Total pages in book: 83
Estimated words: 77485 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 387(@200wpm)___ 310(@250wpm)___ 258(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 77485 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 387(@200wpm)___ 310(@250wpm)___ 258(@300wpm)
The meal was simple. Soup and oyster crackers with a bottle of water. Tomato if I had to guess, but there was something floating in the broth.
I used the plastic spoon and dragged it through a small patch of bubbles, scooping up something thick and phlegmy.
Was this…spit? Ugh. Face scrunching in disgust, I let the spoon fall onto the tray and slowly walked back to the other side of the bed.
CHAPTER FIVE
A torrent of emotions whirred within me as the door closed and I left her. My mind was a storm of emotions. Every thump of my heart was a reminder of the time I'd spent waiting. The countless nights watching her, yearning for her presence and every calculated move I made leading up to this pivotal moment.
The intoxication of my own triumph and anticipation coursed through me. I’d had plenty of time to plan her acquisition and only decided on a method exactly twenty-six days ago.
It was unusual for me to make a decision so last minute, but I needed to be absolute in this.
There’d been the classic approach to consider, where I snatched her off the streets. I could’ve let myself into her apartment and taken her while she was fast asleep. If I was one for theatrics and confident that my self-control wouldn’t weaken, I could have pretended to be a gentleman by luring her into my arms with no intention of ever letting go.
There’d been so many different angles to contemplate. Did I give her trauma or seduce her with lies?
Neither option appealed to me.
I wanted Lolita to know exactly who I was. Presenting her with a façade of someone that didn’t exist would be detrimental to our future. In that same regard, there was no reason for unnecessary distress. If I were to be the reason her assimilation was delayed, I’d never forgive myself.
Rohypnol had been the best solution. She wasn’t hurt or terrified during the trip here because she wasn’t aware it was happening. Taking her was easy. What came next is where I foresaw things getting complicated, but I had planned for this.
I’d been anticipating when I would finally bring Lolita home with an eagerness I hadn’t felt since I was a boy. A small weight had been lifted from my shoulders now that she was in my possession. But I couldn’t fully relax yet. I had to make sure she was mine in every way possible and by any means necessary.
Imprisoning her in the boundaries I conditioned her to and ensuring that she could never leave me were paramount above all else. Unfortunately, I couldn’t brush aside my day-to-day responsibilities and dedicate round-the-clock focus to the process.
Lolita would have the best of everything, and to ensure she lived above the station of a queen, I had business to handle.
I used the thermostat app to turn down the air inside her room, simultaneously running down a mental checklist of the tasks I needed to complete for the day.
“Kennedy,” I called for the servitor and grabbed my briefcase off the breakfast bar.
She appeared within seconds with a bottle of window cleaner in her hands. “Yes?”
“Fix something light for Lolita to eat and make sure she gets plenty of water. If there’s an issue, get Isaac straight away.”
“Of course, Diabolus.”
I did one last check to make sure I had everything I needed and then headed for the door. The drive from my home to Stygian Chapel was almost fifteen minutes to the second.
That left me enough time to get there and swing by the office before my meeting. Ambrose had already pulled the X5 around and was waiting for me. He was a dignified man who had served our family since I was a child. Despite his age, he still carried himself with an imposing presence.
“Good morning, Diabolus.”
I acknowledged him with a nod and slipped into the backseat. He returned to the front and wordlessly pulled away from the manor. We’d established a routine over the years where no words were exchanged unless I engaged him in conversation first. I dealt with so much bullshit on top of my daily tasks that these short rides were often the only silence I got until I returned home in the evenings.
The Isle bustled with activity from sun up to well beyond sundown. There was always something that needed to be done or decided upon in a timely manner.
It was an endless endeavor, but I didn’t mind. My disciples would be the first to preach that I loved our island and deeply appreciated their diligence in its upkeep, but I’d be damned if I didn’t take every moment of peace I could get.
As Ambrose drove through the streets, those who recognized the vehicle waved before going back to prepping their establishments for the day. A few of the shops and eateries that opened earlier in the morning had already accumulated a decent number of tourists. It was nice to see my people profiting.