think how to ask. “Um, I heard how that girl at the park was found. People said she was naked.”
“She wasn’t naked. She was wearing a skirt with no panties that she had changed into in the car. She wore a shirt but no bra because I told her to take it off.”
My stomach sinks. “Why did you tell her that?”
“Because I wanted her to be deeply humiliated when they found her,” he says simply. “I would’ve penetrated her with something as well if I were single, but I had a strong hunch you wouldn’t like that.”
“Yes, that’s correct,” I say quickly. “Do you mean your dick?”
He makes a face. “No. A pinecone or a stick off the ground. I thought about it, but I didn’t want to touch her. I don’t know if you would consider it me breaking the rules even if it’s not for pleasure.”
“Let’s say all forms of penetrating other people with anything? Off the table.”
He smirks. “That’s what I figured.”
My god, what a twisted thing to smirk about.
I shake it off. I knew he was a little twisted. This is more than I was prepared for, but at least he’s being open with me about it.
“So, you didn’t do anything sexual with her.”
“Of course not.”
“But… people were talking about these messages.” I look over at him. “They were very sexual.”
“Yes,” he says patiently. “They were a trap. I didn’t mean them. She’s attracted to sadistic Doms, so I played one to get her where I wanted her.”
Played one…
He sounded pretty convincing from what I heard.
This is a lot to digest.
“I did all of it for you, Aubrey. Why would I do anything that hurt you in the process?”
That would be sweet if it weren’t so psychotic.
I watch his hand on my breast as he palms and squeezes it. He catches my stiffening nipple between his fingers. I moan without meaning to at the wave of pleasure that rolls over me. “You’re not worried about getting caught?” I ask a bit thickly.
“No. I have that all taken care of. I was able to take out someone who hurt you and someone who betrayed me in one fell swoop.” His lips tug up and he squeezes my nipple harder.
I close my eyes, instinctively rolling my hips.
“Sometime this week, the police will want to interview you. They’ll ask about Frank Tunstall, the kid I had delivering you notes until Anae intercepted him. There will be eyewitnesses who can corroborate how he bothered you at lunch sometimes, how he had a crush on you and wanted to impress you.”
My eyes flutter open. I frown, but he squeezes my nipple hard and knocks the look right off my face.
“You will tell them that yes, he came over and talked to you sometimes. He passed you notes, one of which was the haiku he gave you Friday. The only one you kept.”
He did give me a haiku Friday, but it wasn’t the one I saw today. It had nothing to do with that girl, it was just a nice haiku about a beautiful girl in a white dress. I took it as a love note from Dare. It made me smile, but didn’t mean much to me because I knew he had his nerd soldiers write it for him.
It clicks into place.
He had Frank write it for him. Probably so that there would be verifiable record of him having written a haiku before to try to impress me.
“You’re framing him,” I murmur.
“Yes. He should have known better than to betray me. The last kid who did went through a plate glass door. Nearly lost an eye.”
I had heard that story, but I didn’t know it was real.
“This one will probably have to serve some time, but he’s only 17, so it shouldn’t ruin his life, only set him back a bit.” His hand stills, cupping my breast, and he leans in to kiss the corner of my mouth. “I like talking to you about things.”