GOOD NIGHT

00:31

I opened my eyes.

Damn it.

Why are my hands tied again?

I tried to slip into the dark state. I turned on the track. The music began to seduce me, and every dark desire came crawling out.

I looked at the chair.

Caleb.

Damn, no one turns me on the way this man does.

Caleb in black. Magnificent. Composed. Strong.

I swallowed.

“Get it together,” my brain ordered.

I nodded.

Think.

All right. So why am I tied up again?

I… Damn it. I shook my head.

I… I… Dear God, why would they have tied me up? That means I tried to hurt myself.

“Think,” my brain repeated.

I tried to focus.

“Hold on to the red ribbon,” my brain commanded.

I nodded one last time.

The demons seized control. I slipped fully into dark mode.

Gnaw through it.

Furious, I began tearing at the restraints, trying to free myself.

“Easy,” Caleb said.

I tilted my head the way dogs do when they are confused. He carefully freed me, and I threw myself into his arms.

Caleb crushed me against him so tightly I was afraid to move.

“I love you so much, Caleb. So much. You believe me, don’t you? I’m not crazy.”

Caleb said nothing.

I went still.

He’s crying.

I just sat in his arms. Caleb kept shuddering, and I had no idea what to do.

Comfort him? He’ll fly into a rage. Stroke his hair? He’ll get angry—he doesn’t need to be babied. Nothing will help. He’ll smother aggression with his darkness in an instant. He won’t let anyone tell him what to do. And I can’t pity him.

I decided to sit quietly and trust him until he stabilized on his own.

At last, Caleb sniffed, released me, and kissed my hair. Then he turned away to wipe his tears and shook his head, taking control of himself again.

The demons lunged forward, jaws grinding. Caleb stopped them cold.

I looked at him—and my hair stood on end.

“How long have you been wearing black?”

“A week.” His eyes flashed.

Tears spilled down my face.

He traded his soul for mine.

I broke down.

They took him instead so I wouldn’t lose my mind. That meant I could recover. But the price was Caleb.

Rage tore through me, and I began hitting him.

“Why did you do it? Why?! Why?!”

“Shut up.” Caleb grabbed my jaw.

But his hands began to shake, and I understood: he wasn’t holding the mask together nearly as well anymore. He was terrified. He was in pain. The demons were ripping him apart, forcing his inner child to suffer. He was paying for my life with himself—and for the chance to keep me from losing my mind completely.

I smiled softly.

“Do you want to play?”

So be it.

Caleb immediately seized my elbow.

“Stay out of it.”

Pain shot through my arm.

“Caleb, you’re hurting me.”

His grip tightened.

“I said stay out of it.”

I looked past his shoulder.

Bastard.

That damn Derek in all his glory.

Rage flooded me.

“What?” He laughed. “Don’t like it, baby?”

He seized control of Caleb, and Caleb went limp like a puppet, unable to force out a single word.

I pulled out a knife.

Derek froze in shock. Then he began to shake.

I smiled.

“I’ll slit my wrists.”

His eyes darted to the emergency button.

My smile widened.

“Thirteen seconds will be enough. I’m exhausted. I’ll die instantly—and then you, you bastard, will face me at full strength.”

Derek went still.

“What do you want?”

“Let him go.”

Derek scoffed, and Caleb collapsed unconscious.

“Kitty, kitty,” Derek called.

Nate woke up.

I swore.

Nate is very sweet. But only when Derek isn’t inside him.

Dear God.

Nate had no idea what was happening. Standing at full height, he was built like Caleb.

My legs began to shake.

Nate will kill me without blinking.

“Get it together,” my brain ordered.

Right.

I forced myself to think.

Derek doesn’t want me dead. But he could easily use Nate to beat me.

Tears streamed down my face.

Derek smiled sweetly.

“You love him. I know you love him so much. You wouldn’t hurt him, would you?”

My hands began to shake.

Nate is my heart and my soul. I can’t hurt him.

Goddammit.

Then Caleb came to.

My jaw nearly dropped. Derek fell as if dead, and Caleb began beating Nate.

The darkness had made Nate stronger. His eyes were glassy—he had no idea what he was doing.

The medical team burst into the room. They restrained me immediately, while security tore the men apart.

I swallowed.

Where is Colin?

Colin walked in behind security.

I swallowed again.

Colin isn’t just a clever boy. Colin is a puppeteer. He knows exactly how to play games like this.

They dragged the men away. Caleb was so furious he looked ready to bite.

Colin entered slowly, methodically, calmly.

I swore.

I was disheveled, with blood running from my mouth and a split, bleeding lip—the aftermath of colliding with the demons. Humiliated. Forced to my knees. Immobilized by the medical staff.

Sam is still recovering. That means these bastards can do whatever they want to me.

I swore again.

Colin circled me.

“Why put yourself through all this? You could simply agree to be mine, and that would be the end of it.”

I spat in his face.

“Never, you sick bastard.”

I jerked against the restraints.

One blow—and I lost consciousness.

TWO DAYS LATER

I tried on the wedding dress.

“It looks beautiful on you.” Colin sat arrogantly in the chair.

My face twisted with disgust.

Freak.

How low, how vile do you have to be to do something like this?

Colin spread his hands in triumph.

“Just wait until our wedding night.”

My face twisted again.

Freak.

“Whatever you say, baby.”

Colin walked over, grabbed me by the throat, and kissed me. The revulsion was so strong I began to gag.

“Baby…” Colin whispered into my ear.

I jerked away. His hand locked around my throat like a vise.

“Don’t make me angry, baby.”

He patted my cheek lightly.

“There’s a good girl.”

I grimaced.

“You are rotten to the core, Colin.”

“Darling, you should appreciate how eagerly I’ve been awaiting our wedding night. Although… since you’re mine anyway…”

He nodded, and the staff and security left the room.

“Baby…” Colin dug his hands into my ribs. “Why put it off?”

I spat in his face.

Colin wiped away the spit and immediately slapped me. I fell to the floor.

He grabbed me by the hair and dragged me toward the bed.

“You’re going to do what I tell you, bitch.”

He yanked my hair, wrenching my head back.

I snorted.

“You’re weak, you idiot. A complete goddamn idiot. You can’t compete with Caleb. He’ll destroy you.”

“Shut up, bitch!”

Colin slammed my head against the chair.

I got back up and laughed.

“I was beaten every single day when I was a child. You can’t scare me with this.”

Colin smirked.

“Yes, I heard how your daddy used to have his fun with you.”

I grinned.

“And your uncles…” Colin’s face twisted with disgust at the thought of different men raping me.

I smiled.

“So that makes me dirty, does it?”

Colin spun around and grabbed my hair.

“Shut your mouth, bitch.”

“Whatever you say…” I paused. “Darling.”

“Bitch!”

He slapped me, and I fell.

Colin froze for a second, then smirked.

The girl can’t be broken physically. Time to try another way.

“Baby…” He grabbed my hair again, hard enough to hurt. “Do you happen to remember the name of Caleb’s new girlfriend?”

For one second, my knees gave way, leaving me hanging by my own hair. Colin held me in a death grip.

“Pull yourself together,” Grandma ordered.

I smiled through my tears.

He didn’t do it. He never cheated on you.

The tears came harder.

Neither Nate nor Caleb ever cheated on you.

I stared at the wall.

“What are you staring at?” Colin flew into a rage.

Don’t believe him, child. Caleb and Nate protected you. Neither of them betrayed you.

I began to cry.

Could it really be true?

Colin stared first at the wall, then at me. Enraged, he hurled me into it.

“You fucking whore, who are you talking to?!”

I smiled.

If it’s true…

I closed my eyes and remembered Caleb. Tears rolled down my face again.

I knew he would never do that. I knew it. I knew it.

And Nate. My Nate. He would never hurt me.

I raised my eyes.

“Unless Derek interferes.”

Colin stumbled backward in terror.

“Kitty, kitty.”

I kicked him in the stomach. Colin lost his balance.

I grabbed a chair and began beating him with it. Colin shielded himself, and I tired quickly.

He waited for his opening and struck me across the knees. I folded like a doll.

“Come here, bitch.”

Colin grabbed my hair and dragged me into the hallway. The entire staff stared at us.

I studied their faces.

Excellent. So not all of them have been bought by this bastard.

Colin caught himself and shook his head. In an instant, he understood his mistake.

“Kitty, kitty, you bastard.”

Security restrained Colin.

03:15

The nurse handed me a phone.

“Call from the precinct.”

“Hi, sweetheart,” Caleb said.

Tears poured down my face. I dropped to my knees, unable to breathe.

“C-C-Caleb… Caleb…”

I heard him swallow on the other end. I didn’t know how to breathe.

“Caleb…”

“I’m all right. I have to go.”

I swallowed.

Nate took the phone from him.

“Kitten…”

I broke down even harder. I began to howl like an animal.

“Nate, please, tell me no one touched you. Tell me you’re safe. Nate, please, tell me they didn’t beat you.”

Nate tried to draw a breath. I realized he was crying.

“N-n-n…” He cleared his throat. “N-no… no…”

He tried again to pull himself together.

“No. I’m fine.”

“That’s enough. You need to rest,” the nurse said sternly.

I swore. She took the phone away.

I narrowed my eyes.

The demons nodded.

I stepped back, then drove my forehead into the nurse’s face with all my strength. She went down.

I bolted into the hallway, smashing every pane of glass I saw along the way. Security caught me at the third junction and pinned me down.

THE OFFICE

A doctor sat across from me. The demons stood behind him.

I smiled.

I had two options. Knowing my own power, I could seduce him. Or I could turn his darkness against him.

I smiled again.

All right. This will do for now.

The doctor sighed wearily.

“Why would you do that? Now we’ll have to place you in isolation.”

I smiled.

Excellent. They’ll send me to the ward for people who are officially out of their minds.

I lit up.

That’s where I’ll find Sam.

ROOM 161

“Fuck, we’re going to lose our minds in here,” Hades said.

Yeah. This isn’t fun.

I was strapped to the bed. I could barely move.

But never mind. We’d be taken outside soon. That was where I would intercept Sam.

15:05

I saw Sam and felt such a rush of joy.

“Time’s up,” the demons announced.

Damn it.

I lost my mind again.

TWO DAYS LATER

I found my way back to myself again.

Oh God, thank God.

“Get it together!” my brain ordered.

I pulled myself together at once.

No one can know that I’m lucid.

I went back to pretending I was completely out of it and kept eating as though nothing had happened.

“Think,” my brain commanded.

I began pretending to drop my tray over and over. The staff member adjusted it with growing irritation.

“Eat properly!”

I cursed silently.

Damn. Those poor people. Is this really how they’re treated? What a nightmare.

I scanned the room—and, dear God, tears sprang to my eyes.

Sam.

But there were three tables between us. I couldn’t get to him.

“Not yet,” my brain reminded me.

I smirked.

Right. Not yet. But I’ll come up with a plan.

The demons stirred.

One blow—and I blacked out again.

03:15

A month passed like a single day.

I swore.

I was back in the room.

Fuuuuck. So they brought me back.

I woke Nate. He opened his eyes and immediately threw his arms around me.

I smiled.

Nate nudged Caleb with his elbow. Caleb’s face broke into a wide smile.

“Baby…”

He rushed to embrace me. The force of it knocked me to the floor, and I burst into ringing laughter.

“My love… Caleb…”

He kissed every inch of my face, showering me with tiny kisses.

I laughed.

“Darling, this really isn’t the time.”

Caleb frowned.

“What are you talking about?”

I poked the front of his pants with one finger.

“Your dick is hard, sir.”

Caleb glanced awkwardly at Nate and tried to adjust himself.

I laughed even louder.

Caleb cleared his throat and put his serious face back on.

“Sweetheart, why didn’t you tell me about your childhood?”

“Uh… Maybe because you’re a psycho and… uh… you never actually listened to her?” Hades cut in.

“I don’t know.”

Caleb cradled my face in his hands.

“My angel…”

He pulled me against him.

Dear God.

Caleb began shuddering again.

As always, I waited for his reaction to pass. I had learned as a child how people reacted to my stories. That was why I had stopped telling them.

Nate spoke.

“Sweetheart, what’s the plan?”

I wiped my nose and held Caleb tighter.

“I need to get to Sam. He’ll get me out of here in no time.”

Nate lowered his eyes.

“Sweetheart…”

“What?!”

“I’m afraid Sam won’t be able to help.”

“Bullshit.” I waved him off.

Nate lowered his eyes again, then pulled out his phone.

04:31

They carried Sam into the room.

My eyes widened.

Sam wasn’t merely confused. He couldn’t even hold his mouth closed on his own—saliva simply ran down his chin.

I grimaced.

“What happened to him?”

One orderly stepped away from Sam. The other continued holding him upright.

“They inject him with this.”

He handed me a small bottle.

I grimaced.

“What the hell is this shit?”

The orderly’s face remained cold.

I understood what was happening.

The orderly does what he’s told. And the people giving the orders pay well.

“Nate?”

He nodded.

The orderly continued—but only after naming his price for the answer.

I grimaced.

“Now we have to buy information from some assholes. What’s his schedule?”

The orderly pulled out a set of documents.

I tried to make sense of them.

“Baby?” Caleb raised an eyebrow.

I handed him the documents.

My time was up.

I lost my mind again.