Page 179 of Trapped With You

I smiled down at her. “And I love you,mi vida.”

She wiped the blood on my face with her handkerchief and then I doused Gavino’s dead body with the remaining petrol.

We stepped off the spinning platform.

I handed her my Zippo.

Ella shook her head. “No, Cade. This one is all yours.”

Flicking the flint wheel, a small flame ignited. I lowered it to the trail of gasoline licking the ground and leading straight to the ride.

Within seconds, bright fire burst all around the merry-go-round, engulfing Gavino Ricci’s corpse and the horses in a diabolic sight.

See you in hell, Gavino.

“How are you feeling now?” Ella asked.

“At peace.”

“Good.” She smiled. “I’m at peace too.”

I extended my gloved hand towards her. “Let’s go, princess.”

Hand in hand, we sauntered away like thieves in the night.

Leaving absolute unhinged chaos in our wake.

Just the way we liked it.

C H A P T E R3 6

Forbidden Fantasy

Cade

The Present

On the night of Halloween, I finally made mine and Ella’s fantasy come true.

I once said I practically lived to indulge this girl. All her whims, wants, needs, kinks.

And I was a man of my word. I never flaked on a promise. Especially one to her.

Fall leaves crunched beneath my shoes as I crossed the woods in the Remington estate towards the cabin where Ella waited for me. It was late night and the full moon was high in the sky, gleaming bright.

The night breeze swirled with notes of danger, sin, and forbidden pleasure.

Uncle Vance and Aunt Julia were at the Cordovas’ with Olivia. Josh was out, too. Maybe still at the Halloween party we were previously at. Maybe getting a tattoo for Layla. Maybe showing up to her place and ripping off his shirt in surprise. Or something in between. And our guards on the graveyard shift were given clear instructions not to patrol anywhere around the woods so my girlfriend and I could have time for our extracurricular activities.

I entered the silent cabin with unhurried, measured steps. The lights were off and the only illumination came from themoonlight, filtering through the glass windows and coating the inside furniture with a silvery glint.

The door to the bedroom was left ajar by me.

After I’d collared and chained Ella to the queen-sized bed, I kissed her red lips, asked her to repeat her safe word—Orange—just in case, and then said I’d give her a few minutes to get into character.

Now when I crossed the threshold, I wasn’t her tender-loving boyfriend.

I was playing the role of her fantasy. A cruel enforcer here to collect a debt.