Page 66 of Heartless Heathens

“What do you want from me?” I asked, unsure where I’d conjured the strength to find the words inside of me.

“Everything,” he said, shaking his head like he couldn’t believe I didn’t already realize it. “I want everything you can give me, including the air in your lungs. I want your blood. I want your life. I want your fucking death Romina.” He squeezed my breast under his hand again before pressing his lips against mine once more. “Will you give it to me?”

“Yes,” I whispered out the word, sealing an agreement heavier than a deal with the Devil himself.

I’dneverkissedanyonebefore her.

Romina was the saddest song I’d ever heard, and her melody called out to the most twisted parts of my soul.

She wasn’t a list of all the things she’d never had before, even though I’m sure it was longer than I could imagine. Romina was a longing. A wanting to live to the fullest despite the hand she’d been dealt. I wanted to fill up on her until my own selfish desires were gone.

I couldn’t pretend that the girl in front of me was the enemy or untrustworthy anymore, because when I looked at her, I could see the truth as clear as day. She was just another casualty in Frollo's book of sins. Just another name his Devil would read out loud when tallying up his wrongdoings before doling out whatever punishment he deemed fit for someone as corrupt as he was.

I couldn’t allow the sum of her worth to be totalled by that.

When I looked at her, I saw everything I wasn’t, everything I couldn’t be.

I had a craving deep inside my soul to mold her into what I needed her to become. Something stronger, something that couldn’t be penetrated by the sharp hatred of Frollo’s God.

“Don’t promise what you can’t give me, Pet.” I warned her. “Because Iwillcollect.” I stroked my thumb against her jaw and her eyes sparkled with a wild gleam to them.

“You told me not to tell you no.” I eyed her through narrowed eyes.

She didn’t tremble under my hold, she wasn’t the same fearful thing I’d witnessed just a few short days ago.

She already knew me.

Knew what I needed, even if she didn’t know why.

“Because I know you don’t mean it,” I told her and she bit her lip nervously. “Do you?” I asked and she looked down.

She had barriers.

Walls she’d put up to protect her mind from Frollo’s fuckery.

I recognized them with ease because I’d been patching up the holes she created in my own walls. It was sheer luck she was a functioning human being and that likely had something to do with all the books she read.

“Why did you give me this?” she asked, holding up the phone.

“It was a gift,” I answered.

She pulled up a browser and typed ‘why do people give gifts?’ into the search and showed me the results.

“Yeah, just be careful where you look. Anyone can put anything online. Even liars.” She gave me a perplexed look.

“Why would anyone do that?” It was so genuine and innocent.

The kind of thing where mere hours ago I would have thought for sure was an act.

And now all I could think about was Arlan taking her away from me.

But maybe I’d get lucky and he’d just die first.

“Some people enjoy the madness. They revel in the chaos.” I grabbed the back of her neck to pull her in and kiss her once again.

When she said she felt a pull to me, I knew I was fucked. Because I’d felt that same pull too and I’d cut my hand off to bet the Escuras knew exactly what I was talking about. It was intoxicating to be around her, and when she wasn’t around, she still occupied every thought in my head.

It made no fucking sense.