I give him a curt nod, acknowledging his words and keep my eyes free of any emotion, locked in on his.
Show no fear, no weaknesses.
His eyes narrow slightly before they fall back upon Dahlia. His face lights up as he scans the length of her once more. “I look forward to seeing how this works out,” he pauses, looking back at me. “Don’t make me regret this.”
“Have you such little faith in me, Father?” I question him, tugging Dahlia closer to me. “We’ve just barely begun, and I already have the upper hand.”
He nods after a moment and pushes off his desk, walking back to his seat. “Very well, son. Take the girl to her room, the one fit for a princess, and dinner will be prepared in an hour,” he declares, motioning toward the door. “Show me what you’ve got with this one.”
With a firm grip, I pull Dahlia along with me and turn our backs to my father as we walk back to the door. Stan steps to the side, pulling the door back open for us.
“Oh, and Kai,” my father calls out as we’re halfway into the hallway. “Try not to leave marks on the girl. We can edit, but it’s a pain in the ass.”
Keeping my back to him, I give him a swift nod and usher Dahlia out of the room. Stan shuts the door behind us, but neither of us turns around. Moving quickly, I practically drag her by her frail arm down the hall and up the stairs.
Without asking, I already know which bedroom is hers. My father has been preparing it for quite some time, but he always kept it empty, claiming it was fit only for royalty.
In his eyes, Dahlia is royalty. The room now belongs to her. Besides me, she is now the only other kid that’s allowed to live in the main house. The rest are locked away in the hidden room below the parlor.
I lead her into the room and shut the door behind us before shoving her down onto the bed. A gasp escapes her lips as her ass hits the mattress and she gives me a startled look.
She’s afraid, but fear is a natural response. It is what will keep her alive, but only if she learns how to mask it.
Her bright green eyes are wide as she watches me, waiting for whatever comes next. Frustration brews as I hastily run my hand through my hair, letting out a deep sigh.
I can be the villain. I can be the bad guy. But when she stares at me with her innocent, emerald-colored eyes, she threatens everything.
I need her to trust me and then I need her to hate me.
“Here’s the deal,” I start as I drop down onto the bed next to her.
“That wasn’t so bad,” she interjects, turning to look at me. My head whips to the side, looking at her incredulously.
What?
I shake my head and grab ahold of her shoulders. “No. What the hell is wrong with you?”
Dahlia flinches as a wave of confusion passes through her eyes.
“Your optimism won’t survive here. Lock it deep inside,” I tell her sternly. “Or lose it.”
She stares at me, chewing on her bottom lip nervously.
“As I was saying.” I roll my eyes and pull my hands away from her shoulders. “This whole place is fucked up and so is everyone in it. If you want to survive, if you want to live, you must listen to everything I say and do whatever I say. No questions, no defiance. Got it?”
Silence fills the room as my words sink into her mind. I can see the questions racing through her head, but instead she simply nods. “Okay,” she agrees in a hushed voice.
Maybe she’s not as stupid as I thought.
I rise to my feet when she falls silent again. “Bad shit happens here. I mean shit you can’t even imagine in your worst nightmares. I can’t promise that it won’t touch you, but I’ll do everything I can to keep you out of their reach.”
Leaving her alone with the questions I can’t answer, I walk to the door and quietly open it. “I have to go get changed. Be dressed for dinner when I return.”
Halfway through the doorway, I turn back around as she slowly stands. “Remember, no weaknesses and do as you’re told. Both of our lives depend on it now.”
I can feel her eyes on me as I slip into the hall, carrying an unsettled feeling with me to my room.
Dahlia
MY FEET ARE GLUED TO the wooden floorboards as I stare at the back of the door. Kai left me alone with more questions than I can count, with no hope of ever getting any answers.
It was only a few hours ago when I first met him and when he promised to help me. He’s changed, playing into their hands like the puppet that he is. Or is he? Maybe it’s all just a façade.
What is real anymore? Is he even real?
I don’t like this place and I don’t know that I like Kai either.
As much as I don’t like him, Kai’s words play on repeat in my head as I scan through the closet lined with dresses.
He is now in charge of me and I must follow his every command.
It makes no sense, but do I even have a choice?
Question after question, they keep piling up. Kai holds all the answers, but he’s locked up as tight as an air-sealed vault. Something about him makes me feel safe, like I can trust him. He might be my way out of here, even if I don’t like him.
My mind is polluted by the unknown and I’m drowning in the conflict that’s consuming me. I’m caught in a warped sense of reality here. I can’t trust him, not when I can’t even trust myself.
Blindly grabbing a dress, I quickly change in the walk-in closet, careful that no one can see me if they were to walk in. It isn’t until after I step out of the closet that I see the dress that I had chosen.
The chiffon material falls in lilac-colored waves, landing just below my ankles. The neckline is high and rests on my collarbone with two thin straps running over my shoulders. Wearing a sleeveless dress in the dead of winter feels strange, even with the temperature in the house set so high.
Along the wall, I find an antique vanity with a large rounded mirror. There’s a collection of makeup arranged on it and hair supplies. Running my fingers through my long curly hair, I untangle the knots as best as I can. Pulling the sides of my hair back, I slide a white gold, diamond crested barrette into my locks, securing it behind my head. The remaining curls fall in twisted strands of honey down my back.
Staring in the mirror, I smooth the top of my hair down as Kai steps behind me. Instinctively, I jump and spin around, sharply sucking in a breath.
“You can’t do that,” he reminds me sternly. “They will feed on your fear.”
I swallow hard, pursing my lips and begin to nod. I stop midway as my eyes travel down to his black dress pants to his matching shoes. Trailing back upward, I follow the lines of his suit jacket to the buttons of his white dress shirt, landing on the black bowtie at the base of his throat.
At fifteen years old, I had my fair share of crushes in school. Private schools with wealthy families made you mature quicker, especially with the boys that money made prettier.
Something about Kai is different though. It is obvious that he comes from money, especially in the suit he is wearing, but there’s a ruggedness to him, just beneath the surface and there’s a darkness lurking inside him.
Kai clears his throat and my gaze quickly jumps to his. He raises an eyebrow in question and a playful grin tugs at the corners of his mouth as my face turns every shade of red.
I quickly turn back around, trying to hide my embarrassment and sit down on the bench seat. Flustered, I attempt to fix my hair that is already in place.
Get it together, Dahlia.
“Use the makeup, but keep it light,” he commands, watching me over my shoulder in the mirror.
“I, uh, don’t really wear makeup,” I lie effortlessly. My mouth clamps shut as soon as the words slip out and instantly regret it.
Do you want to die, Dahlia?
Kai’s eyes narrow and he closes in behind me. He leans down and his arms come around the side of me as he slams his hands onto the vanity, caging me in. He lowers his mouth to my ear, still with his eyes on mine in the mirror.
; “Did I ask you if you wear makeup?” he growls, tickling my ear.
“You didn’t,” I declare as I straighten my back, pushing my shoulders back.
What the hell are you trying to prove, Dahlia?
“I know what you’re doing here,” he says in a hushed voice. “Back the fuck down, Dahlia or this won’t end well.”
His words are harsh and each one cuts deeper like a jagged shard of glass. The fight inside me isn’t ready to quit, but I need to harness it and fall in line.
“Whatever I say... no questions and no defiance,” he reminds me, tersely. He leans into my back as he reaches forward, grabbing a tube of mascara. He hands it to me gently before standing upright. “Keep it light.”
Kai steps away as I quickly twist open the mascara. There’s an empty, lonely feeling left in his place as he moves across the room. None of my other crushes ever felt like this.
I shake my head to myself and start applying the makeup.
Maybe it’s because I hate him and don’t have a crush on him.
It’s hard not to watch him, but after I poke myself in the eye for the third time, I force myself to stop. I quickly apply a small amount of blush to my cheeks and swipe some nude colored eyeshadow on.
Kai walks back over to me, holding something in his hand as I glide dark red lip gloss across my lips. His mouth opens slightly as he stares down at me with darkened eyes. He holds out his hand, uncurling his fist and reveals a set of earrings and a necklace. The earrings are simple with each one a small dangling string of diamonds.
“Wear these,” he instructs as I take them out of his hand. I carefully slide them into the holes in both of my ears and watch as the light catches them. Kai holds up the necklace and motions for me to move my hair. Pulling the thick curls into one hand, I lift it away from the back of my neck as Kai slips the thin strand of squared-off diamonds around my throat. I reach up and lightly touch the expensive choker, admiring the way it fits perfectly around my neck.
“It’s time to go,” Kai informs me and grabs my wrist. His touch is rough, but it softens as he helps me to my feet. “Please behave,” he says in a hushed voice as he pulls me from the bedroom and down to the dining room.
The dining room is similar to the one at my house. A large table that easily can seat twenty sits in the center of the room, decorated with centerpieces and expensive china. A man, dressed as a butler, walks around the table filling glasses with water. A soft classical melody plays in the background and it sounds so organic, like it isn’t being played through hidden speakers.
Kai pulls me along with him to one end of the table where he takes a seat at the head of the table. He pulls out the chair next to him for me, where I quickly sit down and scoot in. The same butler approaches him, showing him a small slip of paper. Kai’s brow furrows as he reads it and nods.
The man quickly scurries away and slips into the kitchen as Kai looks up, catching my eye. I don’t say a word as I silently ask him what’s wrong. He sighs deeply, picking up on my cues and gives in.
“Luca and his men won’t be joining us tonight,” he whispers, and his body relaxes. He says his father’s name with such distaste, but it throws me off with how he can address him as his father.
Together we sit alone in the room and I fold my hands in my lap, waiting for his instruction. Three other kids enter the dining room, all dressed like the two of us. The two girls’ faces are free of any makeup and they appear as though they haven’t bathed in days. The boy looks as equally dirty with his shaggy brown hair, but he is still dressed in a crisp, clean suit.
The taller girl of the two strides around the table, glaring at me as she takes a seat across from me, on the opposite side of Kai. Her thick black hair secured in a braid swings over her shoulder as she sits down in a huff. Her blue eyes are pinned on mine as she crosses her arms over her chest.
I don’t notice as the other girl with short mousy brown hair takes the seat next to me.
“Kai,” the girl across from me barks, jolting her eyes to him. The boy sits down next to her, gently touching her arm. “Don’t fucking touch me, Gavin,” she seethes.
Kai ignores the girl as a few waiters ease into the room, each with a plate of salad for us. They quickly serve all of us our food and disappear from the room. No one says a word as everyone begins to eat. Everyone but the girl across from me.
“Who is she, Kai?” she demands, slamming her fists down onto the table. The girl beside me jumps and Gavin stares down at his plate with his eyes wide.
Kai quietly puts his fork down and looks over at the girl. “Lily, you need to shut the fuck up.”
“Fuck you, Kai,” she scoffs. “Who is she? She’s clean, too clean, even for being new. And I never once saw her downstairs...” Her voice trails off as she narrows her eyes. “She’s the fucking princess, isn’t she?”
Now, I look at Kai in confusion. This isn’t the first time I heard princess thrown around since I woke up here. I wasn’t a princess though.
I was just Dahlia Moretti.
“Lily,” the girl beside me whispers. “Just because they’re not here doesn’t mean they can’t hear us.”
“Fuck off, Daisy.”
Clearing his throat, Kai gains everyone’s attention. “Her name is Dahlia and that is already more than any of you need to know.”
“That little slut is gonna replace me, isn’t she?” Lily questions him with venom in her words.
“Keep it up, Lily,” Kai warns her in a low voice. “You know where the fuck you’re headed.”
With tears pooling in her eyes, Lily glares at him and quickly rises to her feet. She rushes out of the room and back through the door from where they entered.
“She thought she was going to be the princess,” Daisy whispers to me.
“The princess?” I ask, giving her a questioning glance.
“You know, Kai’s girl. The one that is here for him and only him,” she says, quickly glancing at him. “Lily thought it was gonna be her since they worked together a lot, but then Luca paired her up with Gavin.”
Nothing is adding up in my head and the more that Daisy talks, the more confused I get. Who are they and why are they here? Why are any of us here?
“Was Lily his girlfriend?” I ask, keeping my eyes on my food in front of me.
Kai said no questions, but he didn’t specify to who.
“No,” Daisy says as she takes a sip of her water. “Lily wanted to be, but feelings don’t exist in Kai’s world.”
As I open my mouth to disagree with her, I look up and my eyes instantly meet his soft brown irises. He’s watching me with curiosity, but his stare is intense and the flame in his eyes burns brighter than the sun.
My mouth falls shut and Daisy glances over before dropping her head back to her food and begins scarfing it down.
Kai and I are caught in a stare down when he finally breaks the silence.
“Eat your food, Dahlia,” he demands over the soft classical melody that plays throughout the room.
Resisting the urge to throw my fork at him, I tuck my head down and resume eating. We all sit silently and continue on with our dinner as if Lily was never here.
Kai
“FIVE MORE PUSHUPS.”
Dahlia’s arms give out and she collapses onto the matted floor. She rolls her head to the side, staring up at me as a bead of sweat runs down the side of her face. “Kai, I can’t do anymore,” she whines as she tries to catch her breath.
Crouching down, I roughly grab her chin and lift her head up. I watch her chest rise and fall rapidly as she struggles to breathe. A small smile tugs at the corner of my lips until I meet her wide green eyes. My face falls stone cold and I cut my eyes at her.
“That wasn’t a question,” I growl, inching closer to her face. “That was a fucking order.”
Her brow furrows slightly and she subtly narrows her eyes as she blinks in understanding. I let go of her chin with a small push and stand back up as her head bobs. She catches i
t before it hits the ground.
A chuckle sounds from across the room at one of the weight benches. Looking up, my eyes find Darren staring at Dahlia as he spots Baxter bench pressing. They’re both fifteen and here for the same reason as the rest of us. And if Darren keeps staring at her the way they are, they’ll be the next to meet the pigs.
“The fuck you looking at?” I growl at Darren when his gaze drifts to me.
He smirks. “Nothin’ man.” He gives her one last glance before turning his attention back to Baxter.
Dahlia stares at the floor silently before taking a deep breath and pushes upward on shaky arms. I stand to the side, but I stay close to her, watching the two assholes across the room. There are eyes and ears everywhere and not a single person can be trusted here.
It’s almost been a month since Dahlia was brought here and given to me. I keep her close by, but always at arm’s length. The only time she leaves my side is to sleep and when the pigs need to be fed.
She doesn’t belong here, and I don’t belong in her life. I’m her ticket out of here, but we’re running out of time.
We’ve been in the weight room six days a week, working on her strength and stamina. Every kid that comes here goes through the same training, unless they don’t obey. Then they aren’t trained, they’re broken.
Dahlia struggles every time she pushes upward and fights against her body that threatens to collapse each time, she inches closer to the floor. She pushes her body to the limit, not giving in to the exhaustion that is quickly consuming her.
She’s stronger than she shows, and I find myself in awe with her strength and her ability to keep on pushing through.
I need her strong, there’s no place here for the weak, but the stronger she grows, the harder they’re going to push her.
I watch her slowly ease herself onto the floor, drawing her knees underneath her as she breathes heavily. Crouching down, I touch her shoulder and slowly pull her upward. “Sit up.”
Dahlia quickly sits up and falls heavily onto her ass as she leans back. She wraps her arms around her knees, sucking in as much air as she can, letting the sweat drip from her face.
Entangled Chaos (Entangled Duet Book 1) Page 3
