Cruel Beast (Dark Lies Duet #3) Read Online J.L. Beck

Categories Genre: Alpha Male, Contemporary, Dark, Erotic, Mafia Tags Authors: Series: Dark Lies Duet Series by J.L. Beck
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Total pages in book: 86
Estimated words: 79991 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 400(@200wpm)___ 320(@250wpm)___ 267(@300wpm)
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I go back to searching, crawling under the bed, opening the nightstand and dresser. They’re empty and solidly built. There isn’t even the hope of breaking one of the drawers down and using the wood to bludgeon somebody. I’m even desperate enough that I lift the mattress to look underneath, though I’m not sure what I’m hoping to find. A hidden knife? Maybe a gun?

Finally, heartsick and exhausted, I sit on the bed and hold my head in my hands. What am I going to do? How am I going to get out of this?

Enzo—that’s his name. Why is he doing this to me? He gets off on it, that much is obvious. He enjoys watching me suffer. I don’t even know this guy, but he takes morbid delight in tormenting me. I touch my cheeks where he licked away my tears. It was revolting.

So why did it make my heart flutter? Not to mention the fluttering down below. Wasn’t it bad enough that I got wet last night? It’s like my body has a mind of its own. Is it a stress reaction? I’m going to call it that because I don’t like thinking about what this says about me, the kind of person I am. Who gets wet when a psychotic stranger threatens them with a knife? And he knows it too. He could sense it. I just know he could.

The very thought makes me ashamed of myself. I’m trembling as I lie down—at least I’m able to do this and take the tiniest bit of comfort in the situation. The bed is firm, and the blankets are clean, so at least a little something is going my way.

Is he going to kill me? I curl into a ball at the thought, like that’s going to do anything to help me. Why even bother asking myself that question anyway? Obviously, that’s what he’s going to do. Eventually, he’ll figure out I don’t know anything about his world or anybody in it. He’ll either kill me to shut me up, or he’ll do it because he’s frustrated with himself for making the mistake of thinking I’m anybody special. Why is it so hard for him to accept that I’m nobody?

Maybe that’s because I was stupid enough to give him Elena’s name. I should have just told him the truth, then he would have let me go. He would have realized that I’m not lying and free me. As soon as the idea forms in my mind, I push it away. Yeah, fucking right. I may not know about their world, but I know enough to realize that I’m totally fucked. I’ve seen his face, both of their faces—there’s no way he’s letting me free, not without death.

My stomach growls, reminding me of that disastrous breakfast and how I didn’t get to eat. Not that I didn’t want to. I was starving, and with how sparse my finances have been, the last thing I ate was a pack of Ramen noodles. My knee-jerk reaction was to ignore his offer. What’s the point of eating, anyway? I’m just going to die here.

Something in my gut says no, warming me inside like there’s a fire starting to flare to life. I’m not going to give up like this. Even if I die—I’m not going to be starving when I do. I reach over and take the water and the protein bar, unwrapping it and taking a few quick bites before uncapping the water. Maybe I’ll be able to plan a little better once I have food in me.

The lock clicks, and I almost spill water all over myself when my hand shakes. I didn’t think he would come back this soon. What’s going to happen now?

Then a dark head appears, but it isn’t Enzo. It’s the other one. Prince, I think his name was. Exactly what kind of name is that? I have no idea, but I’m not about to ask him how he got it.

“Hi,” he offers, his voice deep and rich. He hasn’t spoken much since I got here and never directly to me, at least not that I can remember. “How’s it going?”

For a second, all I can do is gape at him in surprise. Is that an actual question?

He must take my reaction for what it is, and he laughs softly. “Of course. That’s a stupid question.”

What’s his game? Why is he being nice to me? Is he the good cop, sent to warm me up, so I’ll let my guard down and reveal these supposed secrets I’m carrying around in my head? I have to be careful.

“Thank you for asking, anyway,” I offer, finishing off the rest of the protein bar in a hurry like subconsciously I’m afraid he’ll try to take it from me.

“Mind if I sit?” He gestures toward the bed, staying in place while he waits for an answer.



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