Chapter 9: THE ROOM

***\-CELINE-***

The cold night air bit into my skin as I stepped out of the club. The streets lay silent and deserted, as if they had covered themselves with an invisible veil that had suffocated all life. I pulled my jacket tighter around me and looked around. Nothing. Just a dull, distant squeaking sound somewhere in the darkness.

Suddenly, I heard the sound of an engine, followed by the screeching of tires, which sent my heart into my throat. I turned around, and there it was: a car, much too close, jerked to a halt right in front of me. My pulse was racing, but when I looked into the headlights, I immediately recognized the damn car. Damian.

“What the hell? Are you crazy?!” I shouted, glaring at him as he rolled down the window, his eyes flashing dangerously.

“Get in. Now,” he ordered, his voice as hard as steel.

I laughed mockingly. ’Like hell I will! You’ve really lost it, Damian. You think I’ll jump on your little command train just because you’ve decided to play the great protector?”

His eyes narrowed. ’I said, get in.”

“Forget it. My cab’s coming,” I countered defiantly, folded my arms and turned demonstratively to the side. But before I could take the next breath, the car door slammed open and he was already getting out. In a moment, he roughly grabbed me by the arm, his grip firm and unyielding, dragged me to the passenger door and pushed me onto the seat.

“Asshole! What are you doing?!” I hissed and slammed my fist on the armrest while he slammed the door.

He got in, his eyes burning with anger as he fixed me with his gaze. ”Do you even know how dangerous it is here?”

I snorted, amused. “Oh, you mean because of Jax?” I let out a mocking laugh and leaned back casually, trying not to show him that my heart was still racing. “Oh, yeah, boo! The oh-so-dangerous Jax. Maybe he’s lurking around the corner, waiting to pounce on me, aren’t you?”

Damian stared at me, his eyes glistening dangerously in the darkness of the car. “You have absolutely no idea what you’re getting into. Jax is not a game.”

“Oh, come off it,” I replied, my tone now equally cutting and provocative. “He’s not a monster under my bed, Damian. Just another guy with way too much testosterone and a penchant for drama.”

His fingers clenched around the steering wheel, the tendons on his hands tensed. “You really enjoy this, don’t you?” His voice was so low that I held my breath for a moment. “Jax could tear you to pieces in the blink of an eye, and you’re making jokes?”

I rolled my eyes and shrugged. “If he’s really so dangerous, how come you’ve never put a stop to him, hm? Why are you sitting here playing the noble knight instead of taking him out?”

His gaze darkened. “Maybe because I don’t want you to get hurt? Ever thought of that?”

A challenging smile flitted across my lips, I leaned closer to him, my face only a few centimeters away from his. ”And maybe I just want to make my own decisions, Damian. Ever thought of that?”

We stared at each other, the tension between us crackling in the air, every breath seeming to heat up the atmosphere. But his eyes flickered, just for a moment, and I saw something in them that I couldn’t interpret.

The ride was in an icy silence. The city lights passed us by silently, and I felt the tension in the car like a thick wall of fog that refused to lift. My eyes rested on him, and I was boiling inside. That arrogant, stuck-up jerk, I thought, grinding my teeth.

What did he think? For years he hadn’t bothered about me, given me the cold shoulder, as if I were nothing. And now? Now he suddenly wanted to play the great protector? I scrutinized him from the side. His jaw was tense, his hands clenched around the steering wheel as if it were the only thing keeping him from making a scene.

Good, I thought spitefully. Then I’ll make the scene.

“Tell me, does it somehow turn you on to constantly follow me around?” I finally broke the silence, my voice sharp as a knife scratching at his smug facade. ”If it does, you’d better get a grip on it real quick. I can’t always be your personal hobby.”

He narrowed his eyes, looked at me for a brief, razor-sharp moment, before focusing on the road again. “You have no idea what you’re talking about,” he muttered, his voice vibrating with suppressed anger.

“Oh, please.” I leaned back and folded my arms, letting a mocking smile dance on my lips. “Don’t give me that big brother act. You know, that might have impressed me years ago, but now? Now I just see a guy who thinks he can boss me around like a little kid because he’s bored.”

His grip on the steering wheel tightened, his knuckles white with tension. “Maybe I need to when you’re acting like a petulant child.”

I let out a dry laugh that echoed around the car. “That’s pretty funny coming from someone who for years didn’t even have enough interest to give me a damn phone call.” I looked at him defiantly, my eyes sparkling with mockery. “Tell me, Damian. Are you really here because you suddenly care about me? Or because you like the feeling of being in control?”

He stared stubbornly at the road, not answering immediately, but I saw his lips twist into a thin line. “Maybe I’ve just learned that some people get themselves into trouble if no one is keeping an eye on them,” he finally said, his voice low and cold.

I let out a feignedly impressed “Oh!” and put a hand to my heart. “So you’re protecting me out of a sense of duty? That’s touching. But you know, Damian, I don’t need a babysitter who thinks he can tell me what I can and can’t do. In case you haven’t noticed, I’m quite capable of taking care of myself.”

He turned to me, his eyes burning with something that was difficult to put into words. “Alone, yeah? And what good does that do you? Getting yourself involved in some damn thing that could cost you your life?”

I laughed bitterly, mockingly. “Oh, Damian, be honest – you don’t care about me putting myself in danger. You care because you might lose control. You don’t let anyone else do that, do you?”

His jaws ground, his lips pressed together as if he were preventing himself from saying something he might regret. Seconds passed, during which only the quiet drone of the engine floated between us, and I saw the conflict in his eyes. “And even if that were true?” His voice was dangerously quiet, a barely restrained storm. “Even if I don’t want to watch you rush into your own destruction – is that so wrong?”

I snorted, letting my gaze slide past him. “Oh, Damian, don’t worry. I’m certainly not doing it because of you.”

The adrenaline was still rushing through my veins when I finally slammed the door to my room and turned the key. The dull thud of the lock was a strange relief, a small victory in this absurd night. I leaned against the door, my eyes closed, listening until I heard Damian’s footsteps approaching. An angry thumping came through the door.

“Celine!“ His voice was tense, angry.

“Piss off, Damian!” I shouted back, the words almost like a sigh of exasperation that I wanted to throw at him.

A moment passed, then I heard his room door slam shut. I took a deep breath, trying to calm my pulse. But Jax’ words still sounded in my head. Samantha. Basement. Playroom. A grin crept across my lips. Maybe I should actually see what he meant by this “playroom”.

Without making a sound, I carefully turned the key back and crept out of my room, listening to the silence of the house before taking the stairs down to the basement. My steps echoed softly on the cold stone tiles, and I felt the gloomy atmosphere of the house like a breath on my neck, giving me goosebumps.

The basement was cool, almost eerie. The walls were roughly plastered, the light seemed dim and cast strange shadows that moved like living creatures. At the bottom, I spotted a narrow door at the end of the hallway, half-hidden behind an old shelf. I pressed the knob down, the tension tingling in my fingers, and opened the door carefully. A bright light above me flickered as I flipped the switch, and at that moment, I gasped.

The room before me was like something from another universe. Red and black walls, heavy leather furniture, and strange devices scattered everywhere made my heart skip a beat. Leather straps, shackles and a variety of instruments hung on the walls, and I couldn’t immediately figure out what they were for – but I had a hunch what they were used for. A large bed, framed by thick chains, dominated the center of the room, and next to it stood a closet whose drawers were arranged with almost clinical precision.

I swallowed as my eyes fell on a massive wooden cross, fastened with leather straps, which seemed to issue a cold, silent invitation. The room smelled of leather and something heavy, dark, that made the air vibrate. It was... disturbing and fascinating at the same time.

“Well, Celine... Do you like what you see?” A deep voice tore me abruptly out of my thoughts. I turned around and saw Damian standing casually in the doorway, arms folded, a mocking grin on his lips.

“What... what the hell is this?” I stammered, feeling my face heat up, but I didn’t let myself be intimidated that easily. ”Do you have a penchant for self-torture, Damian? Or are you keeping internships here for the next generation of psychopaths?”

He laughed softly, a deep, almost diabolical laugh that echoed through the room and only made the atmosphere more oppressive. “I thought you knew exactly what you were getting into, Celine. And yet here you are. Curious, aren’t you?”

I folded my arms defiantly and held his gaze. “Curious is perhaps the wrong word. Rather...amused that you’re enjoying yourself in a place like this.”

He stepped closer, and I felt the air between us crackle. “You’re acting as if none of this means anything to you,” he murmured, his voice a dangerous whisper. “But your eyes give you away, Celine.”

I raised my chin and tried to hide the nervousness that was rising in me. “Oh, Damian. If you think that this is impressing me in any way, then maybe you should think about your ego. Such games... they’re probably more for people who think they have something to prove.”

He came closer, his eyes glistening challengingly. “All right, Celine. Then tell me – what are you doing down here, hm? If it’s all so uninteresting for you?”

My heart was racing, but I forced myself to throw him a wry grin. “Maybe I just wanted to see if the great Damian also has a vulnerable side. But apparently you’re just a cliché hiding his insecurities behind leather and chains.”

A short, dangerous smile played around his lips. “Maybe you should be careful how far you go, Celine. Some things have consequences.”

“Then show me these consequences,” I replied quietly, without taking my eyes off him.

When Damian came up to me and grabbed me firmly by the shoulders, I felt a mixture of anger and tension.

“It’s not good to challenge things you don’t understand, Celine, but you’re right... maybe I should show you the consequences of not listening to me...” His voice was icy, and before I could really realize it, I felt the cold metal of handcuffs on my wrists.

I pulled at the cuffs, but they held me fast. “What are you doing? Have you gone completely insane?” I glared at him, my voice quivering with indignation.

He looked at me with a relentless expression. “Celine, your mouth only gets you into trouble. Maybe it’s time to teach you when it’s better to just shut up.” His gaze slid to a leather strap that he took from the wall. He slowly let it slide over my arm, almost like a warning. “You really are sick,” I spat, holding his gaze. ’Was that your game with Samantha, too? Did you treat her like that, too, until she...”

His eyes narrowed, a dark, menacing glint in them. ’Oh, he told you that, did he?”

His voice was a mere whisper, quivering with tension. ”What else did he say, hmm?”

The tension in the air was charged and I felt every fiber of my body on alert. His questions made something dark flash in his eyes, something that went far beyond mere words.

He stepped in front of me, his presence oppressive and irresistible, like a shadow that covered the last bit of light. His lips hovered a breath away from mine as his gaze pierced mine. “Celine... you don’t know it yet, but you’ve ended up in hell, don’t worry...” His smile was dark, a promise and a warning at the same time. “...I’ll take care of you.”

Then he placed his lips on mine, and in that moment the world seemed to burn. A fire ignited in me, blazing and demanding, its darkness flowing into me, seducing and drawing me deeper under its spell. My skin tingled under his gentle touch, his hands gliding over my skin, tenderly, yet imbued with a power that made me tremble.

“I’ll be there, little sister,” he whispered at my ear, his voice a dark promise. ”I’ll give you what you need... I’ll make hell bearable for you.”