Total pages in book: 104
Estimated words: 104127 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 521(@200wpm)___ 417(@250wpm)___ 347(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 104127 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 521(@200wpm)___ 417(@250wpm)___ 347(@300wpm)
Something tells me this is just the beginning too.
16
GIDEON
Since the incident in the cellar, Sasha has been laying low. Biding her time, most likely.
Days have passed, and despite my best effort to distance myself from her, I can’t.
She’s too good for me, but that won’t stop this madness. My morality has been in question ever since the first drop of blood was spilled by my hands. It grew when I added stalking, kidnapping, and defending her honor to the mix. It only gets worse with every immoral thing I think about doing to her.
Case in point, I’m sitting in my office, scotch in hand, all while I watch the computer surveillance monitor like some sort of pervert, all in the name of ensuring she’s safe.
Bullshit.
It’s another form of stalking, and I’m leaning right into it without a second thought.
At this point, I’m contemplating whether I’m a complete psycho.
Jury’s still out.
As soon as she left her room, I stopped watching the smoke detector video on my phone and turned on the larger monitor on my desk, cueing up the cameras set up around the house.
If sitting in the dark and watching the footage is wrong, I don’t ever want to be right.
Especially when the prize for her attempted escape will be so sweet.
I say attempted because I’m going to allow her a head start. It’ll be more fun that way.
The chase.
The catch.
The punishment.
I don’t truly understand the strange obsession I have with her. I’ve gone over it several times, and it never provides a reasonable excuse. No matter, I can’t push thoughts of her away.
I track her every movement and watch as she slips through the kitchen, making her way to the service entrance. Unlike a few days earlier when I bumped into her, this time, she pretends at least.
After the run-in a few days ago with Sean, I expected her quest for escape to be paused, but as usual, she surprises me. She’s been searching every inch of the manor ever since. She must have decided the kitchen door was the easiest way out.
She walks over to the fridge and pretends to rifle around for something she has no intention of finding. Her head peeks around the door, eyes darting around the room, likely trying to ensure no one is around. When she feels secure, she makes her way toward the door.
My hands clap together as I wait for her next move.
Everything is going according to my plan, and I can’t keep the smile off my face.
It won’t be long now. I’ll have her right where I want her.
In my bed.
Ever since I saw her on that fire escape, I’ve dreamed of this. Needed her beside me. I feel like I’m losing my mind, but it doesn’t change the fact that I’m excited for what’s to come. What she’s going to force me to do.
I’m practically jumping out of my skin as I wait for her to fall into my trap. To try to run from me.
“That will never happen, firefly,” I say to the monitor.
Not until I consume her light.
The only way to do that is to catch her.
Envisioning a glass jar, one with tiny bright lights fluttering around, my smile widens.
I’m well and truly losing it.
I continue to watch Sasha on camera. Her lame attempt at escape is comical, and it brings me joy. There are so many other things I should be doing, but stalking Sasha is my new favorite pastime.
I’m staring at my computer monitor, watching the screen flicker and glitch. It’s like a broken television with black bars flashing on the screen and images jumping around.
My pulse accelerates.
Where is she?
Grabbing my phone, I scroll through my contacts and hit send.
The picture on my security footage still looks like grainy snow. My fist slams down on the desk as I wait for Jaxson to pick up.
“What the fuck is wrong with the cameras?”
“I don’t know, Gideon. Ask your paid IT guy on staff. Rick, is it? I’m fucking busy.”
“Fix it now.”
“For fuck’s sake. You don’t pay me enough,” Jax mumbles, but I hear him typing away, and before long, the screen lights up, and I see her again. “There. Happy? Now leave me the fuck alone.”
The line disconnects.
Fuck.
My heartbeat starts to regulate.
This obsession will be the death of me.
Fucking Jax.
He’s not wrong. I don’t pay him enough to put up with my crazy. Especially now that it’s multiplied since Sasha’s arrival.
I need to send him a gift for putting up with me.
I also need to start checking in with Rick from now on.
That’s what I employ him for.
Looking back at the clear picture in front of me, I watch as she makes her way outside, and I have to flip the camera view to those I have surveying the trees lining the drive. She’s getting pretty far up the path, and if she gets any farther, I’ll lose sight of her.