The Devil's Dream: A Dark Romance (Dark Romance Novel Book 1) (6 page)

Chapter Eleven—Stavros

Stavros sat in his office, waiting for the rest of his staff to leave. Anticipation was prominent, as he couldn’t wait to pay Kiana a visit. Taking her in his office earlier had opened up his appetite, even if he didn’t go about things the way he wanted to. He glanced at his watch, and then put out his cigar. Donning his lab, coat he set off with purpose, making his way upstairs. Janine gave him a brilliant smile when she spotted him. “Dr. Kane, everything is in order. All of the patients have received their medication.”

“Good, thank you, Janine. You can go now, before it gets too late.”

“Um, you know, I can stay with you if you want.” She glanced at him shyly, “You must get lonely here by yourself at night.”

Stavros studied the young woman flirting with him. She looked like a damn teenager. “I will be fine, Janine, thanks. You get going; I don’t want you out on the road so late.”

Disappointment flitted across her face. “Okay. Good night, Dr. Kane.”

He smiled watching her make her exit. Shaking his head, he grunted. Nowadays it seemed like he only had interest in one woman, which annoyed him to no end. Still wearing his scowl, he proceeded to check on his patients. Each room he entered, he turned on the recording of his voice. He smiled.

One more week, and he would have eleven women unknowingly distributing his product.

He scowled. It was supposed to be thirteen, but two were proving to be difficult. His mood darkened. Like Kiana, Kate Morrow was dodging her meds. He intended to find out why. Stepping out into the hallway, he stopped abruptly, wheeling around. He peered down the hallway with a frown. He could have sworn someone passed behind him.

Stavros strode down the hallway, checking every corner. His eyes narrowed suspiciously when he reached Kate Morrow’s room. Her door was slightly ajar. He slowly pushed it open, his eyes landing on the bed. She was stretched out on the bed with her eyes closed. He stood over her, studying her intently. His gaze shifted to the monitors. Her heart rate was elevated, rousing his suspicions further. She should have been asleep for the past hour so—her pulse should be at the resting rate. Turning to leave the room, he sneered. It seemed someone was playing a little game with him. He loved games, though, because he always won. Glancing back at the supposedly sleeping form, he pulled the door closed and engaged the lock. She would be trapped inside for the remainder of the night.

He strode down the hall, his mind still on Kate. What was she doing, snooping around? He had run a background check on her, and nothing had come up. He would have to dig deeper. At least he wouldn’t have to worry about her tonight.

Pushing her from his thoughts for the time being, he made his way to the room he had been anticipating going to all night. He knew she would be awake, because she had no doubt skipped her meds. His lips curved into a smile, images of what he had planned for the night playing though his mind. Pushing the door open, his smile diminished. Her bed was empty, the leads from the monitors strewn on the bed.

Where the hell is she?
He had seen her arrive. Had she left? Confused, he pulled the door closed and took off in search of her. He reached the elevator when he saw her emerge from the stairs. She let out a gasp and clutched her chest when she spotted him. “S-Stavros, you startled me.”

“What are you doing out here?” He asked suspiciously.

“Uh, I was just looking for you.”

“Downstairs?”

She nibbled her lower lip nervously. “I didn’t see you anywhere up here, so I assumed you were in your office.”

He took a menacing step forward. “You went into my office?”

Taking a retreating step back, she shook her head, “N-no. I just peeked inside. I left when I realized you weren’t in there.” She attempted to calm her racing heart, hide her fear.

“Get back into your room. I didn’t invite you into my study to wander around my clinic.” He gave her an icy stare that chilled her to the bone.

A shiver ran down her spine, and she inched past him. His expression and tone would strike fear into even the bravest of men. She gulped and scurried toward her room. Stepping inside, her heart leapt when she heard him behind her. He pushed the door closed and strode toward her. She shrank back, “Did you come looking for me?” She asked, attempting to sound nonchalant.

“Yes and you weren’t here. You are not supposed to leave your room. Don’t let it happen again.”

She shrugged, “I just wanted to see you. I thought maybe we could have a little fun in your office while everyone else slept.”

He studied her carefully, taking in her suggestive tone and lustful expression. It was unlike her to make such a bold offer. He frowned. Why was she acting so differently? “You are a part of the study too. Did you take your medication this time?”

She nodded, “Of course.”

“Hmm, you should be sleeping already. I will have to double your dose.”

Alarm was evident on her features. “That’s not necessary. I’m sure the meds will kick in soon.”

“Sit. I will be right back.” He left the room with a smile hovering on his lips. He knew she was lying. There was no way she could have taken his drug and still be conscious. The look on her face when she realized she wouldn’t be escaping the medication tonight was priceless. He returned minutes later with the pills and a glass of water. Handing them to her, he smiled. “Be a good girl and take the pills, Kiana.”

She inhaled sharply and reluctantly threw the pills into her mouth. She took a few sips of water and placed the glass on the side table.

He leaned forward, “Did you swallow them?” She nodded. “Answer me.”

She was forced to swallow them to answer, “
Yes,"
in a hiss. She knew she would be unconscious in about five minutes.

“Good girl.” He began to attach the nodes to her face and chest. He shook his head. “You know, I wasn’t expecting any trouble from you, Kiana.”

She frowned. “I’m not giving you any trouble. All I did was go to your office to find you. What’s the big deal? Do you have something to hide,
Dr. Kane
?” Her eyes rested on his, challenging him.

He smirked. “We all hide things. Just like you keep secrets about your past, I like to keep my own secrets too.”

She looked away, hating the mentions of her own secret. “I should never have come to your office today,” she said with a pout.

“You know you’re glad you did. Which other man can make you come like I can? Can your boyfriend, Marcus, accomplish that?”

She flushed at the mention of what he was capable of doing to her body. “No,” she breathed. Her eyes started to feel heavy. Her eye lids drooped. She shook her head, trying to clear her mind as it grew foggier by the second. Her body leaned to the side, but he steadied her.

“Time to lie down,” he said, guiding her down to the mattress.

“What did you do to me,” she slurred, even her tongue feeling heavy. She looked up at him. “What kind of sleeping pills are you feeding us anyway? They can’t be normal.” She stared up at his handsome face in horror. “I feel so strange.” She reached for his hand, “I think something is wrong.” He pulled away from her grip.

“The only thing wrong is your suspicious behavior.”

“Huh?”

“What were you doing in my office?” The drug was clouding her judgment and loosening her tongue. His lips twisted. The best part was, she wouldn’t remember a thing.

“I was only searching for something to prove that you're no good.”

He stiffened, “What gave you the idea that I’m not good?”

“You violated me like he did.”

Stavros became rigid. “I told you it was all in your head. Who violated you?”

“I hate him. I thought I hated you too, but I don’t. Maybe you’re not bad after all. I’m not sure. I need to keep digging until I find out.” She mumbled something incomprehensible and fell silent.

He let out soft frustrated growl. She had finally fallen asleep. He felt a tinge of guilt for giving her such a potent dose of the drug, but he had to do it. “I’m sorry, Kiana, but I can’t have you ruining my plans.” He stroked her hair tenderly, although he was angry that she was trying to play him.

It dawned on him that she had given into his sexual pursuit only to find out whatever she could about him. Disappointment washed over him. He leaned down to whisper in her ear. “Since you want to play, I will take part.” Since she had been dodging the drugs, she knew something wasn’t right with them. “You are a smart girl, Ms. Taylor.” He would let her keep dodging the drugs and continue her silly investigation. But all the while, he would be the one manipulating her and bending her to his will. He was confident he could have control over her with sex, and she would soon be begging for it as well doing everything he said. He grinned. “This game will be loads of fun.” He bent down to plant a kiss on her lips before leaving.

Chapter Twelve—Kiana

Kiana hid behind the door, praying that Stavros didn’t decide to scope out the room. She was hiding in the bathroom in one of the other women’s rooms. She was determined to find out what Stavros was doing with the other women. She had pretended to take her medication once again, spitting them out when Janine had left the room. She wouldn’t make the same mistake she did three nights ago. She now knew Stavros’s nightly routine. All she had to do was get back to her room before he reached her door. He always went to her room last.

She pressed her ear to the door, listening to his movements. She then heard his voice. “You will do exactly as I say.” Kiana frowned at the sound of the hypnotic note in his voice. “You will not be aware that you are under my control.”

“What the fuck is he talking about?” she whispered in a breath. Was he hypnotizing the patient or something? The room door open and closed, but she still heard his voice. Now she wasn’t sure whether he was still in the room or if he had left. She didn’t want to risk getting caught, so she waited. She began to hear the same words over and over.
It has to be a recording of some sort
. She held her breath and cautiously pushed the door open. Peeking her head around the door, she scanned the room. Stavros was gone.
Thank God
. She stepped out of the bathroom and walked up to the woman, who was in a deep sleep. A small tape recorder rested beside her head. The woman smiled, “I will not be aware of what I’m doing,” she mumbled.

Kiana’s hand few to her mouth. Was Stavros drugging his patients and brainwashing them? “Oh my God.” She had to get back to her room before he arrived and found her missing again. She didn’t want him to drug her himself as he had the other night. She was convinced he had given her something extra, because the entire night after she had swallowed the pills was blank. She remembered nothing but hearing his voice. He had sounded far away and she had no idea what he had been saying to her.

She opened the door and examined the hall. Stavros must have been in someone else’s room. She closed the door and scuttled in the direction of her room. She quickly began to place the nodes on her face. She had paid keen attention to the way Janine arranged them every night. Getting them all back into their rightful position, she dove into the bed and covered herself. She took several breaths and forced her heart rate back down to normal. Her mind raced. There was no doubting what she had heard.

Stavros was brainwashing the women in his sleep study.

Had he done the same to her? Was that why she craved his touch, even though she knew he was an unscrupulous character?

She swallowed hard. He would come to her very soon. She had to relax to stop the monitors from going haywire and giving her away. Kiana closed her eyes and cleared her mind until the monitors started beeping normally. She heard the door open, and she willed her heart not to pick up pace. She could feel him standing over her, and she forced herself to keep her eyes closed and remain serene. His fingers stroked her cheek gently. She could virtually feel his piercing eyes on her. That was what he did most nights, caress her face or stroke her hair, and then he would kiss her and walk out. He never placed any tape recorder on her pillow. Hope bloomed inside of her. Maybe she hadn’t been brainwashed like the others,
yet
. Why was he always so gentle with her?

She let out a low breath when the door opened and closed. Opening one eye, she looked around the room.
He’s gone.
Kiana scowled deeply. She realized that he treated her differently than the other women. She briefly felt warmth spread throughout her body. Was she by any chance special to him? She almost snorted out loud. She shouldn’t get her hope up about that.
I need to get out of here
. There were only a few more nights left in the study. Should she stay and finish it, or should she haul ass and run?

If she left, she wouldn’t get the opportunity to find out why, exactly, Stavros Kane was controlling his patients. But if she stayed she could be in danger.
What do I do now?

Chapter Thirteen—Stavros

Stavros watched Kiana through the one-way mirror. She was lying down, pretending to sleep yet again. His lips twitched. He was conflicted, not sure what to do about her.

He could let her go. His farce of a study was almost over. Then again, the thought of her walking out of his life wasn’t pleasing to him. She was getting dangerously close to discovering what he was up to, and he had allowed it to happen. For some sick reason, he wanted her to find out more about him, wanted her in his world.

It was unlike him to want anyone else involved in what he did, other than the men and women who worked for him already. The women he was brainwashing to sell his product were different—he felt no personal connection to them, and they would never know anything about him. But Kiana was on the verge of finding out just who he was, and he didn’t mind. He was playing a dangerous game. If she decided to go to the authorities with anything that she found out, he would be in a world of trouble. Of course, he wasn’t foolish enough to let things go that far. But then, why take the risk in the first place? Was he that lonely in his dark, secret world?

He leaned back in his chair and lifted his feet to rest on the desk. He was puzzled to no end. He had never experienced loneliness or the desire to get close to anyone until Kiana came along. What was it about her that intrigued him so much?
She's just a woman
, he thought. He'd always just had his fun with women and let them go right after, no emotional attachment. Yet he found himself starting to care about this one. He still cared even after finding out that she was trying to bring him down. He sucked in a breath and jumped up abruptly, needing to get away from her. He strode out of the room and headed down the stairs to his office, his mood dark and menacing. He had spent almost his entire life feeling nothing: no anger, no loneliness, and no remorse for his actions. He was extremely aggravated that someone was making feel again.

Feelings didn’t go hand in hand with being one of the leaders of one of the biggest drug cartels in the country. He let out a frustrated growl.

***
 

Kiana was seated on the couch in her living room with her knees drawn up to her chest. She rocked back and forth in distress. She wasn’t sure what to do with what she had discovered. Should she go to the police and expose Stavros? She snorted. She could waltz into the police station and start sprouting her suspicions, but she really needed concrete proof. The only proof she had so far was her own vague memories and what she had heard last night. She dropped her forehand on the top of her knee. It was all getting too overwhelming.

She may not have hard evidence, but she knew what was going on. This morning, the women had been acting strange. They were all…spaced out. She didn’t find herself behaving any at all like them. What was he doing different with her? She wished she knew why he was conducting such atrocities in the first place. Was he insane? There were plenty of mad scientists and doctors out there. She quietly moaned, “What have I gotten myself into?” All she had wanted was to get a little help for her insomnia so she could live her life like a normal person. Now, she was more strung out than ever. The only sleep she had gotten was on the nights that she had been drugged.

Turning her head, she stared at her phone on the center table. She was desperate to talk to somebody. She considered calling Jasmine but decided against it. She didn’t want to drag her sister into the mess. She frowned. Apart from Jasmine, there was no one else she could talk to.
How pathetic
, she derided. Her constantly anxious mental state left no room for friends. Then she remembered the number she had gotten some time ago. She smiled. She might not be able to talk to him about her issues, but he could prove to be a good distraction. She needed to get all things Stavros out of her head. What better way to accomplish getting over a man than to get under another one?

Picking up the phone, she sent him a short text. She grinned when her phone began to buzz mere second later.
Ah, he's definitely still interested
. “Hello?”

“Hey. Glad to hear from you—surprised, but pleased all the same,” Marcus drawled.

She pursed her lips, “Um, I’m sorry for not contacting you sooner, I meant to, but it just didn’t happen until now.”

“No worries. I guess now is the right time. How are you, Kiana?”

Terrible
. “Great. What about you?”

“I’m good. I’m at work at the moment.”

“Oh, we can talk later then.”

He paused, “Better yet, have dinner with me.”

She smiled. “Sure. I can meet you somewhere.” He mentioned a restaurant and she agreed. Letting out a breath she relaxed considerably. Her mind was made up. She wasn’t going back to Stavros’s clinic to take part in his fraudulent sleep study. She would forget all about him and move on with her life. She felt sorry for the women who had inadvertently gotten caught up in the mess. But what could she do about it? She sighed and got up, deciding to try her hand at a little work.

***
 

The hair on the back of her neck stood up. Kiana glanced around the restaurant frantically. “Are you alright?” Marcus inquired.

“Uh, yeah I’m fine.” She wasn’t fine. She had felt his presence. Was it just her imagination? He was a constant in her mind, so it was possible she was just imagining things. Right? She smiled, bringing her focus back to her date. They had enjoyed their meal and were now on desert. Kiana was quite comfortable as they chatted.

“You are the most gorgeous woman here,” Marcus expressed.

She chortled, “That’s a bit of a stretch, don’t you think?”

“Not at all, you have been getting appreciative looks all evening. There is one guy at the bar who has been staring you down for the last ten minutes.”

Kiana frowned. She turned her head to glance quickly at the bar. Her breath stopped.
Stavros
. It wasn’t her imagination after all, he really was here. She turned back to Marcus, who was looking at her questioningly. She had to concoct a story fast. But what could she tell him? She decided to go with a half-truth. She let out a nervous giggle, “Wow, this is embarrassing. Um, I actually know him.”

Marcus grinned, “By the death stare that he's giving me, I’m going to assume he's an ex-boyfriend.”

“Oh god, no. Er, he’s a doctor, my doctor… sort of. He’s a family friend,” she blurted out. It was the best she could come up with. “He's doing a study, and I agreed to help him out.”

Marcus’s brows went up. “O...kay. Maybe he wants to talk to you. You can call him over if you want.”

“No! I mean, I think he’s pissed at me. You see, I skipped out on our appointment to have dinner with you.” She smiled sweetly and batted her lashes.

Marcus chuckled, “You risked getting into trouble for me? I have to say, I’m flattered.”

“You were worth it. I have been having an amazing time. But with him being a family friend and all, I should go over and try to smooth things over, if you don’t mind.”

“Not at all. I’m not going anywhere.”

He stood up with her. “Thanks, I won’t be long.” Taking tentative steps toward Stavros, she gulped. What was he doing in the same restaurant as her anyway? “Hello, Stavros.”

His gaze swiped lazily over her. “Kiana.”

She shuddered. There was something ominous about his demeanor. He seemed cold. “What are you doing here?”

“I followed you.”

“Excuse me? Have you resorted to stalking now?”

He smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. She had the urge to turn around and run. He slid off of his chair. “Let’s go and have a little chat in private.”

“I’m sure you've noticed that I’m here with someone,” she said through clenched teeth.

“He can wait.” Grasping her arm tightly, he forced her to follow him.

She glanced back at Marcus and gave him a reassuring smile, holding up her hand and indicating she would only be away for five minutes. “You’re hurting my arm,” she hissed. His grip loosened immediately, but stayed firm. He led her outside and into a dark ally. She struggled. “Let go of me, I’m not going any further with you.”

He snorted. “Please, Kiana, if I wanted to hurt you,” he pushed her against the wall and lifted his hand to brush it across her cheek, “I could have done so many times already.”

She stared up at him, her chest heaving. “What do you want? Aren’t you supposed to be at the clinic?”

“I could ask you the same thing.”

She looked away. “I’m not going back.”

His hand slid further down to wrap loosely around her neck. “Of course you are.”

“To hell with anything that I signed, I’m not going back!” she spat. “And you can’t force me.”

His eyes pierced into hers. “I would never force you to do anything you didn’t want to do. But you will come with me willingly.”

She attempted to slide away from him, but he held her captive. “You are mine, Kiana. I knew it from the moment you walked into my office.”

She trembled beneath his roaming hand. She felt it slip under her dress, inching up her thighs. “You don’t own me, you sick bastard. Get your hands off of me.” She watched wide-eyed as his head lowered toward her. His lips hovered over hers, mere centimeters away. Her breaths came out in short puffs. She nearly groaned out loud, disgusted with herself because she
wanted
him to cover the small distance and kiss her.

He smiled, knowing that he now had her under his control. She arched into him as his fingers slid into her panties. His lips grazed hers, and she let out a moan. He hiked her dress up further, ready to show her just how much control he had over her. Then his phone began to ring in his pocket.

The sound jolted Kiana to her senses. She blinked rapidly, a blush spreading across her face. She had come dangerously close to being fucked by Stavros in a dark alley.
Damn him
, she thought. She was even angrier at herself for not being able to resist him. He whipped his phone out, thoroughly annoyed. “
What?
” He barked.

Kiana made good use of his distraction, sliding out from beneath his arm. She scampered away, heading back to the restaurant. “Get back here!” Stavros called, but she disappeared around the corner.

“I haven’t gone anywhere, boss,” Jeremy said.

Returning his attention back to his phone call, Stavros sneered, “Not you, idiot! Why are you calling me? It had better be an emergency.”

“I suppose it is. It involves one of your offshore accounts.”

He wiped a hand over his face. He wanted to go after the woman who had just escaped his clutches, but he had to deal with whatever problem had arisen. He sighed, “Which one?”

“The one in the Cayman Islands; I have on good word that some kind of investigation is taking place.”

“Right, I’ll take care of it. Thank you, Jer.” Hanging up the phone, he grimaced. It was Kiana’s lucky night. He would have to leave her alone to take care of business. He could easily have someone manage his numerous overseas accounts, someone like Jeremy. But, he preferred to handle his money himself. It was a way to avoid killing anyone. He strolled to his car. Taking one last look at the restaurant, he drove off. He would get Kiana soon enough.