18: Mr. Masked Shadow

A skimpy black lace dress is draped over the table, next to a small box. 

It's the only reminder I need for what today is. 

Excitement creeps along my skin, leaving me with a tingly sensation. A goofy grin plaster across my face. Good heavens!

I lazily roll out of bed and walk over to the box. In my usual fashion, I'm naked. Even though a part of me was scared last night, after his request to tape me, I still left the windows open. 

A bouquet. A tape. A note. 

Monster.

I chuckle. He's such a jealous bug. 

This freshly picked bouquet is bigger and finer than yesterday's. A fancy black rope pulls them in a bundle. 

“Hmmm,” I sniff and hum, letting the sweet smell fill my lungs.

My small hands reach for the cute black recording tape. My mind screams within my chest, scolding me to come to my senses. I know what it means if I ever click the green button. 

Like he set me up to burn, he had handed me the match to set the fire that'd consume me. Dominant and manipulative. 

‘You won't do it, Tessa.’ That harsh voice nags, too loud to be ignored. 

The pad of my thumb plays around the button. 

‘You don't even know this fucker!’ It doesn't let me ignore it. 

Somehow, the nasty fantasy of creating a solid memory with him right here pushes through the conflicting thoughts in my head. I've waited so long that it only deserves to be treasured. 

‘Then you're dumb and crazy!’ 

I shut my eyes and take deep and long breaths, weighing the good and bad consequences. My thumb seems to have a will of its own. Fueled by my darkest wish, it clicks the start button. 

It's not a death sentence, there's always a way out, but I'm blind, and I want to drown here. 

‘Fine. If he doesn't show me his face, I'll smash it into pieces. Okay?’

It seems to have done the trick as that lethal voice tones off. 

There's no trusting him not to outsmart me and seize it. With me being like a minion, it crumbles my chances with him. I tiptoe and place the recording tape on the shelf with a shell as a flower vase. The bouquet from yesterday is already withering away. 

I take it off and replace it with the fresh one, then push the tape behind so it goes undetected. Thanks to the black and brown striped shell, the tape blends in with the background. 

‘The only thing I want beneath your dress, is you. 

I love it quite hairy, mama.’ 

Damn!

I hide my blush as if he's right here. He knows how to tease me like his little slut. As if he knew I wanted to shave neatly before our dirty date. 

After a warm bath that has me almost peeling off my skin with fierce scrubbing, I slip into the dress, naked as he wished for. 

The dress is my perfect size. There are nipple clips that stop me from going totally bare. The rest of my body can be admired in the see-through dress. I let my curly waves dance around my shoulders and walk out of the room. 

It's almost noon. The sun is sitting pretty on the horizon, casting a golden glow on the island. My hand trails along the wooden rail as I walk down to the dining room, which is one of the few places I remember… His room, being the first. 

The large dining table is set, with intercontinental and local dishes served on it. A punnet is filled with grapes and berries. The ambiance of the room is simply gorgeous, just cozy, and romantic. 

I pick a green grape and nibble on it, enjoying the burst of honey-like flavor on my tongue. 

“Oh, Amiriya.” 

A feminine voice with a smooth Maldivian accent makes me turn in her direction. She’s a slender, pretty lady in her early thirties with shiny, dark espresso skin, and her bulgy eyes are like icing on the cake. 

“Aishath?” I mumble, hoping to get the pronunciation right. Monster had mentioned her earlier. She is the head maid. 

“Correct, Amiriya.” She grins. “You look… beautiful.” She hides a blush.

“Thank you.” I pluck another grape.

“How about you sit? Let me serve you.” She drops the jar of freshly expressed tropical juice. 

I look around, no sign of monster. 

“Where is your boss?” 

Her head tilts to the side. “He hurried out.” She continues when my brows furrow. “There was a problem with the animal feed.” Her head tilts again. 

“Oh,” disappointment jabs in my chest. “Can you show me the farm?” 

She looks stunned. “Amiriya, Fazeel, and the other workers are off for the day. I know nothing about animals.”

I smile. “Just show me.” 

She tilts her head, signaling that I follow her lead. 

“Do the horses have names?” I stride along.

She pokes her dimple, so pretty and satisfying. “I can't say. But master calls them by weird names.”

Now, I burst into laughter, and she grins. The long walk ends when we're in front of a big farm. It's almost half the size of the island. 

“Aishath, go on with the rest of your chores.” I wave her off. “I can take it from here.” 

She slightly nods and hurries off. Alone, I stroll into the farm. It's neat and well-structured. The barn is at the extreme. The poultry is right next to it, barricaded by thick planks, leaving only thin spaces in between. 

Biased, my first stop is in front of the barn. Just as he bragged, there are five horses, each with beautiful colors and brown stripes. One legit looks like a unicorn. 

I purr like a kid. Ella would give anything in the world to be here, just not her husband.

“Hey,” I stretch out my small hand, hoping I don't get kicked out of the island with their hoof. 

Oh, my god. She lets me pet her. It's a mare. So damn cute. 

“What's your name?” She rubs my hand with her nose and sniffs. “Ph, let's call you Ella. Hopefully, I don't sneak you out and get you to Banbury.” I giggle. 

Her sandpaper tongue flicks my hand, and I laugh. “I'm no food, Ella.” My eyes sweep around. “Let me find something, okay?”

The small brick house by the entrance pulls me in. It's like the farmhouse. I try to picture Monster bare-chested and in ripped shorts, his olive skin glowing under the cool sun… throwing in a cowboy's hat. He'd be so damn hot. 

The door creaks when I twist the knob. The place smells of hay, fresh fruit, and animal feed. There's a small table and chair like an old study. It's funny how it has old ledgers stacked in a neat file. There's a small erected library with hard covers arranged in the cornrows. 

I go in, focused on getting Ella and her siblings carrots or anything I can feed them with. 

There's a big brown box of fresh carrots. Another has old and slightly decaying ones. I start packing the fresh ones, trying not to ruin my dress. Monster would be pissed off. 

Something zooms past me, with a part tickling my leg.

“Ahhh!” 

The carrots fly in the air, smacking my head with a heavy thud as they land. I trip and fall into the box of rotten food. 

No. No. No. 

The rodent squeaks as if apologizing. I struggle in the box, hating myself for being so light-hearted. 

My thrashing causes the box to tumble with me in it. The tons of bad carrot heaps on me. Already, the bad juice has stained my dress and bare skin. 

“Holy skies.” I sigh and push through. 

My head pokes something, and it creaks. I stop, with an odd feeling taking over me. My hand reaches for the tall animal portrait on the wall. It gives way, revealing the start of a dark room. 

Curious, I crawl in and look around the place. Gross darkness. There are no windows or bulbs. Whoever goes in there uses a flashlight. 

‘Tessa, get out!’ That nagging voice returns. 

Against its will, I crawl in, getting swallowed up in the darkness. My heart is pounding. Slowly, I retraced my steps and left the door open, hoping beams of light would filter in. 

There are steel stairs that lead to an underground storage. My hands subconsciously grab the railing as I walk down. 

It smells of steel and metal. Thankfully, there are small windows at the top, my hands can't get there unless I jump and break my ankles.

I'm now in the middle of heavy sacks and big cartons, much bigger than the ones outside.

I struggle with the seal and peep in. My heart stops beating for a moment. My body freezes in place. 

What the fuck?! 

‘Tessa, RUN!’ My brain scolds harder. 

Now, my body is trembling. I open the carton, running my eyes through the shiny blacks of barrels. The guns are as hefty as machines. A small piece of paper is attached to the side of the carton. 

Firearms Shipment Receipt

Shipment Details

Date: April 15, 2023

Tracking Number: FAX001234

My body goes limp for good seconds. He is a bad man... oh, god. I suck in humid air and scan through the receipt hoping to find his name. Of course, I'm not expecting his identity to be plastered on an illegal paper. I try to maximize the tiny streak of Sunray streaming in. 

There's a small board with people's photos like mugshots. My eyes squint as it runs along the faces of strangers who may be dead. The caption right atop the board freezes my body and squeezes out the air in my lungs. 

'Jax Harper's Prey.'