She ran blindly through the dim corridors, lungs burning, thighs slick with her own wetness and the remnants of his earlier torment.
The attic door loomed ahead, separate from the restrooms on either side, a heavy, carved slab of dark mahogany that looked like it guarded secrets no one was meant to keep.
Her fingers closed around the cold brass knob.
She twisted hard.
Pushed.
The door resisted for one agonizing heartbeat, then gave way with a low groan.
She slipped inside and shut it behind her, softly, carefully, heart hammering so loud she was sure he could hear it through the walls.
No lock. Of course there wasn't. This was his house. His domain.
He had keys to every door, every hidden corner, every part of her soul.
She shook her head, trying to banish the thought, and turned to face the attic.
The space was vast and shadowed, a cathedral of forgotten things bathed in faint silver moonlight that leaked through a single tall, arched window at the far end.
Dust hung in the air like suspended smoke.
Antique trunks lined the walls, black leather, brass-bound, scarred from decades of secrets.
Velvet drapes shrouded taller pieces, their folds heavy and sensual, as though the fabric itself remembered hands that had once caressed them.
A massive four-poster bed frame stood half-draped in the center, stripped of mattress but still radiating dark invitation, its carved posts twisted into vines and thorns that looked ready to ensnare anyone foolish enough to lie beneath them.
Crates of old ledgers, crystal decanters wrapped in felt, and locked iron boxes whispered of wealth accumulated through ruthless means.
The air smelled of aged wood, leather, faint cigar smoke, and something sharper, something masculine and predatory that clung to every surface.
This wasn't just storage. This was Kacy's private crypt of power.
A place where he kept the things he no longer displayed but refused to discard.
A place made for ruin.
It wasn't pitch black. The moonlight carved pale slashes across the floorboards, enough for her to see shapes, enough for her not to stumble.
"Ouch, fuck."
Her shin slammed into the sharp edge of a wooden crate.
Pain flared white-hot up her leg.
She bit her palm to trap the scream, tasting salt and the lingering drool he'd forced from her mouth earlier.
Tears stung her eyes, mixing with the mess already streaking her cheeks, her chin, the front of her ruined satin gown.
God, she was a wreck.
Only Kacy could do this to her, reduce her to a trembling, dripping, forgetful mess with nothing more than a look, a whisper, the slow curl of his name around her like smoke.
Lilian's words had been kind, comforting. But they were nothing compared to the way Kacy's blue eyes stripped her bare without a single word.
Those eyes didn't comfort.
They consumed.
They promised safety and terror in the same breath.
They read every filthy thought she tried to hide.
They fucked her soul long before his body ever touched her.
He didn't need to say he cared.
His gaze did it for him, dark, possessive, ravenous.
The way he handled her like fragile gold one moment, then shattered her the next.
The only man who could break her into a thousand pieces and still be the only one capable of putting her back together.
And even if she ran forever, she'd never escape him.
"You're mine, Ivy."
He'd said it so many times it lived inside her bloodstream now. A vow. A curse. A truth.
Little moonlight.
The way his tongue rolled over the words, the soft click of his teeth on the "t," the velvet drag of "moonlight", it sank into her bones, made her wet even when she hated herself for it.
She still didn't know why he called her that.
Soon, she'd ask. If she survived tonight.
Her thoughts shattered when she heard him.
Footsteps.
Slow.
Deliberate.
Closer.
Then the knob turned.
She froze.
He didn't push the door open. Not yet.
Instead, he hummed, low, sensual, the sound vibrating through the wood like a lover's moan.
The notes were lazy, taunting, designed to crawl under her skin.
Panic surged. She paced in tight circles, adrenaline flooding her veins, making her clit throb in time with her racing pulse.
Her eyes darted, landed on an old, dusty cupboard pressed against the far wall near the door.
Tall.
Narrow.
Doors slightly ajar.
A sliver of moonlight caught the edge.
She darted to it, eased the door open with trembling hands. No creak. Thank God.
Inside, shelves of forgotten linens, a small stack of pink napkins on the bottom.
She snatched one, shook off cobwebs, wiped frantically at the drool coating her chin, her throat, the tops of her breasts where the satin had turned sheer and clinging. She scrubbed at the tear tracks on her cheeks.
Tossed the filthy cloth aside.
He still hadn't entered.
She realized why.
He was giving her time.
Time to hide.
Time to believe she could win.
Time to taste the illusion of freedom.
So when he finally caught her, the fall would be sweeter.
The words he'd whispered earlier curled through her mind like smoke:
"If I catch you… I'll break you in ways you'd never imagine."
Her cunt clenched at the memory, fear and want twisting into something obscene.
She glanced at the cupboard again.
Too small.
Too obvious.
If she climbed in, the doors would rattle.
He'd hear.
Her gaze swept the room, dozens of large crates, trunks, boxes stacked haphazardly.
He'd think she'd hidden in one.
He'd be wrong.
But it might buy her seconds.
She smiled to herself, small, triumphant, thinking she'd won this round.
She dragged the heavy cupboard away from the wall just enough, the wood scraping softly against the floorboards.
Then she squatted low, pressing her back to the cold plaster, and pulled the cupboard back into place.
It sealed her in the narrow gap like a coffin.
Dust choked the air. Her heart thundered so loud she was sure it would give her away.
Unknown to her, Kacy knew.
Every shallow breath. Every tiny shift of her hips. Every frantic beat of her pulse. He always knew.
The knob turned.
Her heart launched into her throat and slammed back down. She clamped her palm over her mouth, swallowing the scream that tried to claw out.
He was humming again, that low, sensual melody that felt like fingers trailing down her spine.
The notes said everything his words didn't have to:
"No matter where you hide, little moonlight, I'll find you. And when I do, I'll fuck your brains out until you forget your own name."
Footsteps. Slow. Measured.
Approaching.
Her lips parted, closed, parted again, silent gasps she couldn't control.
Fear twisted with twisted excitement in her gut.
She wanted him to catch her.
Needed to know what he'd do when he finally had her pinned and helpless.
The images flashing through her mind, his hands bruising her thighs, his cock stretching her until she sobbed, his teeth on her throat, sent fresh heat flooding between her legs.
Her panties were beyond soaked; slickness coated her inner thighs, dripping slowly, obscenely.
Thump.
Thump.
Thump.
Her heartbeat synced with his steps.
He tapped once, twice, on the nearest box.
Casual.
Playful.
Predatory.
One… two…
He moved closer.
Tap.
Tap.
Tap.
By the tenth box, right beside her hiding spot, the footsteps stopped. The humming stopped.
Silence.
Her pulse roared in her ears. She squeezed her eyes shut, waiting.
One second. Two. Three…
Up to sixty.
Nothing.
She cracked her eyes open, peering through the sliver of space between the cupboard and wall.
Empty.
Then, tap.
Right beside her.
Tap.
Tap.
Tap.
Four deliberate, mocking taps on the cupboard itself.
A silent scream burned in her throat.
She bit her palm harder.
Then came the laugh, low, sensual, cruel. The sound wrapped around her like smoke.
"Little moonlight,"
he whispered, voice velvet and hot.
"I can hear every little gasp. Every tiny, desperate scream. That hand over your mouth? It's doing nothing."
Her heart stuttered.
She tried to scoot back, deeper into the wall.
Her bare back scraped rough plaster. Pain flared sharp and bright.
She whimpered, the sound muffled against her palm.
The wall clawed at her skin, hot lines opening, blood welling instantly. She felt it trickle warm and wet down her spine, soaking into the satin at her waist.
Fuck.
Kacy was going to lose it when he saw the blood.
She shifted, trying to reach back and assess the damage. The movement tugged her gown, and something snagged.
A rusted nail jutting from an old beam caught the hem.
She froze.
The nail held fast.
She yanked once, twice, panicking silently. Sweat beaded on her forehead.
Her breaths came fast, shallow.
One final, desperate pull.
The fabric tore.
A long, jagged rip split the left side of her gown, from hip to ankle. Cool air kissed newly exposed skin. The satin hung in tatters, useless.
Then his voice, low, calm, lethal, slid through the dark.
"Found you, little moonlight."
Her eyes flew open.
Pupils blown wide.
Staring straight into mischievous blue eyes that promised beautiful violence.
He smirked, slow, sexy, triumphant.
She screamed, loud, raw, the sound she'd trapped for so long exploding free.
His smirk widened, then faltered.
His gaze darkened as he took her in, gown shredded and dusty, black satin clinging to sweat-slick skin, blood streaking down her back, pink manicured nails chipped and bloodied, eyes swollen and red, cheeks streaked with tears and drool.
A ruined, breathtaking mess.
Anger flashed across his face, cold, possessive fury.
With one brutal shove, he sent the cupboard crashing sideways. Wood splintered. The crash echoed like thunder.
She screamed again, hands flying to her ears.
Then something locked around her ankle, warm, strong fingers.
She yelped, sensation shooting up her leg.
His hand.
The glint of his wedding band on her skin.
He leaned in close, body heat scorching her.
"I leave you alone for only a few minutes,"
He murmured, his voice dangerously soft.
"and you've already ruined yourself."
His free hand pressed against her waist, firm, claiming.
"I was going to break you tonight, Ivy. But you decided to start without me. Not cool, Ivy."
His eyes roamed her body, hungry, furious.
Then his fingers slid around to her back.
He froze.
Felt the wet heat of blood.
His gaze snapped to hers, nothing calm left.
Only dark, seething rage.
She'd forgotten. In her panic to escape him, she'd forgotten she was carrying his child.
He hadn't.
His voice dropped, sensual, deadly.
"Oh, little moonlight… what should I do with you?"
Before she could answer, he gripped her ankle tighter and yanked.
She slid out from the gap, screaming, gasping, legs kicking uselessly.
He released her ankle and rose to his full height, towering over her sprawled form.
She glared up at him, rubbing her ankle, tears streaming.
"I'm fucking pregnant, Kacy!"
She shouted, voice cracking.
"How could you drag me like a rag doll? How could you...."
"Shhhh…"
His index finger pressed firmly against her parted lips. She gasped softly, emerald eyes darting wildly in the dim attic light, heart slamming against her ribs like a trapped bird.
He waited, patient, predatory, until her breathing steadied, until the frantic rise and fall of her chest slowed. Only then did he slide his finger away.
The absence left her lips tingling, aching for the familiar pressure. She stared up at him, hurt flickering in her gaze, missing the claim of his touch already.
"You didn't realize you were pregnant when you hid in that suffocating place. No… you didn't realize you were pregnant when you scraped that perfect, silky back against the wall."
His voice dropped, darker now.
"No, little moonlight, you didn't. You didn't… you didn't realize you were pregnant when you were running from me when you tried to squeeze yourself into that godforsaken wall, forgetting you were carrying a life inside you."
He paused, his gaze hardening.
"Our little snowdrop."
He leaned closer, blue eyes burning with something dark and unfiltered.
"But the second I dragged you out like a rag doll, uncaring if your knees scraped the floorboards, if your palms bled, you remembered. Tell me, little moonlight… why now?"
The calm mask he always wore was gone.
In its place: raw fury edged with guilt.
He was furious, at her for running, at himself for pushing her to the point of injury.
The dangerous glint in his eyes swallowed the light. His entire body radiated possession and rage.
She stared, embarrassed, shocked, unable to speak.
Her tongue darted out, wetting her dry lips.
She swallowed hard.
All she could manage to say was a soft, trembling whisper.
"Your eyes… they don't look calm anymore."
He laughed, dark, sensual, completely devoid of warmth.
A low, mocking sound that vibrated straight to her core.
After everything he'd just said, after laying bare his rage, his innocent little wife could only comment on his eyes.
He swallowed the laugh, gaze turning predatory.
"Not when you've hurt yourself, Ivana."
He used her full name deliberately, the sound sharp and intimate.
"Not when you look like this. Fuck. Bloody fuck."
Fuck. Not Ivy. Not the name he used when he was teasing. He had called her Ivana.
"I hate seeing marks on your body, Ivy. Your delicate, perfect skin is mine to worship, to bruise only when I choose to, never because you're running from me. And I hate even more that I'm the reason you got hurt. You ran because of me. You bled because of me. A single scratch on you makes me want to tear the world apart. If any fucker ever put a mark on you, I'll make their life miserable. Slowly. Painfully."
His voice cracked just once, betraying the depth beneath the anger.
"I fucking love you, little moonlight. And I hate seeing you like this."
"It's not your fault…" she whispered, soft and innocent.
He cut her off instantly.
"Shhhh. Don't speak."
He leaned in, lips brushing her ear.
"Remember our deal? I told you, if I caught you, I'd break you in ways you'd never imagine. I meant every word."
He paused, letting the threat sink in.
"Pray your injuries aren't serious, Ivy. Pray hard. Because if they are…"
He paused, that slow, deliberate pause that made the air itself shiver.
Then a slow, beautiful, terrifying smile curved across his lips....a smile that spoke of storms and fire, of control and inevitability. It wasn't gentle.
It wasn't playful. It was a predator's claim, sharp and lethal.
And in that smile, Ivana knew the truth. She was his. Every inch of her. Every breath, every shiver, every pulse.
She was utterly, irrevocably, fucked.
Dead to mercy.
Fucking dead in Kacy's wrath.
He closed his eyes.
Took a long, controlled breath.
When he opened them again, the familiar calm intensity had returned, stormy blue, but steadier. The rage hadn't vanished; it had simply coiled tighter, waiting.
Her soft voice, her trembling sweetness, it always unraveled him.
He reached into his pocket and pulled out the pink silk blindfold.
She gasped, instinctively trying to scoot back.
His hand snapped around her ankle, firm, unyielding, yanking her back to him. He crushed his mouth to hers in a hard, claiming kiss, swallowing her shaky exhale.
When he pulled away, he wrapped the silk over her eyes and tied it securely, not cruelly tight, but tight enough to remind her she was his to blind, to bind, to break.
"Do you trust me, little moonlight?"
The sensual whisper curled through her, igniting fear and liquid heat between her thighs. She trembled violently.
She nodded.
"Words, Little moonlight,"
He demanded, voice velvet and lethal.
"I need words from that pretty little mouth."
"Yes," she breathed, voice shaking.
Blind now, she felt only sensation, his heat, his scent, the promise of ruin.
He studied her one last time, shaking, blindfolded, gown torn, blood drying on her back, thighs slick with need, and something feral flashed in his gaze.
Then he slid his hands under her waist and lifted her effortlessly, like she weighed nothing more than desire itself.
"Kac...."
Her protest died as the world flipped.
He threw her over his broad shoulder in one smooth motion.
Her head dangled down his back, blood rushing to her face. She gripped his shirt instinctively, fingers digging into muscle.
His free hand clamped possessively over the curve of her ass, thumb brushing the torn edge of her gown, grazing bare skin.
He started walking.
No creak of the attic door. No turn of the knob.
They were still inside his shadowed kingdom.
Her predator had caught his prey.
And he wasn't finished.
He would break her tonight, slowly, deliberately, exquisitely, until every scream, every sob, every shudder belonged to him alone.
Until she understood, bone-deep.
She could run.
But she would always be caught.
And she would always beg for more.