Unhinged Desires : A Dark Romance (Sick Love Duet Book 1)
Unhinged Desires: Chapter 20

I wake up from what has to be one of the best sleeps I’ve had in weeks. Alone. I could have sworn he was here. I reach out beside me. The sheets are cold. But when I roll over, burying my nose in the pillow, I can smell his scent.

It wasn’t a dream.

I invited the monster into my bed and lived to tell the tale. I’m relieved he’s not still here. I don’t know what I’d say to him in the light of day. I selfishly let him hold me last night. I took comfort in being wrapped in his arms. I was able to fall asleep quicker than I can remember ever doing. And the things he said…

The things I said…

It’s too much. Whatever this fucked-up connection is between us, it’s intense. I wonder if this is what all the great love stories are based on. Then again, all the great ones—the best ones—tend to end in tragedy. Dominic keeps insisting we’re destined to destroy each other. But like a moth to the flame, I can’t seem to stay away.

I should call a locksmith. Change out my keypads. Look for a new apartment. Move interstate or go into bloody witness protection to get away from him. Although, something tells me he’d replace me no matter where I’d try to hide.

I pick up my phone and replace a message from him. I’ve since saved his number in my contacts with a title befitting the man in question.

STALKER BOY:

Thank you.

That’s it? Thank you? What the hell is he thanking me for? And what on earth do I say to that?

I have no idea what to say to that, so I don’t say anything at all. Instead, I type out a message to Shar.

ME:

We’re getting white girl wasted today. Prepare yourself for a night of fun! We are going out and we are letting our hair down!!!

SHAR:

Sounds like a plan. I’ll come to yours around five. Pre-drinks are a MUST.

I smile. I knew I could rely on my best friend to give me the distraction I needed.

WE’RE A FEW DRINKS IN, sitting in a bar on Chapel Street. “Here’s to bad decisions that lead to good times,” I scream over the pumping music while holding up my vodka soda.

Shar clinks her glass with mine. “I knew there was a reason I kept you around, LuLu. You always come up with the best ideas.” Her head tips back and she laughs, the sound loud. Carefree.

“You know what I hate about men?” I blurt out.

“They stink?” Shar offers.

“No, Dominic McKinley, that is what I hate about men,” I say.

“Really? What is it that you hate about him?” she asks.

“Everything, his perfect face, those perfect pecs, and the drawings up his arms that I want to lick. Argh, he’s so awful, Shar. Like seriously the worst human ever.” I screw up my face at all his annoyingly perfect perfectness.

“Sounds like he’s a dream. Maybe give him my number.” She lifts her eyebrows up and down, and I frown at her.

“He’s also a stalker, like an obsessed psychopath.” I sigh dramatically.

“Wait… what do you mean? Are you scared that he’ll do something to you, Lucy? Because we can get a restraining order or something.” Shar straightens her back, immediately on the offensive. Like she’s ready and willing to fight for me.

“What? No, he’d never hurt me. He just wants to consume me.” I laugh.

What does that even mean? How does one consume another?

“Well, gee, that’s reassuring,” Shar says.

“We need more drinks. And more dancing,” I announce while jumping to my feet. I wiggle my finger at Shar, gesturing for her to follow my lead.

After a lot more drinks and much more dancing, we stumble out of the bar arm in arm. I point up the road. “Tim should be just up here.” I was sober enough a few hours ago to schedule my driver to pick us up.

Once we’re both in the back of the car, Tim turns his head to face us. “Where to, Miss Lucy?” he asks.

“Linlithgow Road, Toorak,” I tell him, a devious plan just coming to mind. This might be the best idea I’ve ever had. Or the worst. Either way, I’m all in.

“Wait, that’s not your address, LuLu,” Shar states the obvious.

“I know. We’re going on a little McKinley adventure,” I tell her.

“Oh god, you’re going to get me killed or locked up, aren’t you?” she says.

“Don’t worry, your boyfriend will bail you out if you get arrested.” I wiggle my eyebrows up and down. I finally managed to get it out of her the other day that she and my brother are sort of a thing.

“Not my boyfriend,” she groans.

“Not yet.” I smirk.

Before I realized we’ve arrived, I’m stumbling out of the car and up the driveway of Dominic’s house. Shar doesn’t look like she’s completely on board with this grand scheme of mine.

“Ah, what? Lucy, where are we?” she asks, staggering along the footpath.

“We’re going to break into Dominic’s house and mess with his shit. Like move stuff around. The guy is the walking definition of obsessive-compulsive. It’ll piss him right off.” I grin at her.

“Oh, yeah, let’s piss off your psychopath then, because that’ll end well.” She rolls her eyes at me.

When we get to the gate, I realise I don’t know the fucking code. Then it hits me, so I enter my birthdate. If he’s as obsessed with me as I think he is, his code will have something to do with me. Or at least I think that’s how a psychopath would think. I don’t really know for sure.

“How do you know his code?” Shar asks when the gates open.

“Lucky guess.” I shrug. “Come on.” I grab her arm in mine.

“Wait.” She pulls me to a stop. “What if he’s here? Or, shit, he has to have cameras everywhere.”

“Oh, well, let him watch.” I smile. After all, the creep likes to watch.

The front door is unlocked when I turn the handle and it honestly doesn’t even occur to me to question why. That’s what a whole heap of vodka will do to you. So instead of hesitating, I consider myself lucky. There’s no breaking and entering happening here at all. I mean, it’s like the guy wants to be robbed.

I lead Shar up the stairs right into the room I suspect is his. It’s next to the guest room I was holed up in during my brief… kidnapping?

Opening the doors, I replace the closet. We’ve hit the jackpot! Everything in here is colour coded. In order by sleeve length and season—something that only a true neat-freak would appreciate.

“Help me mix up these shirts,” I tell Shar as I start moving different clothing items and placing them amongst the wrong colours and types.

“I can’t believe this is what we’re doing on a Saturday night,” Shar says between giggles.

After I’m convinced his wardrobe is sufficiently disorganized, I grab Shar’s hand and tug her through the house, back down the staircase, and into the living room. I pause in front of the mini bar, my eyes scanning and replaceing a bottle of vodka like it’s a beacon in the darkness—I know better than to mix liquors. Several glasses and I don’t know how many minutes later, I watch Shar’s eyes widen as she stares at something behind me.

“Shit,” she hisses under her breath as I turn my head and we both get blinded by the torches of two large figures looming in the doorway.

“Don’t move,” one voice says.

“Ah, Lucy?” Shar looks to me for what to do.

“You’re under arrest for breaking and entering. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say…” The officer continues his speech as my arms are pulled behind my back and handcuffs are snapped over my wrists.

“Don’t say anything, Shar. You’ll be fine,” I tell her the only thing I’m certain of—Xavier might let me rot in jail overnight to teach me a lesson, but there is no way he’d leave Shar there. And then she’ll force him to bail me out too.

I don’t know how much time passes as I wait for the disapproving look of my big brother to greet me. But when the door opens and the police officer tells me I’m free to go, I don’t hesitate to walk out of the cell. They separated me and Shar, and right now, all I want to do is make sure she’s okay. However, when I’m led into the reception area of the police station, it’s not Xavier and Shar I replace waiting for me. It’s a very pissed off looking Dominic McKinley.

Great, this is not what I want to deal with right now. Or ever really. I don’t even know what to say to him.

“Are you okay?” He scans me from head to toe, like he’s expecting to replace me damaged in some way.

“Fine. You didn’t have to come down here,” I tell him.

“Actually, I did. It seems two drunk delinquents broke into my house.” The corner of his lips tip up almost as if he replaces something funny.

“Please… How many times have you broken into mine?” I hiss at him. “Actually, it doesn’t matter. I need to replace what they’ve done with Shar.”

“No. What we need to do is leave. And you need to go home, shower, have coffee. Sober up,” he tells me.

“I’m not leaving without her.”

“I don’t give a shit about anyone else, Lucy. What I care about is getting you out of this fucking hellhole—somewhere you never should have fucking been in the first place.” His voice is firm, probably firmer than I’ve ever heard him talk to me.

“And I don’t give a shit about what you want. I’m not leaving here without my best friend.”

The door behind me opens and I turn my head to see Shar and Xavier walking out.

Oh boy, and if I thought Dominic looked pissed off, it’s nothing compared to the way my brother is eyeing me right now.

“Lucy, Tim’s here to take you home,” Xavier says as he comes to a stop next to me.

“Thank god.” I sigh. “Are you okay? Want to stay at mine tonight?” I ask Shar.

Before she can answer me, Xavier answers for her. “No, she doesn’t.” Then he turns to Dominic. “Whatever damage they caused, I’ll pay for it. Send me an itemised invoice.”

“That won’t be necessary,” Dominic says before turning around and walking out the door.

Huh, I did not expect him to just leave like that. Well, isn’t he full of surprises.