Fear Me, Love Me: A Mafia Age Gap Romance by Lilith Vincent

Author:Lilith Vincent [Vincent, Lilith]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2023-09-12T18:30:00+00:00

15

Vivienne

“What the hell?” I whisper, gazing out across serene, still waters reflecting the silvery light of the moon.

A lake. Tyrant Mercer has a lake on his property.

It’s not a big lake, granted, but it’s too big to be called a pond. You could get in a boat and row across it, and it would take you several minutes to reach the other side. Of all the rumors I’ve heard about Tyrant over the years, no one’s ever mentioned that the grounds of his home are big enough for a lake and a labyrinth.

That he keeps a menagerie of tigers, lions, venomous snakes, and other predators? I heard that rumor, and I’m overwhelmingly grateful that so far nothing here has threatened to kill me except Tyrant himself. There’s also the rumor that he killed five men in one day when the car they were traveling in splashed muddy water all over him, ruining one of his suits. I can imagine how an incident four years ago may have spiraled into that particular rumor. The most notorious rumor about Tyrant Mercer is a lot bigger than lions and tigers and killing strangers who ruin his Italian wool suits.

It’s the rumor that he killed his own father.

Some versions of the story are that at nine years old, he walked in on his father having sex with a woman who wasn’t his mother, and he immediately shot him in the head. Another version is that once he was a grown man, Tyrant tracked down the father who abandoned him as a child and killed him with his bare hands. I happen to know that the suit-ruining story has a grain of truth, which makes me wonder if the same goes for the patricide rumor. I glance at the serene surface of the lake, wondering if it conceals any anacondas, alligators, piranhas, or other predators.

I’m not wearing a watch, so I don’t know how much time has passed since I entered Tyrant’s labyrinth, but it feels like it’s been many, many hours. My body is tired and cold, and there’s so much farther to go before I reach the house. I need to rest for a little while.

A boathouse is visible among the rushes and trees to my left. It might be a good idea for me to attempt a short nap there if the door is unlocked.

When I walk over and try the handle, the door sticks a little, but it opens. Inside it’s illuminated by moonlight coming in through the windows, and it feels like the rafters are probably full of spiderwebs, but the wooden floor is dry and not too dusty.

I sit in the corner with my back propped against the wall and my arms wrapped around my knees. Even inside away from that labyrinth, I don’t feel safe. This is Tyrant’s home, and he can get to me anytime he wants. Lying down on the floor and letting my guard down seems like an invitation for something terrible to happen.

It must be hours past midnight, and my eyes burn with fatigue.

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