Page 110 of Brainwashed

Only not really, because The Ivory will never let anyone know he’s gone. For his own reputation and the sake of this prison, the facade must be preserved. But on this island, we know the truth.

Dash is gone, and it’s my fault.

Not directly, but still. Felix had a choice. He could have left, but instead he gave the keys to Dash and decided to stay.

Why?

The sudden urge to ask him is overpowering. Beckoning to me and I can’t ignore it.

Using my knowledge of the code, I type it into the pin-pad on the side door and enter the prison. It’s the middle of the night, but you’d have no idea in here. There are no windows on this side, and the fluorescent lights are on at all times. Walking the halls, they flicker above my head, that sizzling sound driving me to move faster.

The door to the East corridor is locked, so I pull my new set of keys from my pocket and open it. Stalking past the cells to the one on the end, I slowly peek inside through the small plexiglass window.

Felix is sitting on the floor, leaned up against the wall. He’s in a straitjacket and his eyes are closed behind his glasses. I find it amusing that he sleeps with them on. He truly hates taking them off for anything, and I know it’s because he despises not being able to see clearly. It reminds me that his new pair of glasses should be arriving soon, the ones with the fixed lens.

His eyelids flutter open, and they lock on mine. We stare at each other for a moment in silence before he leans forward.

“Dream…?” His voice gasps the word, an odd hopefulness in his tone.

I shake my head, using my key to unlock the door to his cell, stepping inside and closing the door behind me. Felix gazes up at me from the floor, his eyes gliding over me from top to bottom and back. I find myself swallowing down some nerves.

I know he’s attracted to me. That much is clear from his attempts at kissing me and getting me to engage with him sexually. And while I know it’s a lost cause, I can’t help the frisson of twisted excitement it brings me, deep down in the place I’ve been sequestering all my life.

I shouldn’t want to be ogled by a serial killer. Idon’t.

But it gives me this unfettered sense of power. A control over someone who can’t be controlled. Someone who steals the most precious thing in the world… The human life.

I have dominion over the monster.

Taking a seat on the floor in front of him, I cross my legs while he straightens up. As usual, we’re both silent for a few beats.

“You look different,” he says quietly with his eyes still traveling all over me.

My brow lifts. “How so?”

“You’re not dressed up,” he hums. “You’re in regular clothes and your hair is tied back.”

“Does this upset you?” My head tilts.

“No.” He huffs, lips curling. “You look…” His teeth tug at his lower lip.

My jaw clenches. “Felix, what did I tell you? I’m not your boyfriend. And I’m certainly not here to be your eye candy.”

His smile widens. “Then why are you here?”

The question sort of stuns me, because I don’t really have an answer. I went out for a run and wound up here. In the middle of the night.

WhatamI doing here?

“I was just out, jogging, and figured I would stop by… To ask you a question.” I fold my arms over my chest and his eyes fall to them.

“And what would that be…?” he asks, with a hungry gaze glued to my biceps.

“Why didn’t you leave?”

That gets him. His eyes flick up to mine and he blinks.

“When you had the chance… Why didn’t you escape with your friend?” I stare at him, awaiting his answer.