Page 8 of Breaking Sanity (Hell’s Asylum #1)

“I just did,” she replies.

Interesting.

“Care to elaborate,” I say.

“Care to elaborate on your last answer to my question?”

“No.”

“Well, I think you know my answer then.”

“Why do you fight?”

“Excuse me?”

“Why do you feel the need to constantly fight?”

“I’ve always been combative. I don’t like being told what to do. It’s my life, my choice.”

“Fair,” I concede. “Were you happy at your wedding?”

“Yes,” she answers, staring out the window.

“Now, now” I tisk. “We haven’t lied to each other so far, let’s not start now. Try again.”

“Just because you don’t like my answer, doesn’t mean it isn’t true,” she snaps back.

“You looked so sad, uncomfortable, and at times robotic. Plus, your dress made you look like a marshmallow and it wasn’t black, which I found strange.”

“You’ve been stalking me this whole time?!”

“I was observing from a distance.”

“That’s the definition of stalking!”

“No, the definition of stalking is pursuing stealthily. I am not to be blamed if you are oblivious to your surroundings. Now answer the question.”

“Regardless of my awareness or lack of, it’s still the same fucking thing. I already answered your question. Ask your last one.”

“Fine, after his funeral, where did you run off to for three days?”

“You’re the stalker, so you tell me.”

“Again, not stalking, just observing. Despite your high opinion of yourself, you aren’t the center of my world. So, I am genuinely curious. Where did you go?”

I needed to collect another contract after the funeral had ended, but when I came back to check on her, she had vanished.

Not even her work knew where she was. It’s not normal for her.

Plus she doesn’t do drugs or really ever drinks, but grief affects everyone differently.

I mean she lost her grandfather causing her to act irrationally and jump into a serial killer’s bed.

Although, her ex had also contributed to that as well, but I am not complaining.

“A place,” she snorts and turns away.

“That’s not an answer, Little Devil,” I warn, starting to grind my molars together.

“Actually, it is an answer that I do not wish to elaborate on,” she states matter of factly, her words dripping with sarcasm. “You, dear ‘master’, are out of questions.”

The amount of sarcasm she has in her voice when she says master, makes me want to choke her again, but I refrain.

She already has started to bruise from the seat belt and the amount of times I have tried to strangle her in the last 24 hours.

I’ll leave it be for now. Instead, I turn the radio up as “Surrender” by Godsmack blares through the speakers.

“What no choking,” she asks, reaching over and turning the volume down.

She’s trying to bait you, don’t react. Just breathe.

The only thing I do is turn my head to her and give her a lazy smile then return my focus to the road. It’s either that or I duct tape her mouth shut but from personal experience that doesn’t last long.

I hear her take in a breath as if she is about to say something. With the hand that is still under the seam of her shorts I drag the blunt nail of my pinky on her inner thigh. It’s enough of a warning for her to shut her mouth and stay silent.

Maybe I was wrong, she does know when to back off. Or is it just with me?

The rest of the car ride is filled with just the music from the stereo, which thankfully she hasn’t dared to touch again. Not even when I started to play Taylor Swift. I mean if she wants to push my buttons, I can push hers.

My excitement spikes to an all-time high pulling through the wrought iron gates, catching a glimpse of Nik and Vaughn in their masks.

Alley’s head pops up like a groundhog and her eyes widen as the asylum comes into view.

Her hand reaches for the handle but I rapidly grab her wrists before she gets the chance.

“I strongly suggest you don’t try. It won’t be me who will be chasing you but them,” I warn, pointing to my brothers as they walk towards us. Her big eyes fill with panic taking in my brothers.

“What lab were y’all created in,” she whispers under her breath.

I smile to myself, hopping out of the car and waving them over. Vaughn gets to me first and wraps me in a bro hug.

“G,” Nik nods, eyeing my very jumpy passenger.

“Nik,” I nod back, looking at Alley staring out the windshield.

“Shall we,” Vaughn says, stepping towards the vehicle.

“Oh we shall,” I say, rubbing my palms together in excitement and almost skipping to the passenger side.

I have to take a step back when the passenger door comes flying open. My eyes connect with hers while she sits on the seat, her feet dangling above the ground. Those amber eyes are blazing with defiance and mischief.

Fuck!

“Little-”

I am cut off by her foot connecting as hard as possible with my junk.

I am instantly knocked to the ground on my injured knees, gasping for air.

When I lift my head, I’m met with the same foot to the face.

My head snaps back and blood explodes in my mouth.

One more blow to my abdomen, I’m on my back coughing and choking on my own blood. I roll back onto my hands and knees.

Stupid Little Devil.

“Damn G, she got you good,” Vaughn chuckles.

“Welcome to my past 27 hours,” I cough, standing up.

Fuck, resist the urge to kill her.

I spit the blood out trying to rid my taste buds of the coppery liquid and the red haze from taking over my vision.

Tracing my tongue along my teeth, I count them to make sure she didn’t knock one loose.

If she did I couldn’t guarantee the haze not to take over letting my beast loose.

I would finally kill her and not in the way I have been planning for years.

I turn to follow his line of sight, sure enough she is running as fast as she can, while Nik is stalking her as if he was Jason Vorhees. I guess it’s fitting since he is wearing the mask.

She trips, giving him time to catch up to her. When he is towering over, she tries to kick him but he easily grabs her ankle. Turning on his heel, he starts dragging her behind him back towards us.

“She is a feisty Little One, isn’t she?” Vaughn’s voice is laced with menacing curiosity.

“I promise you, she will not make it easy,” I say, patting his shoulder as I start heading back. I hear a grunt of laughter from him, which I can only assume is because she tried to attack Nik from her position.

“Glad your home, G,” Vaughn shouts at me.

“Can’t say I am,” I mutter while getting to the door. Baron opens it, with the facial expression of an annoyed dad. He jerks his head beckoning me to follow. I take one more look at a fighting Alley before stepping inside and following Baron to the control room.

Welcome to Hell’s Asylum, Little Devil.