Page 32 of Vicious Impulses (The Capo and Ballerina)

“Give her a reason to be happy here,” she answers. “Beyond just what you want, C. It might come as a surprise to you, but there is more to life than you and your desires.”

I roll my eyes out of stubbornness. “And how would I go about doing that?”

“You figure that part out. I believe you can if youtry.”

With a sage smile on her lips, Ms. Poitier wanders out of the room. I watch her go, hating that she’s planted this seed in my head. How the fuck am I supposed to know how to make Nevaeh happy?

ELEVEN

Nevaeh

My plan’s simple.Wait until the coast is clear and then run for it.

Caelian’s huge estate tends to be quiet and vacant even during the hours of the day most people are awake. Through the night and into the early morning, the home might as well be inhabited by ghosts.

I wake before dawn and take care making my bed. The only belongings I’m bringing with me are in the suitcase I had stored in the armoire. Everything Caelian has provided remains untouched and in place, left behind in the bedroom.

It’s a risk I’m taking, trying to escape. But what other choice do I have?

Remain in a forced marriage where I’m held captive at an estate, physically assaulted by my husband’s guards? Neglected and mistreated as I go insane from boredom?

I haven’t danced in days. I haven’t done anything but sit around and miss my old life.

Caelian’s return has changed nothing. He hasn’t explained what he wants with me, nor has he shown he’s more than a violent brute. The rare moment he tones down his crude behavior isn’t enough. It simply proves it’s an act. The brute is who he really is.

The door creaks when opened, making me cringe. I slip through the narrow crack and then scurry down the hall. Halfway toward the staircase, I consider abandoning my luggage altogether. Thirty pounds might not sound like a lot, but when one of your wrists is swollen, it slows you down.

I make it down the stairs in a stealthy enough manner that I don’t make a sound.

My plan beyond Caelian’s front door gets sketchy. Since I’ve never left the grounds, and I wasn’t awake when I was brought here, I’m not sure what to expect. He could have armed guards wandering the perimeter of the estate or attack dogs or drones.

Anything’s possible with Caelian.

There’s the matter of the location itself. Just where is this estate located?

After looking out the windows from various parts of the house, it’s clearly secluded. Surrounded by tree lines and distant mountaintops. Will I even be able to survive on my own?

It’s almost winter. The nights average in the low thirties. Chances are I might freeze to death or lose my way in the woods if I don’t find help by sundown.

Yet, despite these real dangers, I’m willing to take the risk.

…because anything’s better than living a life like this.

Once on the ground floor, I make a break for the front door. Determination pulses through me and spurs me faster. It feels so close, so within reach…

I pass many doors on the way. Doors that hide the different rooms in Caelian’s mansion, but it’s the one door at the end that I’m sprinting desperately toward.

The one open door to my left makes me stop in my tracks. My hope’s pulverized into dust as my gaze swings over to this open door.

Caelian sits in a cushiony leather armchair in the den, calmly sipping on a drink. He raises a brow at me. “Going somewhere,bella?”

I’m speechless. My face warms all over. A feeling of foolishness trickles over me and leaves me wanting to run off and hide somewhere. How ridiculous must I look? Did I really think I’d get away?

“Caelian…” I sputter.

He rises from the armchair and starts toward me. “Where were you going, Nevaeh?”

I shake my head and take a step back to turn away. “Nowhere. I was just…”