Making his way to another drawer, he pulled out his leather case that I knew held all his knives and then laid it out on the table.

“I warned you, Sunshine, that I wouldn’t always be kind to your body, and you agreed.” His eyes flicked up to mine as he pulled a long sharp blade from the case. Terror mingled with desire, and it was going to my head. All I could do was nod, so that was what I did. “Do you still agree?”

Cain held up the knife like he was testing me, and I nodded again, a smile spreading across his face.

“Oh, Sunshine, you’re such a good girl.”

His fist wrapped around the front of my shirt, and with a quick slice, the fabric fell open and exposed my breasts to the air. My nipples were already tingling as they hardened and ached to be touched.

He could’ve easily removed them with the Velcro on the sides, but this was a trust test. I knew it without him having to say the words. He wanted full control over my body, and the consent to do what he wanted was maybe more important than the act of fucking me. With a few more perfectly placed cuts, the material was pulled free. I sucked in a sharp breath and shivered as my back was pulled up against the cold wall.

He worked quickly, and my eyes followed his every action as he sat the blade down and ran his finger across his other tools. I was no longer the wary animal in his grip. I was an eager participant in whatever he decided to do.

There was a distinct thump in my ears as my heart pounded hard. I didn’t know what he was going to do, and that was part of the thrill. Cain turned around and had the same tool in his hand that he’d used to carve Barbara up.

My eyes went wide, but I didn’t struggle as he watched me. I stared into his eyes, those of a hardened killer, and accepted that this might be it. A peace washed over me. It would seem to anyone else a strange time to be the most relaxed and accepting of oneself, but that was the mystical power that Cain had over me. I could fight it, or I could expect it.

“You look concerned but not quite scared,” he said as he stepped forward. “Are you scared of what I plan on doing?” I shook my head no. “Are you sure?” As soon as I nodded, he smiled. “I may not know if I can fall in love, but I can tell you that my life, whatever that looks like, is not complete without you in it.”