Page 58 of Darkest Desire

“He’ll know. He knows by now. I was supposed to get you out the other night and I failed. When I didn’t call him, he knows I was caught.”

“Does he think I’m dead too? Does Natalya?”

Alek shrugs to the best of his ability while being strapped to the table. “I’m not sure.”

A sob escapes my throat. The idea that my sister could think I’m dead is heartbreaking. I have to find a way to let Natalya know but Nico hasn’t let me use a phone once in his house and now that he knows I used the phone at the doctor’s house, I doubt I’ll ever be left alone there either.

“Are you crying for him?” Nico asks with a sneer.

“Not for him,” I admit. “For my sister.”

Nico’s eyes soften just the tiniest bit. It’s the most compassion I’ve ever seen on his face. “Your sister put you in this position. You have her to blame.”

“No,” I say hotly. “You put me in this position. Natalya was just trying to save me as a good older sister does. You would know that if you had any siblings of your own.”

Nico flinches. “Why do you assume I don’t have any siblings?”

“You’ve never mentioned them. Only your father, who’s dead, and your mother, who’s in a facility as you told me.” I’m starting to understand why his mom is in a facility. If she has any mental issues, then maybe she passed those onto Nico. He clearly has issues of his own.

“I did have a sibling. A brother.”

“Had?”

“He’s gone now. When we were children. He died by playing with our dad’s gun. I didn’t stop him because I was young too and stupid. He accidently shot himself. So don’t talk to me about wanting to save your family. I couldn’t save my brother.”

“Is that why you’re so messed up?” I ask.

He huffs. “I tell you something serious and you make a joke out of it.”

“And you’re trying to get me to murder a man! I’m sorry for your brother, Nico. I really am. It would kill me if one of my sisters died. But you don’t get to use that as an excuse to hurt people. Please don’t make me do this.”

He wraps his hand back around mine and forces me to bring the knife above Alek’s heart. “You are going to do this. As a punishment. You will learn. And you will fully be mine.”

Before I can stop it, Nico forces my hand down. The knife goes right through Alek’s body and into his heart. He grunts once before the life leaves his eyes.

I scream as Nico makes me pull the knife out, covered in blood. Blood of the man I helped kill.

Nico lets my hand go but I’m still holding onto the knife.

With a sudden burst of anger, I turn the knife back onto Nico, pointing it towards his throat. He holds still, eyeing me over as if it’s some sort of challenge.

“You already couldn’t kill me,” he murmurs. “What makes you think you can do it now?”

“Because you made me kill a man now.”

“And you think you can do it again?”

I scoff. “You seem to have no problem killing multiple people.”

“Then fine. Kill me. Round two.” He moves closer to the knife, allowing it to press against his throat. I could so easily cut him. So easilykillhim that it’s scary.

I found out before that I couldn’t kill him and I’m realizing now that I still can’t. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to kill him.

That doesn’t mean I can’t scare him a little for what he’s done to me. I nick his neck, drawing a little bit of blood before I lower the knife.

Nico’s eyes widen as he covers his neck with his hand and it comes back with blood. “It seems you have some claws on you. I like that.”

“Of course you’d like it. I just held a knife to your throat and cut you and you find it hot.”