Mason was gone when I got out of the shower, and I was more than a little relieved.

Something was off about him. I knew he wasn’t exactly normal, but this was different. I hadn’t really noticed it until he unwrapped my feet. He just seemed…off. And the way he left, leaving me a needy mess, wasn’t like him.

After taking a comb to the mess of tangles on my head, brushing my teeth, and rubbing lotion on my freshly cleaned skin, I felt a billion times better.

Keeping my bath towel wrapped around me, I wandered into the attached bedroom, shivering from the cool air blowing out of the ventilation system.

The bedroom door was shut, Mason nowhere in sight. I looked around the room again, seeing how ordinary it was. What did I expect? It’s not like he was raised by wolves.

I ran a hand through my wet strands, growing frustrated with myself. Why was I still trying to figure out who he was?

Stop fooling yourself; you’re never going to leave him.

“Whatever,” I muttered, and turned towards the bed where a white dress was boldly contrasting with the dark comforter. On top of the dress was a dark red rose.

What happened to the white roses?

I’d never worn anything so nice before. I brushed the flower away and rolled the chiffon material between two fingers.

It was a strapless cocktail dress, something that could be worn to a fancy affair or a night out. I didn’t see any undergarments to go beneath it, and my face flamed at the thought of going commando. A pair of white pantyhose was all I had to accessorize with.

Deciding a scrap of material was better than a loose towel, I quickly slipped into the dress.

The smooth material brushed against my skin and stopped right above my knees. I was grateful my areolas weren’t visible through the fabric.  I finished pulling the silk stockings up and then sat on the bed, waiting for Mason to come back.

I waited and waited, until I couldn’t take it anymore. Pushing off the bed, I padded to the door and slowly pulled it open, peering out into the open hall. The upstairs of his father’s home was shaped like a giant square, with halls splintering from it to lead elsewhere.

Something heavenly permeated the air, reminding me of how hungry I was. I hadn’t eaten a thing since arriving there. Cautiously slipping out into the hall, I looked left and right, debating on going straight for the stairs or trying to find Annie on my own. I wasn’t keen on having a run-in with Mason’s father, but I couldn’t just sit and do nothing.

I headed in the direction of the corridor Mason had brought me from, my eyes darting around in their sockets, trying to spot any signs of movement.

My stockings soundlessly slid around on the marble floor, propelling me forward.

Just as I reached the nook that held the large double doors separating the corridor from the rest of the house, one swung open. I froze, going full deer-in-the-headlights. A man I had never seen before paused midstride as soon as he saw me. However, he didn’t appear to be angry. He smiled, and it reached his odd silver eyes. There was no mistaking his relation to Mason. Dark and alluring seemed to run in his family.

“Katie.” He beamed at me like we were old friends. I couldn’t return his smile—nor did I want to. I was too busy staring at the blood-covered apron hanging around his neck.

“Don’t mind this.” He gestured up and down his front. “Things can get a little messy in the play rooms.” He chuckled, pulling the door shut behind him. A loud clinking sound immediately followed. I hadn’t realized they locked from the other side.

How was I going to get back there?

“I’m Declan, Mason’s cousin. I’d shake your hand, but I’m too dirty to touch you,” he joked.

I stood unanimated, openly staring at him. If you took away his stained apron, he was just as put together as Mason and his father always were—such beautiful men with such ugly problems.

Was insanity hereditary, or did they simply enjoy snuffing out lives? With as much blood that was covering him, I knew he’d done something terrible to someone.

Ask him what, the perverse side of me whispered, eager to know what bodily harm he’d caused. I bit down on my tongue, ignoring the sick part of my mind that was coming more and more alive.

“Katie.” Mason’s smooth voice broke me out of my haze. I whipped my head to the left and watched him approach. I noticed he’d changed his clothes and he had a much more relaxed look on his face. A bright smile appeared when our eyes met.

“You look beautiful,” he commented, eyeing me up and down.

“Where did you go?” I questioned suspiciously, forgetting all about the stranger in front of me. Mason did that, made me lose focus of everything and everyone except for him.

It was maddening when I truly thought about it. He didn’t even need to try anymore; I was naturally inclined to give him my undivided attention.

“I needed to speak with my father,” he explained, draping an arm across my shoulders.

“What are you doing?” He directed to his cousin.

“I was on my way to get cleaned up, and stopped your little doll to say hello,” he smiled.

Why did he lie?

“Hurry up; you know we can’t start without you,” Mason told him, already walking me back down the hall towards the staircase. Declan said something in response, but I couldn’t understand what it was.

“What’s going on?” I asked.

“We’re going to have dinner.”

Dinner? With his family?

He might as well have just told me we were going to be dining in hell.