Page 16 of Cain

“I can’t do that,” he whispers, his voice low and soothing.

Instantly, sobs consume me at the sound of it. I knew it before he said it, but hearing it out loud is something terrifying.

“Why? What do you want from me?”

Without breaking eye contact, he slowly spreads my legs and kneels on the ground. Terror devours me. I feel numb, incapable of stopping him and defending myself.

“I told you,” he mutters, his arched brows softening as his fingers trace my jawline. “I want your safety.”

“Who are you protecting me from?”

He doesn’t talk, intensifying my fear. His head cocks to the side as his dark green eyes study my face. “The world is a filthy and dark place, little rose.” I press my lips together as he gently wipes my tears with his thumb. “There are monsters out there.”

“And you’re not a monster?” I ask, locking my gaze on his.

He nods. “I am.” He tucks a strand of hair behind my ear, and I flinch, instinctively pulling back in terror. “I am a horrible monster, and I’ve done awful things. But you …” he breathes softly. “You are something bright, Katerina. The beauty through this chaos.”

I’m shaking, my breaths shallow and rapid, teetering on the edge of a panic attack. How will I get out of this hell?

“Will you kill me?”

“No.”

“Where is my dress?”

His face darkens as a sinister expression crosses it. “I burned it.”

“What? Why?”

“Because he touched it. And I won’t allow you to wear anything that’s been touched by another man.”

“He also touched me,” I whisper, the words slipping out before I can stop them. Regret floods me instantly. What if he wants to set me on fire, too?

His gaze darkens dangerously. He closes his eyes, jaw clenched tight as if struggling to contain the fury boiling underneath. “I am aware,” he hisses.

“So, you …” I gulp. “How did I end up in this shirt?”

His eyes drop lower, and he bites his bottom lip. “Eleanor dressed you. My maid.”

I need to play along with his game before I find the right moment to run away.

I softly grasp the collar of my shirt. “Is it yours?”

He smiles broadly, and a beautiful, almost predatory grin crosses his face. “Not anymore.”

He looks like a completely different person. How can someone change their mood so effortlessly, so completely, in just two seconds?

I need to be calm—calm, sweet, and kind.

I exhale deeply. “Cain …” He bites his lip again, his eyes traveling all over my face, devouring me whole. “I wanna go home.”

“Shhh,” he says softly, his hand slipping beneath my clothing, tracing a line along my collarbone up to my shoulder. “This is your home now.”

His touch makes me weak at the knees, yet it makes my skin crawl. More tears run down my cheeks as I realize I’m screwed.

“You sound like a psycho,” I whisper, my voice trembling again.

It’s strange, because nothing about him hints he’s capable of kidnapping someone. He’s wearing a turtleneck again—sand colored this time. It sculpts his athletic frame, making his dark green eyes appear even cooler. Grayer. His hair, darker under the dim room light, still frames his chiseled face perfectly, voluminous and well styled.