Page 74 of Lord of Passion

He blindfolds me in the car. More because he wants to unsettle me, I suspect. There's a tug and he pulls my wedding ring off. "Tell me one thing."

"Yes, my dear Caroline?"

"Have you kept your promise about Liria?" I ask. "If you put her in danger, I willneverforgive you."

"I could never cause harm to my dear wife's family," he says with the utter certainty of a psychopath.

We've been driving for about fifteen minutes, I think, and when the car stops, he escorts me into a building, "Watch your step." It smells like dust, then fresh paint, then mildew. He whips off my blindfold with a "ta-da!" flourish and we're in a beautifully designed library. This has to be one of the old-money Boston mansions, with an enormous fireplace and exquisite crown molding. The bookcases go to the ceiling with a little rolling ladder so you can skim along all the leather-bound books.

"Your home is beautiful," I say.

"Thank you," he says modestly, "I had to stop the renovations halfway through, the construction noise was upsetting a friend of mine." He seats himself on the couch across from me, spreading his arms across the top. It's a shame Johann is insane and possibly a serial killer. With his blue eyes and his thick black hair pulled back into a ponytail, he's very attractive.

Until you know his soul is rotting.

He nods at a laptop sitting on the coffee table in front of me. "Have a look." There's a flash drive already plugged in and I sort through the files. The vomit I managed to hold in this morning surges up, and I fall to my knees and everything I've ever eaten and possibly some internal organs come up into a potted plant.

Mouth twisted into a little moue of distaste; Johann holds out a box of tissues and calls for someone to take the plant away. Poor Ficus. It didn't deserve what I've done to it.

"How could you have this…" I take a breath. "This wealth of information, Johann?"

"I was a bit of a protegee," he says. "Dritan was known for taking ambitious young men under his wing. He always said I was the only one who never disappointed him."

"Well, we know his son Luan was a massive fuck-up, so at least he had you," I say dryly. It's not a compliment.

He, of course, takes it as one. "Thank you. As you can see, there's a good dozen outrages that I can reveal that would send powerful men to your sweet cousin's doorstep. Not even the Morozov Bratva can defend against multiple crime families."

I wipe my forehead with another tissue. There's a blaze roaring in the fireplace, it's hot as hell in here. Was it just this morningthat my sore lady garden was my biggest concern? I wish Nikandr was here.

That realization makes me tear up and Johann's eyes widen, his hands fluttering, alarmed. "There's no need for tears, my darling. All of these little embarrassments are buried deep and don't ever need to see the light of day."

"I agreed to hear your arguments about your superior suitability for marriage," I manage. "But first, may I have a drink of water?"

What follows bruises my brain. I want to have amnesia. I want to forget everything from this day.

Johann has bullet points.

"I'll lay out your wardrobe every day, with a matching bra and panty set." Something escapes my throat that's unrecognizable. "And your nightwear." Again, the boyish smile. "Which at times might be unconventional. Now, there will be scheduled wifely duties, but not to exclude spontaneous moments. For instance, if one of my guards is caught looking at you, I would fuck you in front of him as he bleeds out from a dozen cuts as his punishment."

I'm shivering. Was I hot before? It's not warm in here.

"You must admit you want me, darling, because really," he chuckles, "you essentially kidnapped yourself."

Toward the end of his presentation, his mask of civility slips. Just a bit. Enough to give me a glimpse at what lives under his skin suit. A bloody, gibbering thing. It dances and cackles, he won't be able to keep it under control for long.

"I travel a great deal. When you are not with me, I will require films of you to help me relax. Don't worry, I have severalinstructional films from old girlfriends that I can show you to give you an idea of what I'll need."

His clear blue eyes are shining as he smiles at me.

"Oh! You look upset, sweetheart. You will never have to worry about other women. They're all gone, now. Gone for good. I know that you won't disappoint me. Not like the others." We shouldn't be here in this beautiful room while he says these ugly things. My thighs tighten and I make an abortive move to stand. He takes my hands, pulling me down.

"Your marital duties," he cocks his head thoughtfully. "It will be a bit rough by the time we're done, but don't worry. I'll never take any bits off where others can see."

It's very late when he winds down, his pale skin flushed and his chest heaving.

"You've given me a great deal to think about, Johann," I say. "I would like to sleep on it."

Instantly, he looks chagrined. "I'm a terrible host! I haven't offered you dinner yet."