Page 31 of Darkest Desire

I can’t believe it. Is that why he didn’t want me joining? Too much for my virginal eyes?

But he doesn’t know for a fact that I’m a virgin. He only suspects.

I hate him for getting to dictate what I do or don’t do. I might not even like a party like whatever is happening below but I’ll never know since I wasn’t invited. Nico took the choice away from me and that upsets me like nothing else ever has.

Denis has been controlling my life for a year now. I’m tired of it. The last thing I’m going to stand for is Nico doing the same to me.

I’m attending this party so I can see things for myself.

There’s a lattice on the side of the house that I can reach. Taking a deep breath, I bundle up the skirt of my gown and lower myself out the window onto the lattice. Slowly, I lower myself down the side of the mansion until I reach the ground. A gasp escapes me. I actually managed to get down on my own without hurting myself.

I wish my sisters had been here to see me do that.

I wonder how Irina and Ana are doing, stuck alone with Denis. Or how Natalya is. Did Mikhail survive what Nico did to him? I can only hope so.

I notice one of Nico’s guards stationed right at the entrance to the maze. He’ll see me right away and stop me from going inside. I’ll just have to blend in.

I spy a large group of men and women heading towards the maze and I dash after them, hiding behind the group. My heart is racing. The guard doesn’t stop the group from entering the maze and I sidle up close to a woman and keep my head ducked so the guard can’t recognize me.

Then I’m inside the maze itself. I actually did it.

The woman closest to me speaks to me in Italian and I shrug, not understanding her, so she switches to English. “Are you going to take your dress off?” She’s stripping her own gown off.

“Uh… do I have to?”

“No. There are no rules here. But why not get naked? That’s where the fun comes from.”

“What exactly happens in here?”

“The men chase the women. Hunt them. And when we’re caught…” She waggles her eyebrows.

“What happens?”

“Oh, you’re so innocent.” She leans in closer to me. “They ravage us like animals.”

“Do you have to? Can you tell them to stop?”

“Sure but they don’t listen. Everyone who enters the maze agrees to have sex with anyone here. I’m hoping for a hot man to ravage me but if one of the fat ones find me, that will be fine too. It’s all part of the game.”

Now I know why Nico didn’t want me coming in here. Why he said this was too much for me.

Because it is.

“I should go,” I say, heading back towards the entrance.

“Shame,” the woman responds before running off into the maze.

Before I can reach the entrance, a man steps in front of me. A man I don’t know. He’s tall and imposing. A little on the chubby side but not overweight. Not ugly but not handsome. Just an average man.

But there’s a darkness to his eyes that rocks me to my core.

“Where do you think you’re going?” he asks, speaking with an American accent.

“You’re American?” I gasp.

“Some of us are. Now, enough talking. Run, little girl. Run.”

“No. I’m leaving. Please get out of my way.” When I try to pass him, he only steps into my path, blocking me. “Please move.”