Kidnapped to love

chapter 26

Dimitri entered the room quietly, his presence sending a chill through Crystal. She forced herself to stand, though her legs trembled under the weight of her fear and the pain coursing through her body.

“Where is my brother?” she demanded, her voice shaking.

Dimitri’s eyes softened briefly as he saw her struggling to keep her balance. “Sit,” he said gently, walking toward her. When she didn’t obey, his tone hardened. “You can barely stand. Sit down.”

Ignoring his command, she repeated, “Where is Elijah?”

Dimitri sighed and placed a hand on her arm, guiding her to the bed. “He’s gone.”

“Gone?” She looked at him, her eyes wide with disbelief. “Without me? He wouldn’t just leave me like this.”

Dimitri smiled slightly, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “He did. And he always will. He’ll always go without you, Crystal.”

Her heart dropped at his words. “Why are you doing this?” she asked, her voice cracking with desperation.

Dimitri didn’t respond immediately. He opened a first aid kit and began changing the bandages on her bruised and cut skin, his movements methodical, almost tender. “You already know why,” he finally said, his voice low.

Crystal shook her head, tears forming in her eyes. “Don’t tell me you’re serious about this… about us.”

Dimitri’s gaze darkened, his hand pausing over her bandages. He met her eyes, his face serious. “I’ve never been more serious in my life.”

“What do you want from me?” Crystal whispered, the fear in her voice unmistakable.

“You,” Dimitri replied simply, his eyes intense and unwavering. “I want you.”

Crystal’s breath hitched as she processed his words. She tried to steady herself, to think of a way out. “If this is because of what I said that night, when I was drunk… then forget it. I didn’t mean it. You don’t have to do this. I didn’t really want it.”

Dimitri’s hand shot out, grabbing her wrist with a firm grip, his face inches from hers. His voice was low, almost dangerous. “Don’t you dare say you didn’t want it. Don’t lie to me, Crystal.”

Tears spilled from her eyes as she tried to pull her hand away, but Dimitri’s grip tightened. “It’s not just about what you wanted anymore,” he said, his voice filled with a strange, twisted affection. “The moment I saw you, the way you talked to me, the way you demanded and commanded my attention… I knew. I knew from that moment that you were meant to be mine. Only mine.”

“Dimitri, please,” she pleaded, her voice breaking as she held his hand with trembling fingers. “I have a life. I have dreams, a future. I haven’t been to college in days. My friends, my life… I’m missing everything. Please, let me go.”

Dimitri’s eyes softened, but the obsession behind them didn’t waver. “You can continue college… from here. I’ll make sure of it. But as for your friends, doll… forget them. I won’t tolerate anyone coming between us.”

Crystal’s heart raced, her mind spinning with dread. “This is wrong. You can’t keep me here like this.”

“I will,” Dimitri said firmly, his voice leaving no room for argument.

“This isn’t love!” she cried, her fear boiling over into anger. “What you’re feeling, it’s not love.”

Dimitri chuckled softly, but there was no humor in it. “I know, doll. It’s more than love. It’s something much deeper. Something I can’t control.”

Her throat tightened, her voice barely a whisper. “Obsession?”

He leaned closer, his voice low and chilling. “Even more than that.”

As he finished bandaging her, his fingers brushed against her skin, sending a shiver through her. He pulled away, but not before placing a lingering hand on her cheek. “Don’t move too much,” he said, his voice almost gentle again, as if they hadn’t just shared this terrifying exchange.

Crystal sat frozen, her mind reeling as he stood up, his gaze still locked on her. “If you need anything, call for me,” he said, his tone casual, as though everything was perfectly normal. He gave her a small, chilling smile and walked out of the room, leaving her alone.

Crystal’s heart pounded in her chest as the reality of the situation sank in. This man, who claimed to love her, wasn’t just obsessed. He had crossed the line into something far more dangerous. He was madly, uncontrollably fixated on her—and he had no intention of ever letting her go.

She buried her face in her hands, trying to quiet the terror rising inside her, knowing deep down that there was no escape from him.