His To Keep: Beasts In The Dark (Book 2)

by Richards, S. S.

  Shutting my eyes, I descend into depression as I remember the words she said to Leonardo. She knew. This whole time she knew that he was her father. That’s what destroyed her the most.

  I lost my mother because of my father’s shady business deals. I had to lift myself up and rebuild myself when my mother left me. Even though Aleksandr was always there for me, I somehow always felt alone. I knew that something was missing.

  Maybe it was the soft touch of my mother, or the delicacy of her voice when she used to sing to me before bed. Or maybe I just needed someone to understand my pain. To understand the darkness that I used to loathe until Elena showed up and changed everything about me.

  She gave me hope and made me want to hold onto dear life with everything that I have. I learned to love the beast inside of me because it connected with the darkness inside of her. Together, we became a team.

  I blow out a sigh and avert my gaze to the window. Looking at her like this breaks my heart and makes my bones ache in pain for whatever they did to her.

  I have a doctor waiting for her at home. I’ll make sure she heals. Fuck, I’ll even erase the horrific memories off her brain if I have to. I’ll give everything to have her back.

  And once I do, she’s mine to keep.

  * * *

  “So?” I croak.

  The doctor frowns and slides the white gloves from his hands.

  “No sign of any sexual intercourse.” He explains, and my body relaxes a bit. At least, the fuckers didn’t rape her. I blow out a deep sigh and unclench my fists.

  “But...” The doctor says, walking over to the chair and sinking into it.

  “We need to do some blood tests in order to determine what drugs they’ve been feeding her body. As soon as she wakes up, she will definitely feel lost, and she will also need another dose of that poison.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I mean, we will have to detox her from all of it. Withdrawal symptoms are always horrible for the patient. It also depends on the severity of the drug she was taking.”

  Licking my lips, I let his words sink in as fury boils under my skin.

  “Then stop wasting time and get to it right now.” I bite out.

  The doctor nods his head slightly and rises from the chair. He digs into his suitcase and takes out some medical tools.

  Yeva walks into the room with a tray of food in her hands. Her gaze instantly flashes to Elena then back to me.

  “I thought I’d bring soup for...”

  “Did I fucking ask you to?” I snarl.

  Yeva flinches at my tone of voice. She storms out of the room without looking back.

  The doctor looks at me, frightened. As soon as our eyes meet, he drops his gaze and inserts the needle into Elena’s forearm. I watch as he sucks the blood out of her.

  I wait for her to move, but she doesn’t. As soon as he finishes, he tells me that he’s going to drop the blood sample in the lab and that he will be back with the results once they’re ready.

  I don’t look at him as he rushes toward the door. I keep my eyes trained on her. She looks so peaceful yet chaotic. I want to bathe her and scrub the filth out of her body. She’s safe now. Leonardo is dead, and nothing will ever come between her and me.

  I climb onto the bed and lie next to her. For the first time in a while, the soft sheets underneath my body feel good and soothing. I don’t remember the last time I had a full night of sleep. It doesn’t take long for my eyes to give up. Only a matter of seconds until my body loosens and I fall into a deep slumber.

  Elena

  My arm hovers over some unfamiliar, soft material. I frown with my eyes still closed as I feel the delicacy of the surface beneath my body. Where am I?

  Shooting pains in my legs and shoulders make me wince. My mouth is dry, and my lips are parched. The ticking of a clock nearby makes me wonder where I am. Is this heaven? Am I in another life?

  Opening my eyes slowly, I study the room and assess my surroundings calmly. It’s completely dark except for two candles lit up in the corner of the room. Each one of them sits on a fancy table.

  I know this room. I’ve been here before.

  Averting my gaze to the right, a random throbbing pain consumes my head and my temples making me groan loudly. I shut my eyes and begin to massage my temple, hoping the pain will dissipate.

  Something soft and warm lands on my arm. I flinch at the intrusion. My eyes fly open and my heart skips a beat when I see him. Dark bags underneath his eyes, a lock of dark hair falls over his face. His eyes search mine greedily for a very long time before his voice breaks the deadly silence.

  “Elena,” he croaks.

  I stare at him in wonder. Is this another one of those visions and hallucinations caused by the drugs?

  My lips part, but the words don’t come out. He must have noticed me swallowing painfully and hard because he grabs a glass of water from the night table beside him and helps lift me up so I can drink it.

  I don’t hesitate once he brings the rim of the glass to my lips. I’m so thirsty I drink the liquid audibly like a woman who hasn’t had a drop of water in her mouth for days.

  When I’m done drinking, he places the empty cup on the night table and stares at me. Pain flashes in his eyes as he struggles to find the words. I hate the way he’s looking at me. I hate the pity in his eyes.

  “Did you actually save me, or am I hallucinating?” I manage past my trembling lips.

  “You’re safe, baby. Back to your home. It’s over now.” He says softly, brushing his thumb over my cheek.

  Swallowing thickly, I turn my head to the other side, ignoring the electricity of his touch. He doesn’t know what I know. He doesn’t know what I did.

  “I’m hungry.”

  He doesn’t say anything but storms out of the room hurriedly.

  Random insects start creeping underneath my skin again. Staring at my forearm, I can see my skin moving in all directions. I tear my gaze from my arm angrily and storm toward the bathroom. My body is in so much pain, but it’s nothing compared to the madness going on in my brain.

  Turning the hot water on, I get underneath the showerhead, and that’s when they stop crawling underneath my skin. I glance at my forearm and smile weakly when my skin stops moving.

  I killed them all.

  Someone grips my forearm and pulls me in a savage jerk that I fly out of the shower box and back into the cool temperature of the bathroom.

  “What are you doing?” Maksim snarls.

  “Are you trying to kill yourself? This water is fucking boiling.”

  I look up at him through my eyelashes. Unmoving.

  Hugging myself, I watch as he turns off the hot water and snaps his gaze back to me. Anger shows as clear as day on his face.

  “Come with me, you need to eat.” He says as his eyes travel over my body. Assessing if the water caused any damage to my skin.

  Following his steps, he guides me back toward the bed. I climb onto it, still hugging myself and shivering from the cool temperature of this room compared to the hot water from seconds ago.

  He sits across from me with a tray on his lap. He brings the spoon closer to my lips. The smell of fresh vegetables fills my nostrils. When was the last time I had soup?

  I allow him to feed the hunger that’s making my stomach growl and my body shake and tremble. My headache keeps getting strong and painful. But the food entering my body is a great distraction from the sweat that’s forming underneath my armpits and the shivers running down my spine.

  He feeds me in silence until the bowl of soup becomes empty. He then places the tray on the floor and sighs deeply before training his eyes on mine.

  “Why?” he asks.

  When I don’t answer, his nostrils flare as fury flashes in his eyes.

  “Why the fuck did you throw yourself in there, with hot water pouring down on your body?”

  I look at him expressionlessly. Unmoving. Unresponsive.

  “Stop looking at me li
ke that.” He bites out. “Do you know the shit I went through to get you out of there? Why are you looking at me like I’m a fucking stranger to you?” he leans forward until he’s inches away from me.

  “Elena, It’s me. Please say something. Please.”

  I don’t have anything to say. He shouldn’t have saved me. He came way too late. I’m a criminal. A murderer who took an innocent girl’s life away. It will haunt me for the rest of my life. Maybe I do deserve to stay alive and struggle to live like the rest of the world, knowing what I did is unforgivable.

  Hot tears burn the back of my throat, but they refuse to come out ,simply because it would be so fucking pathetic for me to cry for what I did. Everybody right now thinks I’m the victim. But I’m not. I deserve what was going to happen to me if Maksim didn’t come to my rescue. Only if he showed up the next day.

  He rises from the bed and walks toward the window. He slides his hands in his pockets and looks out through the window. The moonlight is bright tonight, making the fire in his eyes blaze stronger like a wolf. Even distraught and completely tired, he looks just as stunning as the first day I saw him. But my heart is numb. My heart doesn’t beat for him the way it used to. I’m dead on the inside, and I’ll never be able to give him what he wants from me.

  I’m simply not the woman I used to be.

  Maksim

  No fucking words. She doesn’t even want to talk to me. She looks at me like I’m the enemy when I was once the man she gave up her freedom for. The lust that used to flicker in her eyes at my sight is gone. The heat that used to radiate from both our bodies is not reciprocating anymore. I’m the one who still craves her like no other. I’m the one with the gleaming eyes and the indescribable hunger to have her back like we used to be. Her eyes speak so much of the numbness that now lives within her.

  She used to flinch at the electricity of my touch. Her breathing used to get labored when I’m inches away from her beautiful face. She used to desire me so intensely her body would physically ache. Now she looks at me like she wants nothing to do with me. Like I shouldn’t have saved her but let them torture her more and end her life.

  I avert my gaze back to the bed and find her sleeping peacefully on it. She must have fallen asleep from exhaustion. Her chest rises and falls at an even pace. She’s so small now that her curves no longer exist.

  Walking silently toward the bed, I only stop when I’m towering over her. Gently, I run my thumb over her arm. My cock thickens in my pants, remembering the softness of her folds clenched around my length. The soft moans that give a high every time I heard them. I was once the man who made her climax just from having my fingers buried deep inside of her. Now I’m nothing. I’m nothing to her despite the lonely nights I spent without her, buried in the pile of folders and maps and every single information that could lead me to finding her.

  Does she think this is easy for me? Does she think I didn’t fucking suffer without her here? Doesn’t she know that I’m nothing without her?

  Running my fingers angrily through my hair, I force my body to walk away from its distraction. A soft knock comes at the door, followed by the doctor. His gaze drifts from me to Elena.

  “Do you have a moment?” He asks, and I nod my approval.

  Walking out of the bedroom, I close the door softly behind me, so I don’t wake her up.

  “Not clear what they were giving her exactly as it doesn’t have an actual name. But among the different chemicals found in her blood, Mescaline is one of them, which is a drug similar to LSD, it gives hallucinations, and it could destroy your psychological as well as physical well-being.”

  “Meaning?” I ask, my heart thumping heavily in my chest.

  “I will start the detox treatment today, but it won’t be sufficient. She’s going to need therapy as well.”

  “I’m ready to do whatever it takes so she can heal. Earlier I went downstairs to get her some food. When I came back to the room, I found her in the washroom scrubbing her forearms with hot water pouring down on her. Any idea why?”

  “You said she was scrubbing her forearms?”

  “Yes. She looked irritated like something was bothering her. She was just scrubbing her forearms harshly and staring down at them.”

  The doctor’s eyebrows furrow.

  “Hmm. Not sure, but it could be that she’s still hallucinating and seeing things that don’t exist. Did she tell you why?”

  I shake my head. “She wouldn’t even talk to me.”

  “Okay. Let me go back in there and start the detox treatment.”

  Opening the door for him, I follow him inside the room and sit on the sofa across from the bed. My heart wrenches, and grief hollows me out every time my eyes land on her.

  Holding my head in my hands, I remain silent with my head bowed down, staring at my toes as the doctor does his job.

  I should have kept Leonardo alive and tortured him even more. I should have destroyed him mentally way before wrecking him physically. I should have done to him exactly what he’s done to her.

  Guilt floods over me at the thought. But I didn’t have a choice. He was holding a gun at Elena, and he was ready to shoot if I wasn’t fast. I shudder at the memory and blow out a deep sigh. I could have lost her forever.

  “I’m all done here.” Says the doctor as he packs his tools and carries his suitcase. I shoot up from my seat and follow his steps as he walks toward the door.

  “She won’t wake up anytime soon. She might suffer from extreme headaches and migraines. So be prepared for that. Also...” he takes out a small notebook from his pocket and starts writing on a piece of paper. “She will need these medications. Twice a day before food. I will be back to check up on her when she wakes up.”

  He hands me the piece of paper and walks away. I pull my phone out of my pocket and call Mr. Jones. He picks up on the second ring.

  “Yes, sir.”

  “Come upstairs to my room. I need you to go get me something.”

  I hang up and wait for him to come up. It doesn’t take long for him to come. I hand him the prescription and walk back into the room. This time, I avoid looking at her and head straight into the washroom. I need to shower. I need to take advantage of this time to freshen up and get ready for when she’s awake. I won’t lose her again. Not after I finally found her.

  * * *

  Walking into the kitchen, I find Yeva and Alyona standing by the sink and chatting. As soon as they see me, their conversation comes to an end, and their gazes turn serious.

  “Is she up, sir?” Yeva asks as she takes a couple steps toward me.

  “No, she’s sleeping right now. I want you to do me a favor.”

  Her eyes go up and down my body. I know what she must be thinking. I’m wearing a suit, which means I must heading over to a business meeting.

  But I’m not.

  “Of course. What do you need me to do?”

  “I need you to stay in my room with Elena. As soon as she wakes up, you give me a call. Understood?”

  She nods her head and walks past me. Without saying another word, I walk out of the main door and get in the car. I order the driver to take me to Exotic Women – one of Daniel’s strip clubs that I haven’t been to in years.

  Maybe I need to let loose a little. Maybe I deserve a break after everything I’ve been through. Or maybe, Elena broke my heart, and this is my way of healing.

  I walk into the club with my head held high. Loud music fills the atmosphere. I walk to the bar and order myself three whiskey glasses. The bartender simply nods his head and starts pouring me the drinks.

  Once they’re ready, I chug them, one after the other audibly, then order three more. The alcohol hits quicker than I expected it to.

  “Hey, you!” a soft voice comes from behind me. I turn my attention on the half-naked brunette standing right before my eyes. My gaze travels over her body. She has beautiful curves and boobs to die for. But I feel nothing. My dick is as dead as a fucking wale.

  “B
uy me a drink?” she asks, flashing me a smile that’s supposed to turn me into a horny man. But it doesn’t. If anything, it makes me wanna get the fuck outta here as soon as possible.

  “Sure,” I say, and wave my hand at the bartender.

  “Gin and tonic, please.” She tells the bartender who rushes to make her the drink.

  “Well, you look lonely,” She says playfully. “Want a dance?”

  I allow my eyes to study her for a little longer, hoping something in me will awaken the usual horny beast that lives inside of me. Come on, I can practically see her nipples, hard and perky through the transparent fabric. Why the fuck isn’t my dick waking up?

  “Sure,” I answer her, chugging the rest of my whiskey and licking the last drop off my lips.

  “Let me take you to the private room in the back.” She winks at me and pulls me by the hand.

  I follow her through the dark hallway, my vision is blurry, and my legs can barely hold me standing still.

  Fuck. When was the last time I drank this much?

  We get to a room with dim lights and a red sofa sitting in the middle of it. She pushes me on the sofa and straddles me instantly.

  Everything happens so fast. She takes off her top and starts grinding herself on my groin.

  I blink my eyes to ease the blurriness but to no avail. My vision turns cloudy as fatigue takes hold of me. I lean my head against the soft material of the sofa and allow my body to relax.

  Suddenly, the music sounds further away, and my vision goes from gloomy to dark in a matter of seconds.

  I stop feeling. I stop thinking.

  Elena

  “Ah! You’re awake.” Yeva says as she grips my hand and squeezes a little.

  I look at her for a moment before a smile forms on my lips. Her eyes turn watery as she brings my hand to her chest.

  “I was so worried about you, my friend. I thought I’d lost you forever. But I’m so happy Sir brought you back to us.”