LUNATIC (RUTHLESS ASYLUM (A RUTHLESS UNDERWORLD NOVEL Book 2)

by K. L. Savage

  “Chloe would blush. She’s a virgin. She wouldn’t be able to handle you,” Jessica purrs, her breath speeding up as she watches a dollop of precome leave my slit. I wipe it off with my thumb and press it against my mouth.

  She wants to test me with her rebellion. Fine.

  I’ll test her too.

  I lift my leg and step into the tub, the hot water melting the cold night away. I sit on the other edge, keeping my space from Jessica, my cock still impossibly hard in the high heat of the tub.

  “Are you a virgin?” I ask her, reaching for the stainless-steel door of the minifridge Reaper insisted I install into wall. I thought it was pointless, but what do you know? First night and it is already in use. “Drink?”

  “Yes, please,” she says.

  I twist the top off a beer and hand it to her, then open another for myself. “So, are you a virgin?”

  “No.” She winks. “We would have no fun if I left it up to her.” She brings the bottle to her lips and takes a swallow. I’m entranced at the way her throat muscles move as the liquid rushes to her belly.

  It isn’t often that another personality is aware of one, but it happens. Jessica must know of Chloe, but I wonder if Chloe knows of Jessica. Chloe seems to be her original personality, which is usually meeker than the alter. Jessica seems feisty, like someone who would like to bring havoc on the world. But then there is Chloe.

  Sweet, gentle, and shy.

  Both are everything I could want.

  Which is good, because Jessica would be the one to handle the manic side of me I think, while Chloe would get the other side.

  I might not have another personality, but I have two sides of me, and both want this one woman.

  “You’re staring,” she says, taking another sip.

  “You’re impossible not to stare at, Jessica.”

  “Why aren’t you surprised?” she asks, setting her beer on the edge of the tub. She leans forward, her hair spreading around the water like lily pads, and she lays her hands on my shins. Her touch has me closing my eyes, knowing damn good and well this shouldn’t be happening with someone I just met.

  But something is different about her. Something that makes me want to move fast. I’m already thinking about whisking her away and getting married. I could blame it on grandiosity, but the more I think about it, the more I want to do it.

  Maybe tomorrow. I’ll take her somewhere in Vegas. She’ll be mine. All mine. Yes. I have to do it.

  Then she can never leave me.

  They can never leave me.

  “So many people freak out when they find out I’m a part of Chloe, yet you don’t bat an eye. Why?” she asks, tilting her head as she digs her nails into my thigh.

  “I’m experienced in this kind of thing, you could say.”

  “Oh, you’re going to have to give me more than that,” she says, sliding her hands closer to my cock.

  “You’re in an asylum, sweet girl.” I lift my hand and press two fingers under her chin. “Put two and two together.”

  “You mean, we’ve wandered into an actual mental institution?” Her eyes light up and her voice raises on the verge of excitement.

  “What used to be, yes. Everyone that lives here escaped from one recently.”

  “Oh, do tell that story. What is your—” she wraps her hand around my cock and squeezes “—vice?”

  I gasp, clenching my teeth together and loving her strokes of confidence. Chloe wouldn’t dare, and that’s what has me reaching down and wrapping my fingers around her wrist, pulling her hand off me. I must be fucking stupid for denying her touch. Just like Chloe, I’m a virgin too. Being locked up in a mental institution doesn’t give a man many opportunities to roam around and have sex.

  I tried sneaking away with a patient or two, but I always got caught, tased, then thrown back in my room. Yeah, it isn’t like I announce that I’ve never had sex. I’m a grown fucking man, but I’m not about to do it now. Circumstance is everything, and I haven’t been in the time or place to give in to my desires.

  And even if the place is giving me a chance now, it isn’t the time.

  I won’t have sex with Jessica until Chloe is on board. I wouldn’t feel right about it, no matter how badly I want to taste her.

  “A story for a story, sweet girl,” I reply, trying to get my raging libido under control.

  She snarls at me and uses my legs to push away to the other side of the tub. “I am not a sweet girl,” she says, bringing her knees to her chest. A delicate position for a woman so confident.

  “What brought you to the middle of the desert?” I probe, wanting to know the truth. How did a woman like her get away? Doesn’t someone miss her? Doesn’t someone love her?

  I’d miss her.

  She’s too magnetic for me to ever forget.

  And if she ever tried to dance away from me, she wouldn’t get far. I’d stop her mid-twirl and swing her back to into my arms.

  Then lock her in that padded room where she can never escape.

  I’m serious when I say that my obsession for things I want is intense. The way I want her, the way my body burns, the way my mind spins to get lost in the deception of my illness for her, is a catastrophe.

  And I want to be in the middle of it, feeling the destruction of the world as her and I come together.

  I don’t know how to handle her just yet. Jessica seems unpredictable, and Chloe is a wallflower that doesn’t like attention. I’d have to handle each side of her with a different touch. I’m up for the challenge, and I know if Jessica heard my truth, she’d want to come at me full force.

  I need to gain the trust of her original personality. Spill my secrets to her and hope she can accept them. And if she can’t?

  Well, too damn bad.

  One day she will, then eventually she’ll learn to love me.

  Thinking back, the only thing I’ve ever been so obsessed about was escaping the mental prison and abuse over the last thirty-five years.

  My entire life.

  I don’t know what the world is like or what it has to offer, but I think for some reason, Chloe and Jessica arriving at my doorstep was no coincidence. She’s here to make my transition to the real world better. To make my world… meaningful.

  As I’m looking at Jessica’s defiant expression—chin up, jaw clenched, with lust in her eyes as she stares at me, I know exactly the kind of woman I’ve been wanting and haven’t had a chance to have. I know as boys grow into men, they like blondes or brunettes, redheads, or raven-colored hair. Big chest? Small? Ass man? I never got to have these conversations, so I never knew. Sure, there were a few pretty women in and out of the institution, but the chance to be alone with them never happened, and none of them grabbed my attention enough.

  My focus was on getting the hell out of a place that was killing me slowly.

  I’m alive more than ever and I’ve figured out my type.

  Fucking crazy blondes with two personalities.

  It suits me, considering how I was raised.

  “Are you going to tell me or sit there and stare at me all day, sweet girl?”

  She smirks, chugging her beer down until it’s empty, then sets the bottle aside. “That’s for me to know.” She glances away from me and then all of a sudden, her brows dip in the middle in confusion. Her blonde hair swishes back and forth along the fading bubbles. She looks lost.

  “Jessica?”

  She snaps her head up and her eyes widen, the flame from the candles dancing in the big pupils in the middle of her irises. She screams, covering her breasts with her hands, and tears fill her eyes. “What… what happened? Why are we in the tub? What did you do to me? Oh god,” she cries, piercing my heart.

  I hate to see her panic.

  This is Chloe, I have no doubt.

  Internally, I growl when I think about Jessica leaving me mid-conversation in the bathtub for Chloe to find herself in this position with me. Little hellion, just wait until she appears again.

 
“Chloe,” I start softly, keeping my tone low and gentle to try and ease her fear. “You’re safe. I’m not going to hurt you. Do you remember anything about how you got here?”

  A tear drips down her cheek and she shakes her head, staring at the exit of the bathroom. She keeps her hands covering her chest and the bubbles are still piled high all over her body, so the glorious shape is hidden. “It’s fuzzy. I remember coming into the bathroom, and then darkness. Can we get out of the tub? I don’t know you well enough to be in here with you. Please,” she asks with a trembling voice.

  “How about I leave? You’re supposed to get cleaned up from being in the desert. I’m only in here because—”

  “I know,” she whispers, unable to look at me. “I know what happens when I black out. I know about Jessica. It took me years to understand what was happening to me. She seduced you into the tub. Did we… Did she—”

  It takes me a minute to realize what she means. “No, we didn’t have sex. I wouldn’t do that, especially after what I just learned about you. I’m not that kind of man.”

  Well, I’m just realizing all sorts of things about myself tonight, aren’t I? “She did…”

  “What?” she snaps. “What did she do?”

  “She grabbed my dick.”

  She buries her face in her hands and her shoulders shake. “I’m so sorry. She’s always been so forward and—”

  “Hey, I’m not perfect. I can’t sit here and tell you I didn’t like it, because I did, but I took her hand off me because I wasn’t comfortable with you not knowing about it. This is a difficult situation, and I’m going to do my best by respecting your wishes and hers. And she didn’t seduce me. She challenged me. I’m not one to back down from a challenge, though.”

  “Yeah, she’s good at that,” she scoffs, her hand skimming over the bubbles, creating different shapes with the moldable foam.

  “I’ll go,” I tell her, using the edge of the tub to push myself out of the tub.

  Chloe watches me, her eyes so different from Jessica’s. There’s so much innocence in them. The two personalities are so different, and I love their differences. The water cascades down my body, my cock pointing straight to the ceiling, and bubbles create a ring around the base. I’m not ashamed for her to see how she affects me; I can’t hide my reaction.

  I won’t apologize for it either.

  She bites the side of her lip—something her and Jessica have in common—and bashfully looks away. There is a smile tugging at her lips, like maybe she’s happy to see me like this, but I’m not going to jump to conclusions. I’ve only known her for a few hours.

  I grab a towel off the hook and wrap it around my waist. “I’ll leave you alone, Chloe. I’m sorry for interrupting your bath.” I walk backward and grab the doorknob as I go. “I’ll go get you some clothes, okay? If you get done before I get back, then there is a robe in the closet.” I point to the double doors next to the tub. My feet make a squishing sound against the black tile floor since they are wet, but at least they are warm.

  Reaper wanted me to have the best, so he installed heated floors and towel warmers. I didn’t know things like that existed until he had them delivered. He took care of everything. He gathered my clothes and shoe sizes, then everyone else’s and had Sarah and the rest of the ol’ ladies go shopping for everyone.

  I never would have asked for candles and bubble bath but now I’m incredibly happy she put them in my bathroom closet. I have everything I’ve ever wanted and more.

  Almost.

  I somehow need to figure out how to make two women who encompass the same mind fall in love with me.

  “Thank you,” she says, finally bringing her eyes to me. They linger on my chest, then down my arms, and she blushes again.

  I close the door and sigh. She probably wants the door locked, but the problem with that is, I don’t believe in locks. The only rooms in this house that can lock are the padded rooms, Porter’s room, and the front door. I’ve been locked away for far too long, and now that I have my freedom, there is no way in hell I’m going to trap myself.

  I feel an itch on my arm and scratch it, then look down at my devil tattoo.

  Fuck.

  Luci said I wasn’t allowed to scratch them once I took the bandage off, no matter how bad it itches. And it itches like hell right now. I run to the mirror hanging on wall beside the bed and study my arms, flexing and turning them every way I can to make sure all of them are okay. I’ve been washing them and applying lotion like he instructed. I quickly toss a bit of soap and water on the devil to rehydrate the skin, rubbing my hand softly over it, then shuck the towel off and pat the devil dry, sighing when I see it’s okay.

  I hope it stays that way.

  Sliding open the closet door, I grab a pair of new flannel pajamas, step into them, and tie them tighter around my hips. I give the bathroom door one last look knowing the woman of my dreams is naked behind it, but she’s trusting me to take care of her.

  Chloe is, anyway. Jessica seems to be an ‘I can take care of myself’ kind of woman.

  Which is both hot and infuriating.

  I make my way out of the bedroom and down the hall until I get to Goldie’s room. I knock, and it doesn’t take long for her to answer. When she does, she has fresh tears on her cheeks, and the first thing I do is engulf her in a hug.

  “I’m okay,” she sniffles.

  She’s spoken to us so much more since we have left the institution. I hope she’s on a journey where she’s finding herself again. Goldie deserves the best. “You sure?”

  She nods, wiping her cheeks. “What can I help you with, Zain?”

  “Do you have a pair of pajamas and underwear?”

  She looks me up and down and shakes her head. “Sorry, Zain. They won’t fit you.”

  I snort and chuckle. “Not for me. There is a woman here who was lost and found her way here to the asylum somehow. I just want to make sure she’s comfortable.”

  “Another woman in the house?” she gets excited, and I don’t have the heart to tell her she might not be able to be friends with one of them.

  Jessica doesn’t scream pillow talk and painted nails. More like scratch your face and kick you in the balls.

  “Wait here.” She turns around, and I hear a few drawers open and close. “Here,” she says, opening the door a bit wider, and that’s when I see Zipper lying in her bed sleeping.

  “Is he okay?”

  “Yeah, sleeping off the exhaustion is all, from the episode. When can I meet her?” she asks excitedly, tears dried.

  “I don’t know. She’s pretty shaken up. Thank you for these, Goldie. If you ever need anything, let me know.” I lean in and kiss her forehead and wonder why Goldie and I never stood a chance. She’s gorgeous with her dirty blonde hair and puppy dog eyes, but I want to protect her like my little sister, if I had one. The lust, the attraction, it was never there.

  Not like how it is with Chloe and Jessica.

  Fuck me, I feel like I hit the lottery. A two in one.

  “I will. Have a goodnight,” she says.

  “Night, Goldie.” I hurry down the haunted hall toward my room and open the door. “Chloe? I have your—” I pause when I see her in the bed. She’s wearing the oversized robe and is tucked under the covers, asleep. Shutting the door, I press against it and smile.

  She’s obviously comfortable enough to sleep here without her walls up.

  I just need to figure out how to keep them down so I can penetrate her heart.

  Their heart.

  The sun wakes me slowly, shining through the cracked window that has yet to be replaced. It’s warm, just like the arm wrapped around me, holding me tight. It feels good. My soul is settled. There is a part of me that always fights, always rebels, and is always needing more.

  But right now, my rebellion is quiet, and the static inside my mind is muted.

  I dare to say, I feel peace.

  The arm around me tightens, and the random touch pulls me out o
f my thoughts and daydreams. I look down to the familiar devil on his arm staring back at me, and I yelp. Jerking out of his hold, I roll away, falling right onto the unforgiving floor.

  I land right on my back with a thud. My tailbone screams in pain slithering up my spine. “Owie,” I say, holding my breath.

  “Chloe? Fuck. Are you okay?” the man from yesterday looks down from the bed. His beard is pointing in different directions and his eyes are still full of sleep. He rubs them to wake up, and he crawls across the bed until he slides off the edge and joins me. Zain lays down beside me and we both stare at the ceiling. “This would be a lot more comfortable on the bed, you know.”

  “You startled me when I woke up. I didn’t plan on falling off the bed. Your floor is hard, by the way. My tailbone hurts.”

  “Floors are usually hard,” he chuckles, and then his hand slides down my arm, awakening my skin just like the sun wakes the world when it rises.

  His hand slides into mine, and I inhale a sharp breath when he intertwines our fingers. I need to pull away. I don’t know this man. He’s just someone I met last night.

  But when I try to unlock our fingers, he squeezes tighter, not allowing me to leave.

  “I’m not going to hurt you, Chloe. You’re as safe as you can ever be with me.”

  “I don’t know you,” I whisper, swallowing the nerves building up in my throat. “This is happening so fast. I’m not used to doing things like this. Jessica doesn’t speak for me. I’m not her—”

  He rolls on top of me, and I push my head back to try and get away from him, but the damn floors stop me. “You don’t think I know that?” He lifts a hand to my face, cradling my jaw with his massive palm.

  Like an idiot, I lean into him instead of fighting him and let out a heavy breath. Why does he feel so good?

  “I know you’re nothing like her. I respect that. My goal isn’t to have only one of you, Chloe.”

  My eyes flutter open, and I’m casted into rich brown eyes, sparking against the sun’s rays like a rare gem. “What’s your goal, then?” I ask, afraid of his answer as I lick my dry lips.