Dark Castle by Shanna Handel

5

Willow

Briar would killme if she found out. I repeat the same mantra to myself that I’ve been rambling for the past few months: she doesn’t need to know, not yet.

No one does.

I’m getting closer to the spot. My muscles tense, a cold sweat breaking out over my skin. I should have walked. I’m much too early. Santo’s car is fast.

There’s a break in the trees. A perfect place to hide the car. I slide into the grass, nestling the Ferrari safely between two massive black poplars. You can see it from the main road, but just barely.

Our meeting spot is up the hill and through the woods, about a five-minute walk.

I leave the keys in the ignition like Santo does.

As I climb out of the Ferrari, my heart thrums in my chest, battering my ribcage as it always does when I sneak off like this.

I’ve left the castle. Alone. In a stolen car.

Three things that are strictly forbidden. Three strikes against me. My mother always said bad things happen in threes.

Fear gnaws at my stomach, thinking of what Briar’s reaction will be if she ever finds out about what I do here in these woods. Santo’s face flashes in my mind, only I imagine his jaw is locked tight, his eyes hard with anger. I push away the guilt over stealing his car.

Maybe he won’t even notice?

The pine needles are soft under the leather soles of my ballet flats. Do I look okay? I smooth a hand over my hair, wild from having the windows down as I sped along the highway. Glancing down at my dress, I try to brush away the white flour from the dusty rose material. It’s no use, the flour has settled into the fibers.

I shouldn’t care what he thinks of my dress, or my hair. But I do. I make it to the clearing, a small grassy meadow circled by tall trees. Tiny white flowers dot the green grass.

I press my back against one of the ancient, giant sequoias, my favorite in these woods. And I wait. As time passes, my heart rate seems to accelerate.

It will all be alright when he gets here, I tell myself. It always is. I ache for him to hold me in his strong arms. To tell me he loves me. To tell me everything will be alright.

Is that why I keep coming back here? Time after time? Hiding things from Briar? Just for the warm embrace?

All day, I’m surrounded by people that love me. Yet, I’m so, so terribly lonely. I’m all alone.

My sister has Aldo and the two of them have a love so strong, it wraps them together like a cocoon, creating a world just for two, pushing me out.

The two girls in the family who are closest to my age, Cecily and Esme, are married to the Romano brothers Lance and Luca. They have a cozy foursome at their estate, picnicking and playing card games that require two pairs. They invite me along, but spending time with them only serves to make me feel more alone.

Posie, my youngest sister, is off at lessons and school, making friends and playing catch up from the years of our isolation when we lived alone in the woods. Or she’s shooting her gun.

Honestly, when it was just us three girls living in our cabin in the forest, I’d thought I was lonely then. I longed to join the real world. But now that it’s changed and we live in a grand castle with people bustling around all day, I fear I want to go back to that simple life in the cabin where I had everything I needed.

At least there, I knew I belonged.

Here, the girls are beautiful, seductive, dressed in the latest fashions, their hair and makeup, as they say, on point.

Me?

My plain blonde hair hangs straight down my back. My dresses are sewn by my sister, and they look old-fashioned, like they’re from another time. And they are, a time when we lived alone and made do with what we had.

Now we have everything. Aldo’s been so generous, giving us limitless credit cards to buy clothing, shoes, anything we want. But I don’t feel right spending his money.

I tried to fit in. I put on a pair of tight, sexy jeans I’d found for a deal at the thrift store, and I used dollar store eye shadow to copy a dramatic smoky eye look. No matter how good the other girls told me I looked, inside I felt like a fraud.

So, I undid the elaborate braids from my long hair, washed the red lipstick from my mouth, shimmied out of the skintight jeans and went back to my long dresses.

This is what I hate about waiting; it gives you too much time to think.

I check my watch. It has a plain face and a sturdy brown leather band. Dependable, reliable, nothing flashy. Kinda like me. It was a gift, meant to keep the time for our secret meetings, and I cherish it.

He’s late.

He’s never late.

He’s not coming.

Silly tears burn at the backs of my eyes. I press them away with the backs of my hands. I know it’s juvenile, to get upset like this, but being with him takes all the loneliness away, reminding me of better times, if only for an hour.

I may as well leave. Go home and face the consequences, or better yet, try to sneak back in, hoping the guards at the gate haven’t seen Santo since I left. Maybe no one missed me while I was gone? I push off of the tree, taking one last look at the peaceful meadow.

Strong arms grab me around my waist. I go to scream but a hand covers my mouth.

Oh my God…who is this? What’s happening?

My heart races in my chest as I’m pulled back into the heat of a broad chest against my back. The hand over my mouth loosens, and I feel breath hot by my ear. “Shh…”

It can’t be him—he’s gentle. He’d never grab me like this. Who is it in these woods, pinning me against him so roughly?

Words purr from a familiar voice, a seductive blend of silk and husk. A heated hand slides from my waist, over my trembling belly. “Thought you’d go for a little joyride?”

Santo.

His name may mean saint, but the way he holds me against him makes me feel like the devil is inside me, burning me with desire. His right arm wraps around my waist, pulling me so hard against him, the buckle of his belt digs into my lower back.

His hand drops from my face, letting me answer. “Something like that.” I don’t struggle against him as his hand slips up my torso, chill bumps dotting my arms at his touch, every hair on my body standing on end. His hand moves higher, grazing over my breast, making my nipples pebble tight against my clothing.

His hand moves along my clavicle, his long fingers encircling my neck. He applies the lightest of pressure as his fingers wrap around my neck. I lose my breath at his touch—it’s dangerous and possessive—the tips of his fingers scraping across my flesh.

My eyes close as the back of my head presses against his shoulder. He’s at least a head taller than I am. His mouth makes its way to my ear, his fingers tightening. “You know you’re not supposed to leave the castle, little girl. There are wolves in these woods.”

“I…” My voice catches in my throat. What do I say when all I want in this moment is for this wolf to tear me limb from limb? Filthy thoughts enter my mind, causing a melting feeling between my thighs, dampening my panties and filling me with shame.

His fingers tighten. “Answer me.”

I form a half-truth in response. “I was…bored.”

His muscles tense for a moment, as if he’s surprised by my answer. But the tension fades and he wraps his body further around mine. “Boredom is no excuse for putting yourself at risk like this.”

Heat flashes through my blood. This is wrong, my body being held so close to his, the things he’s making me feel. I struggle in his arms. He releases me, turning me.

His perfect lips form a scowl. “What the hell did you think you were doing? Taking my car? Leaving the castle?”

I lower my eyes. The toe of my shoe scuffs at the ground and I stare down at it. “I’m sorry about your car.”

“I don’t give two fucks about the car.” He captures my chin between his thumb and finger, forcing me to meet his gaze. His eyes suck me in, making my knees no longer want to bear my weight.

How could I be so stupid? I’ve stolen away a dozen times. There’s a hole in the back wall protecting the castle where two points meet to form a corner. It’s not been repaired. On the other side is the edge of the forest. I sneak through the trees to come to the meadow. Why was I so bold as to take his car and leave out the front gates, taking the main road?

He stares at me, unrelenting, not allowing me to look away. In his dark eyes there’s anger but beneath it, I catch a glimpse of another emotion, one I can’t read. For the first time, he’s the one to look away. His hand drops from my face.

“I was—” He corrects himself. “Everyone at the castle, they’re worried sick.” He grabs my hand, pulling me through the woods. “Come with me.”

“Sorry.” My response is a murmur.

“Wait.” He hesitates, coming to a stop. His hand suddenly feels big and hot and suffocating around mine as his eyes catch mine. He searches my gaze, making prickles dance across the back of my neck as the tiny hairs there stand on end.

“What?” I feel as if he’s trying to read my thoughts. I shake my head, tugging at my hand to free it.

He doesn’t allow it. He holds me tighter, his voice growing deeper. “This isn’t the first time you’ve snuck off to come here, is it?”

“Ah…”

His stern eyes demand an answer. A shiver runs through me, down my spine, culminating between my legs. He makes me feel small, naughty, ashamed.

Why does the feeling of shame make my sex feel all hot and pulsing, begging to be touched…

“Answer me.” He pulls my hand toward him till my face is only inches from his. “Now.”

“You see…” I press my thighs together as he stares at me harder.

There’s something wrong with me.

I’m in massive trouble and all I can think about is the dirtiest, most dog-eared pages of my favorite romance novel. The one where Ricardo takes Rose with such force it makes my whole body clench when I read it.

I clear my throat, hoping to form words that make sense. “I…ah…I meet…” the end of my sentence rises up in a squeak, “someone here?”

“You meet…someone?” His hand falls from mine. His brow narrows. “Who?”

“No one.” The words tumble out messily, tangling as they go. “I mean, it’s someone, like it’s an actual human being, but it’s no one important. No one that you need to be concerned with. You know what I mean?”

“A man?” His voice makes a sound like a rake scraping over gravel.

If I didn’t know better, if I hadn’t seen half the girls in the castle doing the walk of shame straight from his bedroom as the sun rises and I’m proofing the dough for the daily bread, I’d think Santo was jealous.

Over me.

Silly thought. I shake my head, clearing it.

“So, it’s a woman you’re meeting?” he asks.

“Huh?” I shake my head again, realizing I’ve misled him with the headshake. “Ah—does it matter?”

“What matters is that you’ve been disobeying our rules.” His words are almost a growl, his lips snarling at me. “How many times?”

I can barely breathe; I can’t think. I ask dumbly, “How many times, what?”

Losing patience, he asks, “How many times have you snuck away?”

Something in his brooding, demanding gaze won’t let me lie. I flinch as I answer. “A dozen or so?”

“Then that’s how many times you’ll feel my hand across your ass.” He grabs my hand, tugging me toward the car. “Come.”

A shock wave tears through me.

This man means to…spank me?