Dark Wish (A Dark Romance)

by Clarissa Wild

  “Don’t be afraid,” he says with that same sultry voice that tickles every sense of my body. “I’m not here to hurt you.”

  “Who are you?” I ask. “And what do you want from me?”

  Every step he takes makes a clicking sound, every click pushing me closer into the wall. Click. He adjusts his cuffs. Click. My heart beats in my throat. Click. He towers over me, exuding pure power. Rage. Lust.

  All of those things bundled into one, forcing me to cower before him.

  “I’m here for you.”

  Panic washes over me.

  “Me? Why?” My voice is barely audible.

  “You don’t know?” He frowns.

  I shake my head thoroughly.

  His eyes twitch as they narrow, and he comes even closer. “Interesting.”

  “I don’t understand—”

  Suddenly, his hand reaches for my face, the back of his index finger sliding ever so softly down my cheek, spreading goose bumps all over my body. “I can give you the one thing you’ve wanted but never dared to ask for.” A dangerous smile spreads leisurely on his face. “True release.”

  Release? What does he mean?

  The look on his face darkens. “Now tell me the truth.”

  I back away as he takes a step closer … and closer … and closer. “What truth? I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “Yes, you do, Amelia,” he muses.

  He plants a hand on the wall beside me. “I know what you did.”

  I shudder in place as his energy drips over onto me, making me lose my will to fight.

  I don’t know why I’m overcome with the sudden urge to cry and scream, but he covers my mouth before I can.

  “Shh,” he whispers. “Don’t want them to hear us.”

  “Please,” I mutter through his hand.

  He cocks his head. “I only want one thing from you.”

  Dread fills my bones, but something else is brewing underneath the surface of my skin. Something I can’t describe as anything other than shame. Something I’m desperately trying to hide.

  “Tell me,” he says as he leans so close I can feel his breath on my skin, “your biggest secret.”

  My lips part, but all that exits is a choking sound.

  He smiles as his hand leaves my mouth, but still, I can’t utter a single word.

  “You want to tell me, but you can’t … can you?” His eyes narrow, and he grabs my chin and forces me to look at him.

  Tears spring into my eyes. “I don’t know—”

  “Yes. You. Do.” That same commanding tone makes my whole body tremble. “But if you refuse to tell me, I’m going to ask you a different question: What is your darkest desire?” He plants his hand on the wall behind me again and grips my chin so firmly that I can’t look away. “Your darkest wish?”

  My brain is no longer in control as my heart splutters the words before I realize what’s happening. “I want to be punished.”

  What did I just say?

  His eyes sparkle with excitement as a dirty grin spreads across his lips.

  “Good little angel,” he murmurs.

  Before I can think about it, before I can even utter another syllable, he’s already grabbed my hand and dragged me out of the library.

  “Wait, I’m not done with my work yet, and I—”

  He stops near a limo and opens the back door. “Get in.”

  I contemplate turning around and walking back inside, but something about the way he looks at me stops me. There’s a possessiveness in his eyes that I can’t ignore, like a warning that if I overstep, he will intervene. And I know full well what he’s capable of.

  So instead of fighting him, I sigh and huddle inside.

  The door is shut, and the silence that follows is deafening.

  What am I doing here? Why did I say those words? What the hell is wrong with me?

  The door on the other side of the car opens, and he slides inside, closing it shut behind him. The locks are flicked, and he signals the driver to start the vehicle.

  Fear makes me panic again.

  Oh God … what did I get myself into?

  “What’s going to happen to me?” I ask as he turns his head toward me.

  An obscene smile forms on his face, one that predicts both fury and exquisite pleasure.

  “I’m going to make your wish come true.”

  Chapter 6

  Eli

  I never imagined she’d come without a fight.

  Not a single ounce of resistance as if it had all drained from her. It was as though the light had disappeared from her eyes, like snow before the sun.

  All because of a few words.

  Tell me your darkest secret, your deepest wish … and I will make it come true.

  I don’t take those words lightly. I mean them when I say them, and I will hold myself accountable. A promise is a promise, and I don’t take those lightheartedly.

  Even if she might not understand the words she uttered or why.

  I know.

  I know everything I need to know about her, everything to make her yield.

  I admit, it was part selfish desire to force her to come with me, but I couldn’t just take her. No, it had to be her own choice, her own willful acknowledgment of what she needed.

  Me.

  “Where are you taking me?” she asks, her timid little body still trembling against the couch like a meek animal that knows it’s trapped.

  “You’ll find out soon enough,” I reply.

  I press the button on the side of the door, and the barrier between the front seat and the back seat rises.

  “This will only hurt for a second.” I reach inside my pocket and take out a syringe. Her eyes widen at the sight of the huge needle, but it’s too late for her to register what I’m doing until it’s already pricked her skin.

  She shrieks, but the sound quickly dies out after the drugs course through her system.

  She might not know me, but she’ll know the real me soon enough.

  I’m the one who’s going to make her beg.

  Amelia

  When I come to, my head feels as though I’ve been hit with a hammer when I know that isn’t true. My ears are ringing, and my eyes are stuck together. I’m so groggy I don’t even know how much time has passed since I fainted.

  Since I was … drugged.

  It all comes flooding back into my brain. The man who followed me and watched me in the library. The man who made me tell him a secret … a dark wish that had been looming in the back of my mind …

  Punish me.

  My eyes burst open, and my lungs fill with oxygen as I lean up to peer at my surroundings. I’m in a huge room that I’ve never seen before on a luxurious red velvet bed that’s too cozy for my own good. None of this feels right.

  How did I get here?

  Then it hits me. That man …

  I grab my arm.

  I can still feel the puncture wound from the needle. There is a bandage covering it.

  My stomach suddenly does a one-eighty, forcing me to throw the blanket off and hurl over the edge of the bed. Fuck. I’ve never felt more nauseous in my life.

  Suddenly, the door opens, and in walks a girl with a tray filled with pill bottles and a cup of water. She immediately puts it down on a dresser near the door.

  “Oh, no …” she mutters. She grabs a towel hanging from a hook near the door and walks toward me. I lean back against the bed and crawl away from her, curling my knees up to my chest in order to appear small. Meek. Not worthy to start a fight with.

  This is what I’ve always done to ward off any attackers. I am not the proud lioness fighting to defend herself. I’m the roadkill that pretends it’s dead so it doesn’t get caught.

  But so far, that strategy has failed. Big time.

  So I grab the nearest object I can find, a lamp, and hold it up like some sort of shield.

  The girl raises her hand in surrender. “I won’t hurt you. I promise.”

&nbs
p; I stare at her as my heart races out of my chest. I don’t know who she is or if I can trust her. I don’t even know where I am or how I got here.

  “I’m just gonna clean this up,” she says, still moving slowly as though I’m some kind of animal that could attack at any moment.

  Maybe I am. Right now, with all these drugs leaving my body, I don’t know what I’m capable of, and neither does she. All I know is that guy drugged me, and now I’m stuck in some bed. God only knows where I ended up.

  The girl cleans up the carpet with the towel before spraying it over. Not once does she raise a brow or wince at the fact that I soiled the floor.

  I peer over the edge of the bed to look at how meticulously she works, rinsing every nook and cranny. “Don’t worry about it,” she says as she looks up at me. “This always happens.”

  Always? As in … this has happened to other people?

  Oh, God.

  “The drugs should be wearing off,” she says, and she places the pills and some water on the nightstand beside me. “You should feel better in a couple of minutes after you take these.”

  She sounds as if she knows exactly what she’s talking about, and I don’t doubt that for a second. But I won’t take these meds, not even if my life depends on it. It’s not worth the risk of getting poisoned.

  She rinses the towels and tucks them in a bin. “I’ll come pick up the dirty laundry later, okay?”

  I don’t reply, don’t even move an inch. I just stare at her as she smiles and then leaves the room. Finally, I allow myself to breathe again.

  What the fuck, what the fuck, what the fuck?!

  I put the lamp down and throw the blanket off, stepping over the stain I just made. I don’t even care about the mess. All I care about is finding out where the hell I am and why this man brought me here.

  Suddenly, the door opens again, and I stumble into the bed, trying to grab ahold of something in order not to fall.

  It’s that same girl again, and she clears her throat. “Sorry, I forgot to mention something important.”

  I look up at her, and without waiting for her to say more, I ask, “Where am I?”

  Her lips part as though she’s about to say something, but then she changes her mind, and says, “House of Sin.”

  House of Sin? What is that?

  “He expects you to be dressed and ready for him.”

  Before I can ask any more questions, she closes the door on me.

  “No, wait!” I stagger to the door and bang on it hard, but there is no reply. The door is locked, and no matter how often I pull the handle, it won’t budge.

  But I won’t give up. “Please! You’ve got to let me out! This is a mistake!”

  I keep banging on the door until my hands hurt and my body feels heavy.

  “Please, let me out!” I beg. “I don’t want to be here!”

  But deep down, I already know it’s futile.

  I sink to the floor, my hand still on the wood, as I disappear into my mind for a moment to try to cope with things and make sense of my new reality. The realization that I’m trapped in a room I don’t belong in hits me hard, and tears well up in my eyes. It’s as if I’m stuck in a nightmare I can’t seem to wake up from.

  All because of that man … that man who stalked me to my work and took me against my will. And I don’t even know his name.

  I stare at the room around me, wondering what the hell I’m supposed to do other than dress myself. I’m not even sure I really want to, but do I really have a choice? If I don’t, would they let me out of this room?

  Just thinking about being stuck here forever gives me the creeps. I mean, it’s not an ugly room. The décor is actually luxurious, with a soft velvety couch on the side, a big bookcase filled with books, and a giant wardrobe. But the windows are barred. This place is nothing but a glorified prison, and I’m being kept here like some sort of criminal.

  What did I do to deserve this?

  Nothing … nothing I can remember, that is.

  All I know is that when he asked me what my darkest wish was, I told him I wanted to be punished. It just slipped out. I didn’t know it would lead to me being taken and put into an expensive cage.

  I sigh to myself and get up from the floor. No point in hanging around and doing nothing. So I gather my courage and inspect every nook and cranny of my room, trying to find an exit, a hidden compartment, or anything that could lead me to either a key or a way out.

  But the longer I search, the more despair takes over. I find nothing, absolutely nothing.

  “Fuck!” I growl out loud, slamming my fists onto the barred windows.

  Nothing’s left unscathed. I even searched under the bedding and peeled away some of the wallpaper. There’s nothing I can use to force my way out. My hand rests against the window, but my view is blocked by the rain splashing down from above.

  Guess there’s no other choice.

  I turn my gaze toward the big wardrobe in the corner next to me. I open it up, expecting rage to further fuel my need to rip it all apart. Instead, my jaw drops at the beauty in front of me. Several glittery gowns with amazing colors, laced in diamonds and chiffon, are hanging in the wardrobe. Gowns from several high-end brands that only a princess would wear. But I am no princess, and I refuse to play this game.

  So I grasp the smallest, most mediocre and modest dress I can find; a short nude dress with no embellishments and a tight fit around the legs and neck. He will expect me to get dressed. Well, that girl never said he’d expect me to dress fancy.

  With a smug grin on my face, I take off my clothes and glare at them for a second. These were the jeans and crop top I was wearing when I was working at the library when he came for me, and when I look at them, all I see is his daunting face and those green eyes gazing right back at me as though they could peer into my soul.

  Shivering in place, I throw the clothes in the corner. I grab the only pair of panties from the drawer and put them on, then the dress. It fits me snugly and feels like the perfect size … as though it was made just for me.

  I inspect myself in the mirror and smile at the woman in front of me, but the smile is fake, empty, emotionless. A woman who’s going through the motions expected of her while screaming on the inside. But then why does it feel like I can’t let it all out?

  Suddenly, there is a knock on the door, and I hold my breath.

  The door opens. First, a foot is visible. Then the black suit. Another foot. The man with the square jaw steps inside my room again, his thin lips tugging at the corner into a rugged, crooked smile.

  I freeze in place as he closes the door behind him. The click of the lock falling into place makes my heart jump. Every step he takes is another one that forces me to stay put, as though his very presence is enough to make my body falter. My muscles fail to listen to me when I tell them to move. When I want to raise a fist and punch him for daring to get close.

  Instead, I just stand there, gazing at both of us in the mirror, wondering why he did all of this to me … and what he’s planning to do.

  As he walks closer, I hold my breath until I can practically feel his body against mine. He looks at me through the mirror, his tongue darting out briefly like a wolf would when it’s about to eat.

  “You look … beautiful,” he says, his voice luscious, almost sexy. “Peculiar choice of dress, but I can appreciate that,” he muses, and he places a hand on my shoulder. Goose bumps scatter on my skin. “Look at yourself … So pretty yet so violent, those thoughts swirling inside your head.”

  I spin on my heels, forcing his hand to drop from my shoulder. Even though my heart is racing, I come face-to-face with the man who trapped me.

  “Who are you?”

  That same dark, almost hungry smile appears. “Call me Eli.”

  Eli … such an innocent name for such a devilish man.

  “What do you want from me?” I ask.

  “What do I want?” He snorts, almost as if to laugh at me. “No, Amelia. This is what
you wanted.”

  My eyes widen as fire rages through my chest. “What I wanted? I never asked to be locked up like some pet.”

  Suddenly, his hand is on my neck, fingers twisted around my flesh, causing me to gasp. “You asked …” His grip loosens, and his thumb caresses me so softly it confuses the hell out of me. “And I am here to make your wish come true.”

  Tears well up in my eyes from my predicament. “What do you plan on doing to me?”

  He cocks his head and bites his bottom lip, his eyes glazing over my body as though he’s taking in all that he owns. “Whatever I choose … Because that’s what you asked for: To be punished.”

  “I take it back,” I say as a tear rolls down my cheek.

  His hand slides up my neck, gently caressing my face until he reaches my cheek, where he picks up the lonely tear with his index finger and studies it for a moment. “Too late.”

  He grabs my hand, lifting it. My eyes close, expecting pain.

  But I’m surprised by a gentle kiss on the top of my hand. His rugged lips feel hot on my skin, and turmoil breaks my heart in two. This handsome stranger has taken me into what I assume is his home, but it’s cost me my freedom. All because of that one question he asked me.

  His lips part again. “I will see you tonight.”

  Then he turns around and marches off, leaving me with nothing except more insufferable questions that I don’t know the answers to.

  Chapter 7

  Eli

  When the door closes behind me, my fists finally relax. I was so close, so damn close to just taking her right then. She looked ripe, ready for the taking. So picture perfect in front of that mirror that I wanted nothing more than to caress her. Even with that modest dress she chose, an obvious statement that didn’t elude me, I still wanted to claim her. Grab her. Take her. Fuck her into oblivion.

  But I know I have to wait. These things must happen the way they’re supposed to. The way my father taught me.

  Punishments are to be carried out in an effective manner while following the rules. It is the only way this arrangement will work. The sinner is punished while the punisher sins.