Mr. Good Bad Guy

38 - Too Easy ⚠️

The next morning, I awoke to the sound of birds singing outside the window. It was a beautiful day, and the sunlight streaming in through the curtains felt warm against my skin. For a brief moment, I forgot about everything that had happened. I forgot about the kidnapping, about the threats, about the other women. I allowed myself to believe that this was all some sort of twisted fairy tale and that my life could actually be happy from now on.

Like that was ever going to happen.

I looked to my right to see Ezra sleeping soundly. I had the sudden urge to suffocate him, but I knew there was no way out of here. His men would kill me before I got out of the house. Poisoning him would mean risking poisoning the women. I couldn't do that to them. I had a heart.

And staring at him now, I realized that I had made my choice. I had made my bed, and now I would have to lie in it. Because as much as I hated him, as much as I despised everything he had done, there was something about him that drew me in. It was like a dark, twisted form of love. And the thought of spending the rest of my life with him, being his wife, his partner...it was strangely comforting.

What had made him this way?

There had to be some kind of explanation for the way he could switch so effortlessly between the two sides of himself. Perhaps it was the life he'd led before this, the things he'd seen and done. Maybe he'd always been this way, and the power he now wielded had simply brought out the worst in him. Or maybe there was some deeper, darker purpose to it all.

I tried to focus on the positive, to convince myself that there was some good left in him. That he really did care for me, and that this was all just a twisted game he was playing. And as I lay there, watching him sleep, I couldn't help but feel a strange sense of peace wash over me.

I had always been a hopeless romantic, after all. Even in the midst of this nightmare, I couldn't completely deny the pull I felt toward Ezra. It was like some sort of twisted fate had brought us together, and now I was forced to confront the truth of my feelings. As I lay there, I told myself that I could make a difference. That perhaps I could change him, show him that there was another way.

I didn't know how, exactly. I only knew that I had to try.

"Why the fuck are you staring at me?" Ezra snapped.

I jumped, my heart racing as I realized I'd been caught. "I-I wasn't," I stammered. "I mean, I was just..."

He propped himself up on his elbow, glaring at me. "Don't lie to me, Irene. I fucking saw you. You're still trying to figure me out." He sighed heavily, running a hand through his hair. "Look, I don't know what you expect me to say or do. I'm not perfect, but I'm trying to make things right here."

I studied his face, searching for any sign of sincerity. "How? How can you expect me to believe that you care about me when you have all those other women locked away?"

His expression hardened. "They're my responsibility. They're part of this life I chose. You're different." He reached out, taking my hand in his. "You're special, Irene. In a lot of different ways, I must say."

I felt his eyes roam over me, assessing. There was something unnerving about the way he looked at me, as if he could see right through my skin.

"You're not going to make this easy for me, are you?" he asked, his voice laced with frustration.

I swallowed hard, struggling to find the words. "I don't know what you want me to do," I finally said. "You have power over me. You can do whatever you want."

He gave a humorless laugh. "That's the problem with you women. You always think the worst of men. You think we're all out to hurt you." He leaned in closer, his voice dropping to a husky whisper. "I've never hurt anyone who didn't deserve it. And you, Irene...you don't deserve any of this."