The Devil's Dream: A Dark Romance (Dark Romance Novel Book 1) (7 page)

Chapter Fourteen—Stavros

Stavros slammed his hand down on the table with an angry growl. He peered through the one-way window, the anger mounting when he saw Kiana’s empty bed. It was the third night that she hadn’t shown up. He had left her alone the first night because he knew she had been upset about what took place outside of the restaurant. The second night he had also let slide, giving her more time. But tonight she was still absent, and it annoyed him to no end. He wasn’t used to having people thwart him.

His so called study was almost over. He had made great progress with the women and had them right where he wanted them. Well, with the exception of two. Kate Murrow has proven to be difficult just as Kiana has. He could let the both of them go. After all, he would have enough willing participants selling his product. Plus, he suspected Kate was up to no good, and he knew for sure that Kiana had tried to get close to him just for information. But he was never a man to accept defeat. He would find a way to take control of the troublesome Kate’s mind. He would most certainly succeed in possessing Kiana Taylor—mind, body, and soul. She would be his in every way possible, even if he had to resort to more unscrupulous methods than usual. Soon, she would give up her mission to take him down.

Eyeing the syringe between his fingers, he smiled wickedly. It seemed that in order to rein his stray little girl in, he would have to drug her after all. The door opened behind him.

“Dr. Kane, I didn’t realize you were in here,” Janine said.

Quickly composing himself, he turned around. “Janine, I have a favor to ask you.”

“Anything doctor, Dr. Kane,” she gushed without missing a beat.

“I need you to stay tonight.”

Her eyes widened, and there was a mixture of hope and excitement visible in their depth. “Uh, yeah of course!” She dropped her handbag on the chair.

“Great, I need someone to stay while I leave to take care of a problem. It’s an emergency,” he added.

Janine’s shoulders drooped, “Oh, of course.” Disappointment warped her tone.

Stavros shot up an eyebrow. It was obvious the young woman was hoping to spend the night working with him…and doing other things. Once upon a time, he would have obliged her, but there was only one woman on his mind at the moment, there was only one woman he wanted to do
other
things with. That woman was driving him mad with her defiance. “Good, I’ll be back.” Strolling out of the room, he heard Janine’s sigh but ignored it. He was a man on a mission. Reaching his car, he backed off his lab coat and slid in. He started the engine and sped off in the direction of his stubborn prize.

He reached her apartment building just in time to see her stepping out of a strange car. The man he had seen her with several nights ago also emerged. Stavros sneered, watching them walk to the front door. Kiana stopped and turned to her companion with a smile, a smile that she had never given him. Stavros took a deep breath, reining in his temper. The man leaned down to brush a kiss across her lips, then waited as she went inside. Stavros could feel his blood boiling.
So, this is who she's been evading me for
. Watching the man drive off, he was tempted to follow so he could beat the bastard to a pulp. His fingers tightened around the steering wheel, and he counted to ten in effort to control his rage.

The light in her apartment was flicked on. He watched her silhouette move around the room for a few minutes. Ten minutes passed before he finally stepped out into the night and made his way inside. Glancing around the foyer, he frowned. There was no doorman, nor any kind of security. He took the stairs by two. Stopping at the front of her door, he knocked and waited.

It wasn’t long before the door was flung open by a towel-clad Kiana. “You didn’t even ask who it was,” he said softly. “You should be more careful.”

Kiana’s eyes widened. “I-I thought it was—”

“Your boyfriend?”

His tone was low and deadly, sending a chill down her spine. Squaring her shoulders she answered boldly, she answered, “Yes.”

Stavros stepped into her living room, his imposing figure making the place feel smaller than it actually was. Towering over her, he flashed a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “Sorry to disappoint you, Kiana.”

Her mouth opened and closed. She almost admitted that she wasn’t disappointed and that Marcus wasn’t exactly her boyfriend, although he would very much like to be. Instead, she asked, “What are you doing here? It’s after ten; don’t you have other women to attend to?”

His lips curled. “There is only one that I want to attend to. Why haven’t you showed up at the clinic?”

“I quit.”

“Without a word? You
did
sign a contract.”

“Fuck the contract,” she spat.

With a laugh, he stated, “I could take you to court.”

“Feel free, Dr. Kane.” She would be damned if she let him brainwash her for whatever sick reason he was brainwashing other women. She shuddered. It was probably to have them submit to him sexually. The thought made her sick and jealous at the same time.
God, I need help
. “You should go.”

“You don’t really want me to.”

“What makes you think you know what I want?”

His eyes dropped to move lazily over her body. She was reminded that she was clad only in a towel. She was on her way to shower when she heard the knock and assumed it was Marcus. Tugging at the short towel, she tried her best to not let his heated gaze affect her. But it was rather difficult. Her body temperature began to slowly rise, bringing a slight flush to her skin, and her breathing became more labored. Those gray eyes were lethal.

Stavros smirked knowingly, “I’m sure you now know the answer to your question.” Stepping closer, he covered the distance between them. “Your body calls to me, Kiana. Why resist it?” He reached up a hand to slide his fingers across her cheek. “You want me to stay. You want me to touch you. You want me to take all of you. No matter how much you deny it, I’ll always know.”

Kiana stared up at him, her knees weakening. Her gaze lowered to his lips, silently begging him to kiss her. “You may make my body come alive, but it’s just sex. I can have that with any number of men.”

“Stop lying to yourself,” he ordered in a whisper, lowering his head toward her. Stavros swallowed her protest as his mouth crushed her. His heart jumped at the sound of her soft moan. Pulling her closer, he forced her head back, deepening the kiss, devouring her mouth with violent movements. Her eyes closed and her hands reached around his neck.

Backing her toward the couch he pushed her down lightly to loom over her. Lifting both hands over her head, he pinned her wrists down. Dazed by her own desire, she didn’t realize what he intended. He reached into his back pocket, uncapping the syringe and swiftly plunging it into her arm.

Kiana gasped, “What the fuck was that?” Alarm sounded in her voice. She eyed him with fear.

Standing up, he peered down at her. “You don’t have to be afraid. I would never dream of hurting you.”

Struggling to sit up, she fell back down. Her limbs were suddenly weak. “What did you give me?”

“Have you heard of Neuro? I gave you a mixture of that, along with a little something to make you drowsy. So you’ll feel a bit high, but sleepy.”

“Are you insane?” She slurred, “You can’t drug me without my consent. I’m going to call the police, I swear.”

Stavros smiled and placed a finger over her lips. “I had no choice, Kiana. You keep fighting me at every turn and I can’t have that. I need you to submit to my will, and this is the easiest way to do it.”

She stared up at him, confused. The man was obviously stark raving mad. What would he do to her? He could easily kill her, and no one would find her for days. Her heart pounded in her chest as she lost control over her own body.

Stavros picked her up and carried her to her bedroom, placing her gently on the bed. He pulled out his tape recorder and placed it beside her. His hypnotic voice filled the small room. Letting out a sigh, he rubbed a hand across his face. What was the matter with him? He was out of control. Never had he gone into a woman’s home and drugged her in an attempt to bend her to his will. He didn’t want to use drugs on her. He had wanted her to give in to him willingly. If he had her brainwashed, he would never get the satisfaction of her accepting him on her own accord. With a frown, he left the room to wait for the drugs to wear off a bit. Pacing her living room, he took in his surroundings, trying to find out more about her. There were no pictures of her and family or friends, not even one with the sister she had mentioned. Was she as much of a loner as he was?

His gaze landed on a desk. A laptop was in the center, and there was paper strewn all around. It was a disorganized space, indicative of her mindset. He sat down in the chair by her desk and closed his eyes, inhaling deeply. Her scent was everywhere, and he wanted to fill himself with her. His eyes flew open, and he groaned with frustration. Should he be concerned by his own behavior?
I damn well should
. He was developing too many strong feelings for the woman in the next room. He actually felt a tinge of hurt when he remembered that she had slept with him solely to discover something to use against him. But the way she reacted to him was proof that she felt something for him. That was what gave him hope, and that was what propelled him further to make her completely his.

That sharp shard of guilt for drugging her still remained, though. He sighed, irritated that it wouldn’t go away. Maybe he needed some space from her. He would make sure she showed up at the clinic for the remaining days of the study, ensuring that she got nightly doses of his drug. He would treat her like he did everyone else until he had her where he wanted her.

Hours later, Stavros opened his eyes. He stood up stretching gingerly. The effects of dozing off in the chair felt very real. He walked to Kiana’s room to check on her. She was still asleep. He sat on the edge of the bed and stared at her for a few seconds. As if sensing his presence, she stirred, and her eyes fluttered open.

“Stavros?” Her voice still slurred, laced with drowsiness.

He remained silent, but bent down to kiss her lightly before taking up the tape recorder. With one last look he exited the room.

Chapter Fifteen—Kiana

“You look different,” Jasmine observed. She studied Kiana closely.

Kiana shrugged. “This is the look of being well rested. I’ve been sleeping for the past few days.”

“Thank God. I guess the study worked after all?”

“Yeah, Dr. Kane is a miracle worker.” Kiana blinked at the mention of his name. Her mind was muddled all of the sudden. Frowning, she rubbed her forehead.

“You alright sis?” Jasmine peered at her with concern.

“Um, yeah, just a slight headache.” The pounding in her head had been appearing on and off for days. She noticed that it occurred whenever she thought of Stavros. The sleep study was over. She hadn’t seen him in almost a week, but sometimes, she had the strange feeling that he was watching her. She had even woken up smelling like him this morning, which was impossible, because she hadn’t left her apartment in days. She had been capitalizing on her well rested brain, getting a ton of work done. “It’s cool, it’ll pass.”

“So, you’re working like normal now?”

Kiana brightened. “Yeah, I have been! I’ve been working up a storm. It looks like I’ll be able to pay my rent this month after all,” she finished with a giggle.

Jasmine raised her glass, “Amen to that, sister.”

Kiana smiled, but the nagging pain in her head continued.

“Earth to Kiana.”

She blinked as Jasmine’s voice penetrated her hazy mind. “Huh?”

“What’s the matter with you? You just spaced out.”

“Oh, I-I didn’t realize. What were you saying?”

“I asked you about that fine, dark chocolate hunk we met at this bar weeks ago.”

“Marcus? He's alright.”

Jasmine slammed down her glass and sucked her teeth, “That’s it? Bitch, I know there’s more, you better give me the details.”

With a snort, Kiana glared, “Why are you always up in my business?” A smile tugged at her mouth. “I don't know, we might have gone out a few times?” She admitted.

Jasmine squealed with delight. “Go ahead honey. Did ya’ll do the nasty yet?”

“Jasmine
.” Kiana glanced around to see if anyone had heard. “Keep your voice down.”

“Sorry,” she said in whisper, “I got overexcited. Well,
have
you done it?”

With a blush, Kiana shook her head. “No. The thing is, I’m hung up over another guy.” She stared into her glass, thinking of Stavros, noting that the uncomfortable feeling in her head exacerbated.

A gasp sounded. “Ooh, drama. Tell me more, girl. Who is this guy? Where did you meet him? And have you done the nasty with
him
?”

Rolling her eyes, she glanced at her sister with annoyance written on her face. “I met him at the clinic.”

Jasmine’s brows furrowed, “I thought the study only involved women. You said the only man that was there was the doctor.” Realization hit, “Oh, shit. You little slut! You and your psychiatrist? This keeps getting better.”

“I’m glad I could provide you with entertainment for the night.”

“Listen, my life is boring as fuck right now with a husband and a kid. I see nothing wrong with living vicariously through my baby sister.”

Turning to her, Kiana acquiesced to sharing the story. “Okay, when I first met him—the doctor, that is—I was immediately attracted. He's fine as hell, girl. We went out before the study began.” Jasmine gawked at her, taking sips of her drink. “We’ve…had sex during the course of the study.” She left out the tidbits of her suspicions and what she had found out about Stavros. “I can’t get him out of my head. I’ve tried to move along with Marcus, but he just doesn’t make me feel the way Stavros does.”

“Stavros, huh? He sounds foreign. That’s kinda hot.”

“He’s half-Greek and more than kind of hot, Jaz.” She sighed longingly. “I haven’t seen him in days, which is quite disappointing.”

“Damn, so because the study is over, you two are over?”

“I don’t know. I mean, I should be happy that he seemed to have forgotten about me because he’s…dark and dangerous and not good for me at all.”

Jasmine frowned. “What do you mean dark and dangerous? Has he been abusive?”

“What? No! Not like that, just his personality. God, I don’t know, Jaz. I just know that I should stay away from him. But I want him so much,” she admitted. She dreamt about him almost every night. She heard his voice in her head when she slept, felt his hands on her. She also had strange visions of herself in an empty room, sorting small packages. She grimaced, not knowing how that part of her dreams fit in with Stavros. “He has me seriously fucked up in the brain.”

Jasmine let out a laugh, “Welcome to the world of being in love, sweetheart.”

Kiana scoffed, “I’m so not in love with him. That’s just ridiculous.”

“Whatever. He’s wrong for not checking on you after the study, though. It sounds like he just wanted to get into your pants. He's a player and a real shady character for sleeping with his patient.”

For some reason, a protective streak presented itself. “Don’t talk about him like that,” Kiana hissed. “I wanted it.”

Jasmine stared at her wide-eyed. “Alright, calm down. Damn, you’re ready to bite my head off over this guy. You’ve got it bad, sis.”

Kiana took a steadying breath. Blinking rapidly, she stammered, “I-I sorry. I d-don’t know where that came from.” She took up her glass and downed the rest of the content in one gulp. She gestured to the bartender for another.

Sometime later, Jasmine drove Kiana down the road toward her home.

“Leave me here,” Kiana instructed her sister.

“Hell no, you’re drunk out of your mind.”

“Just stop the damn car. He’s here, his car is right over there,” she said, pointing to the silver Bentley parked across the street. “I need to talk to him.”

“Seriously? You’re in no condition to carry out a conversation,” Jasmine stated.

Growling in frustration, she shouted, “Stop the fucking car!”

Jasmine gasped, outraged. “Fine!” She slammed on the brake. “I’m just trying to look out for you,” she hissed.

“Oh, now you want to look out for me? What about twelve years ago, when you left me with
him
?”

There was a sharp intake of breath, “We’re going to do this now?”

“You bet we’re going to do this now.”

Jasmine sighed. “How many times am I supposed to tell you I’m sorry? I was only eighteen. It wasn’t my place to take you away from your mother.”

“You could have stayed, like you promised. You told me you would always protect me from him, but you’re a fucking liar, Jaz. You left me and saved yourself. I suffered twice as much when you left, for
five
years
. No, I’m
still
suffering. I’ll be suffering for the rest of my life.”

Tears filled Jasmine’s eyes, “Kian—”

“Don’t you dare shed any tears and expect me to feel sorry for you,” she spat. “I hated you for so long,” she confessed.

Jasmine sobbed, “It’s not fair, Kiana. You know I couldn’t take responsibility for a thirteen-year old. I could barely take care of myself. I wished I could have taken you with me. I regret leaving you every day.”

“Fuck you, Jaz.” Kiana flung the door open and stumbled out of the car.

“Kiana get back in here!”

“Go away; I don’t even want to look at you right now.”

With a frustrated growl, Jasmine hit the steering wheel. “You know what? I’m tired of this shit. I’ve been trying to make things right for years and all you do is shut me down every time. I’ll give you what you want, I’ll leave you alone.” She sped off, leaving Kiana on the sidewalk.

She flung her purse down and fell to her knees, sobbing uncontrollably. She hated that their time spent together had turned into a full-on brawl with angry words and tears. She was usually able to control herself and shove back her resentment for her sister. She wasn’t sure what had gotten into her tonight. She hadn’t been behaving like herself for days. Struggling to her feet, she staggered toward the building. The effect of the alcohol impairing her judgment sent her hurtling to the ground beside the door. She sat there and let flow tears she had held back for years.

***

Stavros muttered a line of expletives as he made his way to the elevator.

“You fool. I told you to delay that shipment. I told you to wait until the excitement had died down.” Jeremy sputtered excuses and apologies in the doctor's ears. He rubbed the bridge of his nose. “Don’t let shit like that happen again,” he roared and hung up. He sighed. Another shipment had been intercepted by the police. If Jeremy had done as he was told, it never would have happened. He normally wouldn’t explode over one shipment, but he had been in a sour mood for days. And it was all over one woman.

Distancing himself from Kiana was turning out to be harder than he thought. He had slipped several times and come close to screwing her senseless while she was drugged, but he had held back. She was fully under his control, doing his dirty work and not even remembering what she did the following day. He should be satisfied, but he wasn’t. It didn’t feel right, using her as a puppet like everyone else. He only had half of her, and that wasn’t enough.

Pushing the door open, he stepped outside. The sound of sobbing stopped him in his tracks. Swiveling around, he saw someone slumped against the wall. The curls were recognizable, and fear gripped him. “Kiana?” Had she been hurt?

Her head came up, “Stavros.”

His brows knitted as he knelt beside her and searched her face. Her eyes were puffy and red, and her makeup was smudged. “What are you doing here? What the hell happened to you?”

She sniffed, “I came to speak with you, and I had a fight with my sister.”

His face darkened at the thought of anyone harming her. “Let’s get you out of here.” He pulled her to her feet, but she stumbled.

“I’m pretty fucking drunk,” she slurred.

He shot her a reprimanding look. “Why would you be so irresponsible?”

She snorted as he led her to his car. “
I’m
irresponsible? You’re the one who drugs and hypnotizes women.”

Stavros stiffened. She knew more than he thought. Helping her into the car, he slid and glanced at her. Muttering a curse, he drove off.

“Where are we?” She asked groggily. She had been dozing when she felt the car come to a stop. They were in a dimly lit underground parking lot. Looking around nervously, she asked, “Where are we?”

“Relax, we’re at my place.”

After a short elevator ride, Kiana entered Stavros’s penthouse apartment cautiously. The alcohol had slightly worn off so her gait was a bit steadier. She glanced around with a contemplative frown. Why did the place look and feel familiar? She was sure she had never been to his place before.

“Is something the matter?” he asked, approaching her.

“Uh, I- no. I’m just experiencing a strange sense of déjà vu.” Her mind was a mass of confusion.
I’ve seen this place in my weird dreams
. Every dream she had felt so real nowadays. Was it some kind of effect of her insomnia? But she was getting sleep now, so it shouldn’t be affecting her in such a way. Her mind drifted to the vivid dream she had of Stavros that first night at her bed.

He remained expressionless, his eyes boring into hers. “Tell me what happened earlier.”

“I don’t want to talk about that. It’s not really important.”

“You were in tears. It seemed rather important.”

Stepping toward him, her voice dropped to a seductive tone. “Now Stavros, did you really bring me here just to play my therapist?”

He swallowed. He knew there was no way he could resist her. He didn’t want anything else to happen between them until she was in control of her own mind. He snorted inwardly. “It’s amazing how I’ve suddenly grown a fucking conscience,” he mused aloud.

“What?”

“Nevermind. You’re still upset and
drunk
. You should shower and get some sleep.”

Kiana grasped the front of his shirt and pulled him forward. She scowled. “Are you not attracted to me anymore?”

“That is most definitely not the problem, I assure you.”

“Then why haven’t I seen you for almost a week?”

Taking hold of her hand, he forced it back to her side. “I have been giving the both of us much needed space.” It was lie. She had been seeing him, but she didn’t remember any of it.

“Bullshit. You’ve found some other willing woman to screw, haven’t you?”

He grinned. “You actually sound jealous.”

“I am,” she breathed.

Stavros paused, wanting to feel pleased, but not sure that he should. His drugs and brainwashing had altered her mind. Not to mention, she was downright inebriated. Her admission of jealousy couldn’t really be from her. Could it? “Kiana, I—”

“You told me something on our first night together. You said you wouldn’t hurt me until you knew I would like it. I want you to have your way with me,
now
. I know I’ll like it.”