Cruel Control: A Dark Reverse Harem Romance (The Desecration of Innocence Book 1) Read online

  Cruel Control

  The Desecration of Innocence: Book One

  Candace Wondrak

  © 2021 Candace Wondrak

  All Rights Reserved.

  Book cover by Victoria Schaefer at EVE’s Garden of Eden – A Cover Group

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  Books by Candace Wondrak are only available at Amazon. If you are reading elsewhere, please note it is an illegal, pirated copy, uploaded without my permission. I, the author, nor the distributor received payment for the copy, and if prosecuted violation comes with a fine of up to $250,000. Please do not pirate books.

  Chapter One – Juliet

  Chapter Two – Juliet

  Chapter Three – Juliet

  Chapter Four – Markus

  Chapter Five – Juliet

  Chapter Six – Markus

  Chapter Seven – Juliet

  Chapter Eight – Markus

  Chapter Nine – Juliet

  Chapter Ten – Will

  Chapter Eleven – Juliet

  Chapter Twelve – Markus

  Chapter Thirteen – Juliet

  Chapter Fourteen – Markus

  Chapter Fifteen – Juliet

  Author's note (so let's see how many readers will ignore this and the trigger warning stated in the blurb and give me one-star reviews for exactly what I'm about to warn you guys of, lol):

  Be aware this book contains many triggers, and as the series goes on, it will contain more. These include but are not limited to: violence, gore, murder, assault, non/dub con, and kidnapping.

  DO NOT read if you cannot handle love interests who are not nice. These guys are cruel. They take what they want. You've been warned multiple times.

  Chapter One – Juliet

  When you spent all your time alone, stuck in the same place, your mind ran away from you. When you sat just outside the reach of the sun, wondering if you’d ever feel its unbridled heat on your skin, your daydreams took over. I was a good girl. I listened to Daddy, and yet, was my mind sane? Did I ever want to shed the invisible shackles on my body and run outside, go wherever I wanted and do whatever I wanted?

  Daddy would want me to say no, but I knew the truth, and that was why I kept it tucked away, hidden in the darkest parts of my head. Only in my dreams could I truly be free.

  I couldn’t remember my mom anymore; she’d died so long ago, and Daddy had gotten rid of her face in the house. We’d moved since then, of course, but I still wondered how different things would be if she was still alive.

  Would I be stuck in this house? Would I be alone so often, while Daddy was away, wishing I wasn’t? Would I want things I could never have?

  I often wondered what it was like, for those people out there who lived what I called a normal life. The kids who went to school, the ones who were going to college now. I was eighteen; I graduated my online school a few months back, but when I’d brought up college, showed Daddy the brochures we’d gotten in the mail, all he’d done was give me a disappointed look and tell me I shouldn’t have gone out to the mailbox.

  I was a prisoner here, you see, only Daddy never told me why. I could only go out in the backyard when he was home, when he could watch over me. I’d tried to sneak out once, years ago, back when I was feeling rambunctious like the young teenager I was… but he’d found me, caught me, and dragged me back home, giving me a lecture that the world wasn’t a safe place for a sweet thing like me.

  Was I sweet? Was I innocent? I didn’t know the answers to those questions. Wouldn’t a sweet and innocent girl blindly follow what her father told her? I did, yes, but in my mind I still entertained ideas of a different life. Daddy would be so saddened if he could read my thoughts.

  Speaking of Daddy, he should be getting back anytime now. I sat on the couch in the living room, watching the TV—but not really watching it. It was on the news, and the news anchors were talking with a behavioral specialist, someone who spent their entire lives chasing the devils of this world.

  Of which there were many, the Hillside Stalker the most recent.

  I sat, half-paying attention, while my other half kept glancing to my right, toward the window that overlooked the front yard. I kept expecting Daddy’s headlights to turn into the driveway, for his familiar car to pull up… but he wasn’t home yet. The house was mine and mine alone.

  When I turned my attention back to the television, the news segment had gone to a commercial. It did not surprise me the national news was spending most of its half-hour time slot talking about the newest killer stalking the streets of America. With how good technology was, everyone always thought serial killers were a thing of the past, but they weren’t. They were your neighbors, your family members, the ones who you never saw coming. That was their gift.

  I never understood the need to hurt someone else, but then, I supposed I didn’t really have much in life to compare anything to, being stuck here all the time. I never wanted to hurt Daddy; I wanted to be a good girl, a good daughter, and that meant listening to him. It also meant never speaking to anyone else out there, never learning the true nature of the people in the world.

  From what I could see on the news, people were mostly cruel, although sometimes they weren’t.

  Daddy was usually home by dinner, but tonight I had to make myself something in the microwave, swallow it down dutifully, and then clean up by myself. I went upstairs and showered, taking my time in the steamy room. When I actually went to bed, it was almost nine o’clock, and he still wasn’t back.

  I lay there under the sheets, staring at the black ceiling above me. I hoped Daddy was okay; his work often took him all over the place. He had friends in high places, too. I wasn’t sure what he did, for he was always tight-lipped about it, but I knew it had to bring in enough money to pay for this house and all the bills that came with it.

  Sleep was slow to come to me, and when it did, I did not dream. Instead, my mind came alive with a memory. A memory of a time a few years ago, when I’d been a wide-eyed sixteen-year-old girl, breathing air that, finally, was not in this house.

  I’d all but begged Daddy to take me with him. It wasn’t a job from what I understood; more like a little party. Although, I hesitated to call it a party with what we had to wear. I had on my fanciest dress, a knee-length thing with black tights on underneath, flats on my feet. The fabric came up to my neck, tied behind it. I’d taken my blonde hair and curled it a bit, gave its length some waves.

  Daddy looked handsome, too. He wore a dark grey suit, something I couldn’t remember ever seeing him in. He was just twenty years older than me, but I knew taking care of me by himself was hard. He had wrinkles around his green eyes, a bit of grey in his light brown hair. Neither of which I inherited from him. I owed my looks to my mom.

  The night sky above us was full of stars, entire galaxies whispering invisible promises. So much space out there, so much space here, on earth—space Daddy never wanted to let me run off into.

  But tonight? Tonight, things were different. Tonight, things would be better. I was beyond excited, and I could not wipe the smile from my face as we drove along, to a city called Midpark.

  I glanced at Daddy, at his stiff figure. Honestly, I’d been surprised when he agreed to take me along with him to this party. He never wanted me to leave the house, but I think every so often
he grew worried that I’d try to run away again if I didn’t get a breath of fresh air every now and then, under his supervision.

  I couldn’t run away. How could I? Daddy was all I had in this world. There was no one else out there for me. That’s what I told myself, anyway.

  Daddy looked strained. After a long while, he glanced at me, his lips frowning somewhat. “Do not, under any circumstances, leave my side tonight. Is that understood?” I knew he meant it; if I did not listen to him, things would not go so well for me back home. Instead of being stuck in a house, I’d be stuck in my room.

  Being in such a small space, for days on end, only allowed to leave to go to the bathroom, it was not what I’d call a fun time. It could make you go mad, if you weren’t careful.

  “Yes, Daddy,” I whispered, giving him a smile. My legs felt weird. I didn’t want to wear the tights underneath the dress, but he’d told me to, so I added them to my outfit. Where we were going, he’d said, I was to look presentable and not like a whore.

  I didn’t think I looked like a whore in the dress without tights, but Daddy was always so old-fashioned when it came to those things.

  Midpark, as it turned out, was a huge city, with equally huge mansions. Anyone who lived here had money, more money than they probably knew what to do with. I couldn’t even imagine having that much money, although I figured those mansions probably could be just as much a prison as our house was.

  Not that I blamed Daddy for keeping me inside. The world could be an awful place, and it would swallow me up. At least, that’s always been what he’d told me. After years of listening to him, after listening to only him, how could I view his words as anything other than true?

  Our destination was one of the mansions. The front gate was open, and we drove in a line of cars, right up to the front door, where valets were helping people out and handing them masks in exchange for their car keys.

  Masks. My breath caught in my throat as we neared the front of the line. This was not just a party. It was a masquerade ball, for goodness sake. I could not stop myself from being excited. How many movies had I seen with dances at high schools that involved masquerades? It was always where the main girl stumbled upon her Prince Charming—her true love.

  I wasn’t stupid enough to believe I’d stumble upon anyone here like that, but sometimes the daydreams were what kept me going.

  Oh, I’d never tell Daddy, for he’d scowl and call me a disappointment, along with a slut or some other word like that, but I did often wonder if I’d meet a boy who’d sweep me off my feet. Someone who I could see my forever with.

  Did other girls think about things like that too, or was I the only one? Maybe Prince Charmings were not all they were cracked up to be.

  Daddy put the car in park, leaving the key in the ignition when we reached the front of the line. I was in the process of getting out and gazing up at the tall, impressive mansion before me while he hurried around the car to stand at my side. “I left the key in the car,” he told the valet, and the valet nodded, giving him two masks.

  One black, one white.

  As Daddy put his arm around mine, leading us up to the grand front door, he leaned down and whispered into my ear, “Black or white?” He was going to let me choose? I found that odd, and I opened my mouth, about to answer, but then he finished, answering himself: “The white, of course. The white for my beautiful angel.”

  I took the white mask from him as we stopped near the front door. A man stood there, dressed in all black, white gloves on his hands. “Masks must remain on for the entire length of the party,” he said, and together, Daddy and I put on our masks.

  I could not fight the crack in my smile. I didn’t want the white one. I wanted the black one. But Daddy was probably right; white suited me much better than black.

  Once our masks were on, the man opened the door for us, and we were ushered inside. The front vestibule of the house was immaculate, with tall ceilings and paintings that seemed almost out of their own time. We were ushered through the house, and Daddy never once released his hold on my arm. I wondered if he would really keep a hold on me the entire night. Kind of embarrassing… not like I would ever see any of these strangers again, though.

  Still, it would be nice to pretend my prince was here somewhere, waiting for a strike of fate to meet me, for everything to change in the blink of an eye. The whirlwind of a romance that would happen shortly after, the fluttery feeling in my gut I would get anytime he looked at me. I’d watched enough sappy movies and TV shows to know the clichés and to want them for myself.

  Was that so wrong?

  We made it to what looked like a grand ballroom, and I sucked in a breath, taking in the sparkling chandeliers on the ceiling, the dozens if not hundreds of people crammed in here, all wearing clothes much fancier than mine, some with what looked like hand-painted masks. Some men and women held glasses, servers weaving through the throngs of people, holding trays of what had to be champagne or some other sparkling drink.

  It was all so much. So much, and I loved it. This, I knew, was a night I would remember forever. Forever and a day. This was also a night I never wanted to end. Let me pretend to be someone else, if only for a single night.

  One of the servers approached us, wordlessly offering us glasses. Daddy shook his head, and I remained silent, even though I was curious as to what it tasted like. Sometimes I found myself too curious for my own good; it was almost like being sheltered to a ridiculous amount led me to wonder just what the dark side of life was like.

  “Who are these people?” I asked, glancing around at them all. Every single one of them looked to have money flowing out of every orifice. Not normal people; I knew that much. “How do you know them?” I looked at Daddy, wanting answers. I think, with everything, I deserved them.

  “Most of them I don’t know,” he told me, giving me a slight smile. All I could see, besides the mask, was the lower half of his face. His black mask was a plain thing, flat and smooth, simple in its design, much like mine.

  A man walked toward us, and he extended a hand toward Daddy. Daddy finally unhooked his arm from me, only to shake the man’s hand. I took the opportunity to take a single step away from him, so it would be harder for him to take the same position with me again.

  It wasn’t like I wanted to be attached to his hips all night. I wanted my prince, and even though I might not find him here, amongst all these older, rich folk, I liked to imagine I would.

  “Fred Osborne,” the man started, grinning. He wore a rabbit mask, its ears painted gold. “Didn’t think I’d see you here.”

  Daddy shrugged. “I’m here on business, I’m afraid.”

  “Ah, right, right. Of course you are.” Behind his rabbit mask, the man’s eyes fell to me, and he appraised me silently. “Your wife?” He went to offer me his hand.

  “My daughter,” Daddy corrected him, and after a quick nod from him, I took the man’s outstretched hand and shook it once. His grip was slimy, almost. I didn’t like him. I decided it right then: I didn’t like this man at all.

  After shaking my hand, the man gestured for someone else to come over—a woman whose black hair was curled, its tendrils pinned to the back of her head. She had diamonds on her neck and fingers, and as she came over, she nearly pushed me out of the way, all to stand at the man’s side.

  “This is Fred Osborne, the man I told you about. He helped us with our little… problem.” He put an unnatural pause there, and I couldn’t quite place why.

  The woman smiled a million-dollar smile, turning those charms onto Daddy. “Oh, yes, how wonderful! I’m so glad to finally put a face to the name—well, sort of.” And then she laughed, like she’d just made the world’s funniest joke.

  I didn’t find it funny, and the way they were talking made me wonder just what Daddy did for these people.

  Daddy didn’t know everyone, but he did know a lot of them. So many people came up to him, in fact, I was blocked out. He was like the popular kid, surrounded
by fans, for whatever reason. They whispered amongst themselves, laughing, making jokes and saying things I didn’t understand.

  Something in my gut told me whatever they laughed at wasn’t right, though. Something innate, something I didn’t dare try to explain.

  I stood there, near Daddy, for what felt like forever, and then I realized this might be my chance to get away, if only for a little bit. So, while Daddy was busy with his rich fans, I glanced around the ballroom and slunk away, moving to the outskirts of the big, spacious room.

  It was purely accidental, but I stumbled upon a door that had been fixed open, a door that led right outside, into the somewhat chilly night, and I decided to take a step outside. Why not? It was obvious my prince was not here.

  My arms were chilled by the night air, but I didn’t let it stop me. Inside, there were too many people. It was stifling, almost, choking and too hot. Plus, Daddy was distracted, so I’d take the moment of freedom while I could. At home, I got no such thing.

  I walked into a garden, pushing away from the house, a pebbled pathway beneath my feet. I walked until the stone ended, until I gazed out at a well-manicured lawn just beyond the garden. The moon was almost full, hanging quite low in the sky, its silver moonlight illuminating everything with an otherworldly glow.

  Excessively huge house aside, the yard was pretty. So much bigger than what we had, back at home. We lived a few hours away, and I couldn’t stop myself from wondering how Daddy knew these people. What problems did he help them with? Was that why he was gone for a week or more sometimes? He was here, in Midpark, working for these rich people?

  “A girl like you shouldn’t be out here alone,” a low, serious voice entered my ears, and I spun to view its owner. My spine snapped straight of its own accord, the breath in my lungs suddenly too heavy.

  A man stood a few feet from me, hands in his pockets, wearing a dark black suit and a matching black tie. He was tall, well over six feet, with wide, strong shoulders and a stance that, although it was at ease, looked as if it could crack and fade into aggression at any given moment. His hair was short and black, moonlight falling upon his features, the eyes set just above his square jaw a pitch-black hue. The mask on his face clung to just over half; mostly on the right side of it along with his nose and the area around his eyes.