Cruel Control by Candace Wondrak

Chapter Three – Juliet

I didn’t know where I was going. I severely underestimated my ability to get lost in this house, and I had no idea how the heck I’d find my way back to the room. Half of me wanted to find the front door again and try to get out, but the other half of me wanted to know this place’s secrets.

And, therefore, Daddy’s.

Because, let’s be honest here: I wouldn’t be here if things weren’t serious, if Daddy hadn’t done something to piss Markus off. He’d always been tight-lipped about his job, why he would be gone for days or even weeks at a time, and I’d accepted his lack of explanation because I tried to be a good daughter. I was his only family, and he was mine. I loved him and I trusted him.

And now… well, I still loved him, of course, but did I trust him? Working for someone like Markus led me to believe Daddy was hiding things from me, and I didn’t like that possibility. Not at all.

I found a stairwell—it wasn’t the same stairwell I’d taken with Jaxon up here, but I decided to go down it. I passed so many rooms with their doors closed, and I had no idea if they were more bedrooms or if those rooms held secrets of their own. Even though I wanted to hightail it out of here, I found myself curious.

I shouldn’t be, but I was. It sucked because I knew the best thing for me would be to leave, but then what would I do? I had no idea how to get back home, and I had no money. Trusting a stranger to give me a ride, to hitchhike… I didn’t think I could do that. No, I’d leave this house when I was ready to, when I felt more comfortable trying to run.

Right now? Right now I was still in that wide-eyed, oh my God, I’m out of the house phase. Scared but curious. A terrible combination, really. I could blame Daddy for it all—for me not having the self-preservation to run immediately, and for me being here in general.

Thanks, Daddy.

I made it to the first floor, and I wandered. I walked past a row of windows, and I gazed outside to what must be a patio of some sort… and a pool. I passed a door as well, but I didn’t go out, because I saw someone sitting in one of the wicker chairs near the pool. Another man. This one shirtless, tattooed, and soaking up the sun. I didn’t think it was Markus, but the man had black hair just like him.

I pushed forward, aimlessly walking, knowing I had only a short time before Jaxon came back to the room upstairs and found I didn’t sit still. Oops.

My nose picked up a scent, and though I did not recognize what it was, my stomach gurgled in hunger. What time was it? I hadn’t eaten since dinner last night. I could go for some food. After a few more minutes of walking, I came upon a dining room area, and then, attached to it, the kitchen.

I crept into the kitchen, finding a blonde man mixing some stuff. He wore an apron over his clothes, and even though he was cooking, he still looked like he could kill you with his pinky. I froze the minute I saw him, and he glanced up, his eyes a sparkling blue. He had to be in his late thirties, older than Markus by a few years, probably double my age, at least.

I was about to apologize for bursting into his kitchen, but someone else in the room spoke, “Well, well. Look at what we have here.” A low, smooth voice, the kind of voice that both drew my attention and made me want to turn around and walk out.

I turned my head, finding another man sitting on the counter near the pantries, one of his legs hanging off the edge, his other propped up, an arm leaning against it. An arm that currently held onto a knife, while his other hand clutched an apple.

His eyes were a hazel hue, and they immediately took me in—including my fuzzy unicorn pajamas. His brown hair was a few inches long, halfway between shaggy and ruggedly messy. He had a square jaw, a stare that could kill, and a smile that disarmed you. Older than me by at least a decade.

Cute, too, but again, I didn’t think I really trusted myself or my decisions when it came to labeling guys as cute.

“Are you lost, little rabbit?” He chuckled to himself. “You don’t look like you belong here. Don’t tell me you’re Bennet’s newest plaything?”

I had no idea who Bennet was, or who this guy was—or why he currently stared at me like he could literally eat me up like he was doing with that apple. Something about seeing him with the knife made my skin clammy and cold, and I didn’t know what to say to him.

The blonde man mixing things on the gigantic island set his bowl down and wiped his hands on his apron, shooting the other man a look. “Don’t be stupid, Will. You know Markus sent Jax off to fetch the Osborne girl.”

The brown-haired man, Will, smirked. “Oh, yeah. That’s right. I did forget.” He set the apple aside—though I noticed he still clutched the knife—and he hopped down, his feet landing with a thud on the tiled floor. He stalked over to me, still wearing that blasted smirk.

I backed up, backed myself all the way up against the nearest wall. Yeah, let’s just say I was caught between a rock and a hard place, mostly of my own making. My poor, stupid decisions.

“Will,” the chef spoke.

“I’m not hurting her,” Will shot back, glaring at the blonde. “I’m just making sure she’s getting along all right.” He turned those hazel eyes back to me, and my stomach twisted into dozens of knots. He was taller than Jaxon, taller than me—but not quite as towering as Markus. He set an arm on the wall above my head, the one holding onto the knife.

I bit my lower lip, wishing I could blink and make all of this disappear. It seemed every single person in this house was terrifying in their own way. Not a good place to be, especially near one that seemed so at ease clutching that serrated steel.

“What’s your name?” Will asked, and it was like the chef himself didn’t exist at all, not anymore. There was only him and me, and my innate urge to flee. “Oh, come on. I could always ask the others, but it’s much more fun if you go along with it.”

I could not look away from his stare, even if I tried. It took me a few seconds to say, “Juliet.”

The smirk Will wore broke out into a full-out smile. “Juliet,” he whispered my name as if it was a prayer, a name he’d never tasted on his lips before. I wasn’t sure whether I hated the way he said it or if I liked it and wanted to hear him say it again.

These stupid conflicted emotions of mine. If there was one thing that was obvious, being in this house would not be good for my sanity.

Will’s gaze dropped again, and he took in my pajamas. “Aren’t you just a breath of fresh air in this dank hell?” He lifted a hand, the one not currently resting above me, holding onto that knife like a lifeline, and brought his fingers to my jaw, trailing along it.

“Will—” The other man spoke again.

He turned from me, glaring at the chef. “Don’t get your fucking panties in a twist, Ed. I’m not hurting her. I’m just being nice.”

I wanted to point out that his being nice was very creepy and I did not really like it, but I was still very much speechless.

“Come on,” Will said to me, taking my hand and starting to tug me along. “Let’s go somewhere where we won’t have an audience.” The man in the kitchen, Ed, was about to say something, but Will tossed the knife at him, which the chef actually caught.

Lightning-fast reflexes. It almost made me do a double take—and I would’ve, if I wasn’t currently being dragged away from the kitchen by a handsome stranger named Will.

He was strong. Will had such a good grip on my hand that I could not pull away. All I could do was let him lead me wherever his heart desired, and inside my own chest, my heart thumped away wildly. The way Will had looked at me… it’d been too intense, too intimate, almost. Like I’d known, instinctively, the moment I’d been locked under his gaze, that he was a predator, not a man but a beast instead.

Was anyone in this house normal?

We found ourselves in what must be a lounge of some sort, and Will forced me to sit on a leather couch with him, situating himself right next to me, still holding onto me—though his grip no longer clutched my hand and instead held onto my wrist.

“Now, if I let you go,” he spoke, “I don’t want you to run away. Stay and talk with me, Juliet.” The smile he gave me then was disarming, and I was put more at ease, a little. But I guess that was the power of predators; they knew what to say, what to do, how to act to get what they wanted, and right now, Will wanted to talk to me.

“I’ll stay,” I whispered, and my words earned a wide, toothy grin from him.

“Good girl,” he murmured, letting me go. I resisted my urge to rub my wrist where he’d touched me, just like I resisted my urge to run away from him. If I did, he’d catch me. “So, tell me, do you think you’ll survive a house like this?”

My heart nearly stopped at his blunt question, and I gazed into his hazel eyes, feeling the thump, thump of it in my chest. “I… I plan to.” God, I sounded like an idiot. Like someone who was, like Markus had said, pathetic. Nothing but a pathetic, weak little girl.

He set an arm on the couch behind me, his hand close to my shoulder. His whole body practically faced mine, every little move I made under his watchful eyes. “I’m going to be honest with you,” he said. “When I first came here, I thought I was going to die. I wanted to, you know. I was tossed aside, like trash, from the one girl I thought was my forever. I was disowned by my own brother—the brother I did everything to protect.”

Somehow, I had the feeling Will had a lot of baggage, and I was not in the mood to listen to him go on and on, but I also couldn’t muster up the strength to tell him I didn’t really care. He seemed like he was missing a few screws somewhere, and the last thing I wanted to do was get him angry.

“Now, I’m sane enough to admit today that how I went about it was all wrong, but at the time, I did what I thought was best,” Will went on. “I did what I had to, just like anyone here would. But none of that mattered, and I wound up here.” His lips curled into a smile, and he leaned in closer to me to whisper, “Do you know what they did to me?”

I shook my head, afraid to speak.

“They broke me. They broke everything I was and built me up in their image. I don’t know whether I’d still be here today if it wasn’t for them. Now, I’d never give that asshole Travis any credit whatsoever for it, but I do owe them. They made me stronger, gave me meds, got me on the straight and narrow.” He laughed at that. “If you can call what we do here the straight and narrow. Still, it’s better than being dead. A lot less drama than the world out there, too.”

I wasn’t aware whether I was supposed to know who Travis was or not. I didn’t, and I didn’t ask. Finding my voice, I managed to say, “And what is it you do here?”

“Oh, Juliet. You’ll regret asking that question. Mark my words. Someone like you… you’re too innocent for a place like this. I can tell. Do you want to know what I think?” He reached for me with his other hand, leaning in as he ran a finger along my collarbone. The gesture forced me to lean back into the arm that rested on the back of the couch.

His touch felt like a spider on my skin, and my breath caught.

“I think this place will destroy you, and if it doesn’t,” Will paused, the finger on my collarbone moving up to my neck, tracing a vein just below my ear, “the men here will. The only women who last are the strong ones, the ones who like getting down and dirty with us. You’ll never walk out of here alive.”

He sounded so sure of that fact, beyond positive that this place would devour me whole and never spit me out. And, who knew? Maybe he was right. Maybe everything I tried to do would be pointless, so I should just live every moment as if it was my last.

But I couldn’t. If I lost hope, what was there to live for?

His face was inches from mine. Handsome, attractive, but beneath his flawless features lay something dark and monstrous. I itched to get away from him, to put more distance between us, to turn my face away from his so I would not feel his breath on my skin, and yet I was motionless, caught in his web, wondering if he was right about everything.

Call me selfish, call me naive and stupid, but I didn’t want to die here. I did not want this family, as twisted as they appeared, to annihilate me.

“What’s wrong?” Will asked. “Nothing to say to that?” He chuckled lowly at himself, as if he’d made a joke. I, personally, didn’t see what was so funny about it, and before I could say anything in response, someone stood at the doorway.

Thank goodness—but just as I had that thought, I looked to see who it was. Markus and Jaxon.

Jaxon was behind the behemoth that was Markus, eyes on me. He did not appear too thrilled that I’d left my room on my own, and I couldn’t even give him a sheepish smile. I was too uncomfortable with this whole situation.

Markus, meanwhile, only had eyes for Will, it would seem, for he coughed and glared, catching Will’s attention. Will stopped touching me as a result, though he didn’t get up. He met Markus’s glare with one of his own, and for the next minute, I was caught between two warring men.

Not a place I wanted to be, so I slowly got to my feet, slipping off the couch. I moved toward the door, where Markus stood, and, silly me, I thought Markus would step aside and let me pass, but he didn’t. The man practically was wide enough to take up the entire doorway, and I had to shimmy past him to get out, all so he could continue his staring contest with Will.

Was anyone in this house normal? I wondered. Probably not.

Jaxon sent me a frown, and I ran a hand through my hair. “Sorry,” I said. “I was hungry. I didn’t—”

“You should’ve stayed in your room” was all he ended up saying, and I gulped. Behind us, the door to the lounge closed, and I heard muffled voices coming from inside. We both stared at the door for a while, although my gaze was stuck on it longer.

It didn’t sound like Markus was yelling at him, but then again, Markus didn’t strike me as the kind of man who ever raised his voice. He carried a certain type of demeanor, a calm, unsettling quietness, an intensity that was unmatched. I doubted the man ever smiled, either.

Refocusing on Jaxon, I whispered, “You kidnapped me, remember? It isn’t like I volunteered to come here. I don’t know you. I don’t know him. I don’t know anyone in this house—”

Jaxon took a tiny step closer to me, his voice almost inaudible as he said, “If you want to survive this, you won’t. Stick to yourself, and don’t get into trouble. Don’t run, because no matter what you do, one of us will find you… and God help you if that someone isn’t me.” His lips curled into a smile, and he shook his head. “I know things are crazy right now, but trust me when I say I’m the sanest guy you’ll meet in this house. You don’t want to meet the others.”

Oh, right. That was so very comforting, wasn’t it?

I was about to fold my arms over my chest, seconds from having what I thought was a smart comeback, when the door to the room opened and Markus appeared, his dark gaze fixated on me. Lucky me. Within the next moment, he moved to my side, brought a hand to the back of my neck, and held onto me with such a strength he all but forced me to walk away from Jaxon with him.

Just fifteen feet down the hall, not too far, but it felt like miles. Miles with the devil himself on my back.

When we stopped, I felt like wriggling out of his grasp, but one glance into those dark, pitch-black eyes had me frozen. I could not believe I’d dreamed of this man and that night for the last two years. What foolish ignorance I’d drowned myself in; it was stupid. I was stupid. I should’ve known that my life wasn’t normal, which meant I’d never be lucky enough to ever find my handsome white knight, like the girls on the TV always did.

His hand was large; it wrapped around the back of my neck easily, and the way he held onto it was almost possessive. The ends of his lips were quirked downward in a frown, and Markus spoke, “If I were you, I would be careful, Juliet. When you surround yourself with animals, sooner or later they’re bound to take a bite.”

He said nothing else, his hand loosening on my neck seconds before he walked away, and I would be lying if I said I did not turn my head and watch him go. Was he trying to be cryptic, talking like that? Or was he just weird? It was clear no one in this house was of the normal variety, but that one especially… he made my skin crawl.

And, what was worse, even though I knew he was dangerous and it was not at all appropriate for me to entertain any ideas… I couldn’t say I didn’t like it.

Jaxon had gotten me clothes from some other woman who lived in the house. They were a bit snug on me, but I was able to get into them. He told me he’d get me my own clothes soon; he just had to wait for approval from Markus. If I was supposed to get a whole wardrobe here, I knew that meant I’d be here for the long haul.

And I still didn’t quite know why.

Jaxon didn’t leave my side the rest of the day, not until I had an appointment with the family doctor. I didn’t know why I had to meet with a doctor, didn’t understand why it mattered or what this family planned on doing with me, but I had no choice. I couldn’t run. Not yet. Not with Jaxon ever-watchful.

No, to have even the slightest chance of escaping, I’d have to make sure that one was properly distracted, only… I didn’t know how to do it. How to make sure he would be distracted enough to not chase after me immediately.

What about at night? Surely he needed sleep. Surely I would be free of him at night. Hmm.

Jaxon and I stood just outside the doctor’s office. It was on the first floor of the giant mansion, and I rubbed my arms, feeling both uneasy about meeting with yet another stranger and awkward wearing someone else’s clothes. Someone who was rather child-sized, really. My torso wore a tan blouse while my legs wore black leggings. At least the leggings fit, since the fabric stretched.

“You’ll be fine in there,” Jaxon was busy saying, as if I needed him to reassure me.

Actually… it was kind of nice.

“I’m not sure what he’ll have you do or what he’ll ask you, but just be honest. Doc’s not part of the family, but he might as well be. He’s a good guy.” Jaxon breathed deeply, giving me a dimpled smile. “Now, you best get in there before Markus pops around the corner. You never know when he might show up.” Though he sounded like he was being facetious, I knew he was also quite serious.

Markus was the king of this castle, and everyone inside knew it and treated him as such: someone to be feared.

Gathering myself, I turned away from Jaxon and pushed into the office. I didn’t know what I was expecting, not really. I’d never been to a doctor’s office before; Daddy never took me. He liked to keep me safe. I didn’t think he trusted doctors.

The room was oblong, with equipment on one side of the room while the other held bookcases containing huge textbooks and a small desk, where a man sat, scribbling something down in what looked like a journal. Two chairs faced his desk, and I was unhurried in taking one. As I did so, the doctor looked up, meeting my eyes.

He was… not at all what I was expecting. Honestly, at this point, after everything, I didn’t know what to expect, but I knew it wasn’t him.

Glasses sat on his face, his shoulders wide beneath his white, button-up shirt. He didn’t wear a lab coat or smocks like the doctors and nurses did on TV. He had short brown hair and eyes that were nearly the same color, a light amber, as warm as the dark wood of his desk. His cheeks were clean-shaven, every part of him well put-together.

And he wasn’t old. Walking in, I’d expected an older gentleman or an older woman, someone who’d been around for years, but this guy… I doubted he was above thirty.

What was even stranger was the fact he did not radiate the same unkindness, the darkness the other men in this house did. His amber gaze did not peer into me and see my very soul, and when he smiled at me, it felt genuine. He did not make me uncomfortable in the slightest.

He set down his pen and shut his notebook, standing as he offered me his hand over the desk. “You must be Juliet Osborne,” he said, greeting me with a smile. He was tall. Six foot, at least, though it was hard to tell since I was sitting down.

I had to get up, though, to shake his hand, and when I felt his fingers curl around my palm, I felt my body do something weird. He was cute. But maybe he wasn’t. Maybe none of these guys were, and I was just going crazy after being tucked away for so long.

Still, I watched TV. I liked to think I was able to differentiate between those who were attractive and those who were not. This guy was definitely the former, not that I would ever admit that out loud.

“Yes,” I spoke, my voice coming out quiet.

He let go of my hand, which allowed me to sit. He was slow to lower himself back to his chair, folding his hands together on top of the desk as he grinned at me. “I’m Theo Ward, but you can call me Doc, if you want. Everyone else here does. It’s up to you—but please, no Mr. Ward. That’s my father, and he retired from this office a while back.”

“Your father worked here?” I didn’t know why I asked. It wasn’t really any of my business, but I couldn’t imagine taking over what Daddy did and walking in his footsteps. You know, whatever the heck he did, since no one would tell me.

Theo still grinned at me, like I’d said the funniest thing he’d ever heard. “He did. My family has a history of working for the Scotts. There are worse places to be. Plus, they paid for medical school, so I can’t really complain.” He quieted, and for a while, we simply stared at each other.

I shifted in my seat, dropping my gaze to my lap. I was probably the most awkward person ever. It wasn’t like I had experience being around guys, especially guys who were so physically appealing to me. My heart acted up, my palms got all sweaty, and I could not stop the faint blush from creeping up my cheeks.

“So, shall we begin?” Theo asked, breaking into my racing thoughts. “I have a list of questions I need to ask, and then I’m going to give you a quick physical, just to see where you’re at.”

“Why?” I probably shouldn’t have asked, but I couldn’t keep my curiosity sated. I mean, Jaxon had kidnapped me. Markus had threatened me. Will had told me that he didn’t believe I’d survive this house or its inhabitants. Why would Theo give me a physical, as if someone here actually cared about my well-being?

It didn’t make sense.

“It’s my job,” he answered me with a smile before reaching for a stack of papers. They were held together by a clip, and he adjusted his glasses before undoing the clip and grabbing the pen again. “Now, I know some of these questions are going to be intrusive, but I need you to tell me the truth. There is no shame here, for anything.”

I was momentarily struck by how sincere he sounded—and how kind. I wasn’t used to it, not here. I bit the inside of my cheek and nodded, which Theo took as my answer. Let’s get this show on the road already.

“Okay, please state your full name and birthday for me.”

Well, that was an easy one, but when I rattled it off, I noticed he didn’t write any of it down, so I couldn’t help but wonder if it was supposed to be an easy question to get us going. I mean, what else could he be asking about?

“Do you have a history of smoking or drinking?” This one must be a real question, for the pen sat on the paper, ready to jot down whatever it was I’d say.

“No,” I spoke quickly. “No for both of them.” Daddy would never let me smoke or drink. As if. Although, it wasn’t like I ever asked him to, but none of that stuff was ever in the house. I didn’t think I’d ever seen Daddy drink or light one up.

“How much physical activity would you say you get each week?”

I shook my head as I thought. A typical week… it didn’t really consist of much, really. I was always stuck in the house. When I was younger, I might’ve tried to sneak out but I hated disappointing Daddy, and I did not really like being locked away in my room as a punishment, so I tried to be good.

“I… I don’t really know,” I answered. “I never keep track of that.” My voice came out sounding a little sheepish and lame, but Theo didn’t seem to mind. Or maybe he was just doing me a favor and ignoring it.

“That’s okay,” Theo said. “Just answer them as best you can.” He paused to write something down at the bottom of the paper, something that looked like a few short sentences. He flipped to the second page, and the lighthearted expression he wore wavered a bit. “Are you on any medication currently?”

That question was an easy one, so I didn’t quite understand why he was giving that page the look he currently was. “No,” I answered him. “Nothing.”

“Have you ever been put on medication, that you’re aware of? Any history of any medical conditions—blood clots, strokes, that sort of thing?”

Shaking my head, I said, “No, I’m healthy, I think.”

His next question came out of the blue: “Are you sexually active?”

Instantly, I felt the heat flaring in my cheeks. My neck felt hot. I opened my mouth to give him an answer, but no words came out of me. I mean, why the heck was it his business whether or not I was sexually active? I mean, I wasn’t, but that was kind of personal, you know?

When I said nothing, Theo looked at me. “I’m afraid I need an honest answer to that question, Juliet.” He almost sounded apologetic about it, but being sorry for digging into my personal life like this wasn’t enough to make it better.

“I don’t see why it’s any of your business—”

“I’m trying to help you,” Theo cut in.

“No,” I threw out the word, feeling mortified, for whatever reason. I mean, I might’ve felt like this because I watched so many shows on TV where the teenage characters hooked up all the time or because I knew I didn’t have a normal life, being locked away in that house.

It wasn’t like sex didn’t interest me—it did. Of course it did. Of course I wanted to know what it was like, but it wasn’t as if I ever had the chance.

Never liked a boy. Never went out on a date. Never been kissed. So, yeah, no sex. Shocker there. And it wasn’t something I could ever bring up to Daddy; that would just make things awkward.

Theo did not write anything down; instead, he asked, “So you’ve never had sex before?”

My cheeks burned. “No.” Okay, that time, I might’ve sounded a little ticked off, but that’s because I’d already answered his stupid question.

He wrote something down, and I turned my head away, wishing this little meeting would be over with already. But, don’t you worry, he was back with another terrible question soon enough: “Has anyone ever hurt you? Done things to you against your wishes?”

I blinked. “What kind of questions are these?” I got up, like I was going to storm away, walk off, leave this stupid appointment and Theo Ward far behind me, but once I got to my feet, I met his eyes.

“I’m sorry,” he spoke quickly. “I know these are unpleasant questions, but once we get through this, we can be done. I’ll never have to ask you these questions again.” He sounded so kind, so warm and gentle, sorrowful for even having to ask in the first place.

My shoulders rose and fell with a sigh as I slowly sat back down. Running wouldn’t accomplish anything, I knew. I’d just get dragged back in here, my life prodded some more. It was ridiculous.

He started to repeat his last question, but I cut in, saying, “No. No one’s ever hurt me. No one’s touched me. I’ve never had sex. I’ve never even been kissed, okay? So can we move on to other questions now, or do you need to know what I dream about, too?” I shouldn’t have been so snippy, but I couldn’t help it.

And… oops. I just told him I’d never been kissed. Now that was embarrassing.

Theo gave me a smile at that, but whether the smile was meant to be comforting to me or not, I couldn’t tell. “Okay then,” he said. “Moving on.”

We went through the list of questions, and thankfully none were as intrusive as the ones he’d asked before. After the questions were done, it was time for the physical, and I let my mind drift off while he was testing my reflexes and measuring my blood pressure and all that.

If I didn’t let my mind drift off, you see, I would’ve been too in my head. Too focused on the feeling of his soft hands on my skin, the way his eyes seemed to apologize behind his glasses. No, couldn’t have that. Had to shut myself away just to speed this process along.

No offense to Theo—he was nice and everything—but I could not wait to get out of his office.