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went to The Peacock?
I remember.
His eyes reflected no affection for the memory or the place. Not a bad imitation of an English
pub. He smirked. Remember Cynthia in my office? My bumbling Executive Assistant?
Yes.
I fired her right before I came here. Closed down my whole practice. Once she made the
mistake many American s make out of pure ignorance. She said, well, you know...the British
with their quaint accent. And then there s the Scottish.
She nodded and sat back to give her tense muscles a break. Scots are British and so are Welsh.
She was thinking the English are the only Brits.
Darrell cocked his head to the left, his gun arm never relaxing, holding that menacing metal in
the same position. Very good, Celeste. You re ten times more intelligent than that bitch ever
was.
What could she say to that? Thank you?
Her skin crawled as he sat too close to her right side, his gaze trained on her face without
altering. Anyone who witnessed his words and deeds would think him crazy, but he wasn t. She
dared to meet his eyes and looked into the heart of darkness. What do you want, Darrell? Why
are we doing this?
He shifted, the gun now dangling between his legs with a carelessness that should have
astonished her but didn t. I told you. I want you with me.
Why?
Because you re beautiful, smart, and I m tired of dealing with women who want something
from me. You understand my thoughts. You want absolutely nothing from me. That makes you a
pure subject.
A pure subject for what?
I can teach you to follow my dark side and delve into your own. Come with me and learn how
to unleash the hate inside you.
It would mean humanizing him, but she turned her body until she faced him. This also gave her a
chance to shift back a foot and gain the comfort of distance. You only care about what you
want, Darrell. Why do you want me to unleash my dark side?
Because I know you have it in you. I know that everyone has it in them to do both good and
evil.
She shook her head, not understanding his logic. Are you capable of good?
He chuckled, but the sound held no real amusement. Every emotion, every smile he d bestowed
was a facsimile of the real thing. He d become an expert long ago at showing emotions he never
felt.
I m capable of doing just what I want. That s what I want for you, Celeste. To learn to do just
what you want, when you want. To take when you want to take. To gratify all your impulses,
regardless of the consequences.
Even if they break the law and hurt someone else?
Absolutely.
Have you always been this way, Darrell? Since you were a child?
Like what?
She took a chance. A big chance. Emotionless. Invested with dark thoughts from somewhere in
hell.
He chuckled and threw back his head. Hell is where you re at right now, darlin . The only
heaven is when you embrace your true self.
And I m not my true self right now?
That s correct.
So all I would need to do is go with you right now?
Yes.
Where?
Back to Vermont.
By now he held the weapon loosely. It dangled between his knees. For a second she imagined
grabbing it and training on him. No. Right now, it seemed futile.
When she didn t respond, he said, If you go with me and embrace your darkness, you ll prove
to the world and to me that my work wasn t in vain.
Your psychology work?
My work to turn the sane into the insane.
Is that what you think you are? Insane?
Silence held sway for a few more moments. I thought perhaps I was a while back. Then I
realized just because I saw a delusion, because I imagined that a hole intended to swallow me
doesn t mean it s true.
Then you don t believe you re insane?
He laughed. Why don t you tell me? You know my theories. I ve told you exactly what I am.
She did, but preferred not to voice them. She hesitated.
He sat up straighter and turned his gun toward her once more, resting his wrist on his forearm.
Go on. Tell me.
You believe that all mankind is born evil, but not because of original sin or any religious
reason. Because we are animals. Because we come from the dirt, and we return to the dirt.
He laughed, tilting his head back. Good. You remember what I said on our third date.
Sarcasm slipped from her. Amazing, isn t it? What now? Why are we doing this, Darrell?
Because I m never letting you go.
You could have any woman you want. Why me?
No, I couldn t have any woman I want. I m not interested in married women, or teenage girls or
anything perverted. My relationship with a woman must be pure. Of course, there s the problem
of MacGilvary. I know when he learns you re in here with me, he ll try to kill me. I can t have
that. If he tries, I ll use you as a shield. As much as I want you with me, he shrugged, if I can t
get away, you ll just have to be collateral damage.
You want me with you, but you don t care about me.
Those cold eyes never left her. That s exactly it.
Words flowed in anger before she considered consequences. You really are a conscienceless
ass, aren t you?
He stood, eyes as impassive as always, as merciless as the eroding grind of an ice flow.
She didn t get a chance to duck.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Mick knew if he burst in on the scene without backup, he didn t have a prayer in hell of helping
Celeste.
He ran the short distance to her house, barking orders into the phone as he relayed messages to
dispatch and his brothers. He arrived quickly at the side of her house, weapon drawn. He moved
with cautious steps, mind and body alert.
He would save Celeste or die trying. Nothing mattered more than freeing her from that asshole s
grip.
If he moved in before the rest of the SWAT team arrived he could put Celeste s life in jeopardy.
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