MIA
My dreams are filled with Ryker. It’s the same dream as before. I’m in a dark room with panic prickling my skin. A spotlight switches on and I see him lying in the floor, illuminated in a pool of blood. His eyes fix on mine. They gleam, reflecting the light, alternating from soft to dark, from affection to hate.
“Ryker?”
“You killed me,” he hisses and then winces in pain, his body writhing in all places but where his shoulder is impaled.
“I didn’t,” I protest, twisting in the chains that hold me. “You’re still here. You’re still alive, you’re living.”
He laughs, a cruel and twisted laugh that perverts his face. “You call this alive? You call watching you fuck him living?”
I shake my head. “I didn’t—I never—”
“Liar!” Sebastian walks into the halo of light, dressed all in black, his eyes glowing blue. His face twists, morphing into mine, though the rest of him remains the same. My face. His body.
“I want you. Please, Sebastian, fuck me. Make me yours.”
Sebastian’s face returns to his own as he throws his head back in laughter before whipping back to stare directly at me.
“Fuck me, Sebastian.”
Although the face is still his, the voice is mine. It echoes off the walls and drums into my head.
“Fuck me, Sebastian,” my voice pleads as he steps toward me. “Fuck me, Sebastian.” It’s torn with desperation this time, reverberating off the walls. The chains suddenly gone, I cover my ears with my hands, turning to face Ryker.
“It’s not me,” I say. “It wasn’t me.”
Ryker’s broken body lifts itself from the floor as though being pulled by an invisible string. His clothing is gone and he stands naked before me, advancing from the opposite direction to Sebastian.
“Shhh.” He lifts a finger to his mouth. “Don’t say a word.” Then his face morphs into mine and my voice comes from his lips. “Take me.” He steps closer. “Take me, Ryker. You own my body, not him. It’s only you.”
I cower in the corner as Sebastian steps forward. “Fuck me, Sebastian.”
Then Ryker. “Take me, Ryker, only you.”
“Fuck me, Sebastian.”
“Take me, Ryker, only you.”
The sound of my own voice saying those two phrases repeats over and over, hitting the walls, the ceiling and the floor until they are a blur of sound piercing my brain. Cowering further in on myself, I start to shake, covering my ears, closing my eyes and aching for escape.
And then I wake, sitting bolt upright in the bed, sweat beading over my body. Sebastian is already here, sitting on his throne, watching me as I sleep.
“Good dream?” There’s a smirk on his face as though he was really there with me. He gets to his feet and walks over to lie on the bed, hands behind his head and ankles crossed over each other. He’s dressed only in black silk pajama pants that hang off his hips, emphasizing the defined lines of his stomach.
“I’ve been thinking of a way to get Katriane to like you.”
“Katriane?”
“My mother.”
The ice-blonde woman who has the hots for Ryker.
“You will sing for her.” He turns to face me, reaching out to tuck a strand of hair behind my ear. “Would you like that, my sweet songbird? Would you like to sing for my mother?”
The words that run through my head are: ‘Fuck no. I don’t want to sing for your mother. I don’t want to sing for you. I want to watch you burn in hell.’
But they aren’t the words I say.
“It would be my pleasure.” I smile sweetly.
“You will perform a concert of one song only, just for her. I assume you are familiar with The Phantom of the Opera?”
I tug the covers up my chest, aware of the way his gaze keeps slipping to the swells of my breasts in the sheer white nightgown. “Not really. I mean I’ve heard of it but I’m not familiar with the music.”
Sebastian sighs with frustration. “I forget you’ve led such an uncultured life.”
I bristle at his comment but just tug the blanket higher.
He jumps up from the bed, holding his hands out to me. “Come. I will show you.”
“But I’m not dressed.”
“Come!” His hands clench into fists before he roughly grabs my arm and drags me from the bed. I stumble after him, following along the corridors, my eyes searching each open door for a glimpse of Ryker.
Sebastian pushes against the doors of the music room with both hands and they burst open for him to stride across the room. I follow behind slowly, the awe of the room still fresh to my eyes. The curtains are all drawn, blocking out the morning light, and the chandelier casts rainbow droplets of light across the floor.
After grabbing a remote, Sebastian comes back and takes my hand, leading me to the center of the room, my skin stained by the reflection of the chandelier.
“She loves musicals.” He tilts his head to the side. “Lacks the intelligence to truly appreciate them, but she enjoys the music. Phantom of the Opera is her favorite. I will teach you the main song and you will perform it for her.”
“Here.” He presses a button and a fast beat sounds. “Close your eyes. Listen.”
As music fills the room, I keep my eyes open and locked on him. His head is tilted toward the light, chest rising as he breathes deeply. The song turns from a woman’s voice to a man’s.
“Are you going to sing with me?”
His eyes snap open. “Silence!”
The song continues, the female voice lifting to notes I know I can’t hit. Sebastian’s body sways with the music, his head thrown back as though he’s lost in it.
I try to hear what he hears, but all I can think of is the impossibility of what he wants from me. He calls me his songbird, but I’m just a girl who liked to sing in the shower. I would have never dreamed of even singing at the bar if Roxy had not forced me.
But when I close my eyes, something hypnotic spreads over me, something powerful that invades me and I find myself drawing in air as though it is the song itself, the tingle of the music dancing over my skin. We wait until it fades, standing in the middle of the room, hands joined.
But then someone knocks on the door, breaking the spell.
“What?” The anger is clear in Sebastian’s voice.
The door opens and Cameron walks in, throwing a wink in my direction when I scowl at him.
“Your father wants to ensure you’re going to be ready in time.” He stands beside me, close to me, and I take a step back when Sebastian drops my hand.
“For what?” Sebastian snaps.
“The wedding you are all attending this afternoon. The car will be leaving in two hours.”
Cameron’s hand presses against my thigh and I flick my gaze down in annoyance to find a small piece of paper pressed between his fingers. I look up at him curiously, and he taps my leg with his hand again, extending the paper toward me. I slip it from his grasp and crush the paper into my hand, swallowing the knot of fear that rises when I lift my gaze to find Sebastian looking at me.
“We will have to leave your training for another day, my songbird.” He strokes my face in a manner which some might construe as lovingly.
“Of course, Maestro.” Without thought, I sort of curtsey and he smiles, satisfied with the action.
Cameron snorts briefly before recovering and masking his amusement.
“Escort her back to her room.”
Cameron salutes and hooks his elbow out. I look at Sebastian for approval before threading my arm through his and leaving the room with him.
“Nice dress,” he says as soon as we are out of earshot. He smirks, and his gaze falls over the sheer gown and my nakedness beneath it. Dropping his arm, I unfurl the piece of paper.
“It’s from Ryker.”
Ryker’s handwriting is a neat scrawl.
‘Mia. I need to see you. Ask Sebastian if you can stay with Senior’s girls while he’s at the wedding. I will find a way to come to you. Ryker.’
My heart starts to race at the thought of seeing Ryker, of getting to talk to him without Sebastian present.
“Do you think he’ll let me?”
“Junior?” Cameron turns down a hallway and stops. I’m still looking at the note, so I bump into him. “Is this the right way?” He walks a few more steps before changing his mind and turning back in the direction we came.
“Both Ryker and I are staying behind while the family attends the wedding. If you want to see him, it’s probably the only chance you’re going to get.”
I step quickly to catch up with him. “But what if he says no?”
Cameron looks down at me. “I’m sure you’ll think of something to convince him.” His eyes travel down my body once more and one corner of his mouth lifts as he leans to whisper in my ear. “I’m pretty sure I would do anything you asked if you asked nicely enough.”
He laughs loudly when I scowl at him. “If you think I have even an ounce of control over anything he does, you would be mistaken.”
“So Ryker goes for the feisty ones, huh?”
“Feisty? I don’t have the luxury of being feisty.”
He’s finally found the entrance to my door and stares at the lock. “Do you have the key?” He laughs as he says it, knowing his stupidity.
I roll my eyes and twist the handle. Sebastian never locked it when we left.
“What now?” Cameron asks as I walk inside. “I can’t just leave you here with an open door.”
“Well, I guess you’re just going to have to stand outside and guard me.” I shut the door in his face.
Shutting myself in the bathroom, I bring out Ryker’s note and pour over the words, hearing them in his voice. The memory of my name on his lips ripples through me and I lean against the door, holding the note close to my chest.
“Mia?” Sebastian calls.
Bunching the note in my hand, I throw it into the toilet bowl and flush. “Just a minute.”
Taking a deep breath, I open the door to greet him. Sebastian’s lean frame is encased in an expensive black suit that has been tailored perfectly to fit him. His hair, as usual, is styled and neat.
“I’m sorry I have to leave you so soon.” He pulls me to him and I do my best to smile. “I wish we had the rest of the day together.” He leans down to whisper in my ear. “But you will be mine for the rest of my life so I guess I can exercise a little patience.” He laughs and nuzzles into my neck. “You smell intoxicating.” His nose drags across my skin as he inhales.
I reach up to loop my hand around his neck. He looks at me suspiciously, then tests my commitment by pressing his mouth to mine, sucking in my bottom lip and running it between his teeth until it pops free.
“Am I to stay here alone all day?”
He frowns, letting go of me to turn toward the window. “I guess I could see if Father would allow Daisy to come join you.”
I walk behind him and press my hands to his back before sliding them around to embrace him. He stiffens under my touch. I’ve pushed too far. Acted too keen. Pressing my cheek to his shoulder blade, I decide not to say anymore and sigh deeply. He relaxes after a while and his hands slide up to cover mine. I wonder briefly if he can feel the rapid thud of my pulse, if he can sense my fear. As if to answer me, his hands tighten their grip, bunching my fingers together painfully. He drags them down to the bulge in his pants and folds my fingers around his hard cock.
“Will you miss me?” His voice is thick with barely controlled desire.
I push my breasts against him and stroke his hardness through the material of his pants, hoping my actions will satisfy him in place of my words.
Twisting in my arms, he grips my face between his hands. “Will you miss me?” he asks again.
I blink and bite my bottom lip, stopping the words that want to spill from me. He jerks me forward.
“Yes,” I gasp.
“What will you miss?” His nose is pressed against mine, his breath attacking my face. “What exactly is it about me that you will miss?” Running his tongue up the side of my face, he laughs when words fail me. “That’s what I thought.”
When he releases his grip, he pushes me away, looking at me with scorn. “I don’t like it when you lie to me, my sweet songbird. You will pay for it later.”
“I’m sorry,” I stutter. “I thought—”
“If I want your thoughts I will ask for them.”
He strides toward the door, startled when he pulls it open and finds Cameron, hand in the air, ready to knock.
“Are you ready?”
“Of course I’m fucking ready. I said I would be.” Sebastian nods to me. “Guard her door today. Do not leave for any reason.”
“Your father has requested that I keep an eye on his girls today. Maybe I could get Ryker to—”
Sebastian shoves his face in front of Cameron. “Ryker is not to go anywhere near her, do you understand?”
“Yes.” Cameron nods. “Loud and clear. But what about—”
“Take her with you if you have to. You can keep an eye on all of them at once.”
Cameron steps out of Sebastian’s way as he pushes through the door, his glance only flicking to mine momentarily.
“Yes. As you wish.”