Home > A Deadly Obsession: Dark Romance Suspense (The Obsessed Duet Book 1)(7)

A Deadly Obsession: Dark Romance Suspense (The Obsessed Duet Book 1)(7)
Author: Vi Carter

I step away from the glass cube. “The meeting is at eight tonight, Master Lucas,” George calls after me like I might forget.

“I will be there, George.”

Taking the concrete steps two at a time, I open the doors that lead to the gardens from the basement. Henry favored a part of the garden. If he was to bury something it would be there. He isn’t stupid enough to still have the box after I saw it in the attic. And now is the time to strike when he doesn’t suspect I am looking for it. The soil would be freshly dug and easy to spot.

It’s warm out and I pull at the collar of my black shirt that feels restricting. The black sweatshirt over it isn’t helping. I try to ignore my discomfort and move quickly through the garden all the way to the back where the maze is.

Henry’s domain.

I’m standing on the edge of what I sometimes think is Henry’s mind. I hated this maze as a child. He loved it. Even now as a fully grown man, I teeter on entering. I know it off by heart. I had memorized the maze so I could never get trapped in it again. This was Henry’s playground. I just needed to take that first step and I would just move quickly. I wouldn’t let the memories of being lost flood me. I was just a child. A frightened child at the time.

Tightening my fists, I move, but voices to the left of the maze have me pausing. I leave the mouth of the maze and move carefully along the edge of the hedge.

Alex.

He is smiling while looking up at someone. His beige suit is stupid looking and hangs on his thin frame. It’s like something from the turn of the century. His blond hair is spiked all over his head. The smile displays the gap between his large teeth. A female laughs at whatever he is saying. I can’t see who but I don’t let my guard down for one second and take my eyes off Alex. He is the whispers in my brother’s ear. To my father, he is a fitting best friend. He is from good stock, so father would say.

The female’s hand appears as she touches Alex’s arm. A flash of emerald green. When she comes into view and sees me, her smile disappears. Alex’s face pales.

I grin. This is perfect.

 

 

CHAPTER FIVE

 

 

ELLA

 


After Lucas leaves the drawing room, the silence stretches and I’m fumbling with my hands. My mind is jumping from the picture I had painted of him to what I got. I glance at the other girls who don’t say anything.

“Has anyone any questions?” George asks, grabbing our attention. Questions? Did he not just witness what we all just went through?

“Yes.” I stumble across the word, swallowing. I peek at Hannah, feeling her eyes on me. Her cheeks are flushed and I wonder if I have that same lost look in my eyes that she does.

I stretch out my sore hand again. Had he meant to squeeze it so tight? He couldn’t have hurt me intentionally. I had done nothing wrong.

“You had a question, Ella?” George prods gently.

The fluttering in my stomach won’t settle and the room is starting to feel stifling. “May I get some fresh air in the garden?”

George nods. “Of course.” George looks over the rest of the girls. “Does anyone else have a question?” His voice holds a note of hope, that no one does and he gets lucky. Everyone remains silent and he excuses himself from the room.

I straighten my dress as I stand. My hands flutter across the soft material.

“Would you like some company?”

Yes. Company sounds wonderful. “No. Thank you.”

Hannah’s eyes widen like I’ve hurt her. Before I feel any more guilt, I leave the room and make my way outside to the gardens that I had seen from my window. I want to find the maze. I want to get lost and maybe like Alice I can fall down a rabbit hole. Maybe I already have. This isn’t how it was meant to be. My prince charming is mean and cruel and I have nothing to fight for. My chest tightens at the thought.

The day is warm outside as I pass several flowerbeds of beautiful plants. The colors are a little bit of salve to my soul. I find my chest loosening a bit the deeper I walk into the garden.

I flex my fingers again and glance down at my hand. His hand had been so large and warm around mine that was until he had squeezed it, my mind told me he had hurt me on purpose. He looked like he was enjoying it, but my heart refuses to believe that he would want to hurt me or anyone for that matter. What kind of person did that make him?

What would my mother think if I told her how he had treated me?

“Hello.”

I have been so consumed with my thoughts that I hadn’t noticed a man sitting on a brown bench amongst the flowers.

“Hello,” I say to him. Once again I question if I have fallen down a rabbit hole. He looks eccentric. I’ve never seen anyone like him before. A beige top hat is beside him and he removes it from the bench.

“A penny for your thoughts.” He taps the seat for me to join him. My mother had said I wasn’t allowed to make friends with the girls, she never said anything about other people here. Right now, having company would be nice. Stepping over the flowers I sit down beside him. He’s smiling, revealing a large gap between his front teeth.

“Only a penny?” I ask and his smile widens.

“Name your price.”

I exhale on a smile. “Tell me a joke.”

“Jokes aren’t my forte but for the beautiful lady in green I will try.” He gives me a wink and I smile again.

“What’s brown and sticky?” He asks.

I didn’t like the sound of that. “Clay?”

He shakes his head. “A stick.”

“A stick,” I repeat.

His laughter is musical. “I told you I was bad. Let me try again.” He sits and taps his chin with a long finger. “Ah, I got one. This will make you laugh.”

I raise both eyebrows.

“What do you call bears with no ears?”

“A deaf bear?” That sounds silly. “An earless bear?” That sounds even worse.

He laughs again. “B. Take the ear off the bear and you get B.”

“Okay, you are officially the worst person to tell a joke.”

“So are you going to tell me your thoughts?”

I didn’t know this man, so the answer was no. But I wouldn’t be rude.

“Yes, I’m looking for the maze.”

He picks up his hat and places it on his head. “I will lead the way.” As he rises, he extends his hand and helps me up. A lump forms in my throat. He is what I thought Lucas would be. Charming.

“Thank you,” I say once I’m standing. He holds his hat as he walks. The beige tailcoat is velvet and way too large for his frame, but when he glances at me and smiles I just find it all enchanting.

“My name is Alex.”

“Ella.” I offer as we walk.

“It suits you, Ella. Do you know what your name means?”

I shake my head.

“Ella means light or beautiful fairy woman.” We stop.

I laugh. “You’re making that up.”

He smiles. “No. It’s the truth.”

A large shadow casts across us and my heart stills as Lucas stands in front of us. As he glares at Alex, a slow devilish grin forms on his lips.

“What have we got here?” His question is directed at Alex. He has barely given me a second glance and I don’t want to be in his company.

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