CHAPTER 14

Despite his current predicament, Steve was able to fall asleep after Alisa healed his wounds—the alcohol had burned like hell—and left him there all alone.

Until something woke him up at six in the morning, and that something was an unearthly, excruciating itch all over his body.

It was so intense it seemed to reach all the way up to his brain.

The itching sensation was like that of a mosquito bite, or even athlete’s foot, but increased tenfold.

His yearning, his desperate need to scratch himself, was maddening.

Steve groaned. The itch was so unbearable that, if he had to choose between this and being skinned alive, he would be tempted to choose the latter.

After two hours—which to him felt like two days—of lying in the dark, the desire to scratch himself making his sanity slip away, the door opened. Alisa switched on the light, looking radiant in her blue wide-leg pants and white T-shirt.

She took a look at him, and her eyes widened as a big smile sprouted on her face. “Oh…my…God!”

The light of the bunker revealed the state of his skin, and it was nothing short of monstrous. All his body was swollen and covered in rashes and blisters. His eyes fixed on her, pleading.

Alisa burst out laughing. “You should take a look at yourself right now. I was expecting it to be bad, but it’s way worse than I thought. You look like a fucking alien!”

“Alisa, please help me. I can’t take it.”

Oh man, you just said the magic words, she thought as arousal tingled inside her after hearing this.

“Does it itch?” Alisa asked with a giggle.

“Yes,” Steve cried, knowing he sounded like a child, but not caring. “Please, Alisa, it’s unbearable.” He hoped that, since the day before she’d disinfected his wounds, now she would heal these burning rashes.

Unfortunately, that was not her intention.

“I bet it is. I’ve done a little research, and it appears calamine is very effective in relieving the itch.” She went to the workbench and fetched a bottle of calamine lotion. She grinned at him while wiggling the bottle in his face. “And it so happens I’ve got some right here.”

Steve looked at it longingly, desperately.

“Would you like me to rub some?” Alisa asked, feigning a tone of concern.

“Yes, I beg you,” Steve said in a hoarse whisper, the sick grin on her face telling him she wasn’t going to do it, but so desperate he couldn’t stop himself.

“Well, that’s too bad, because I’m not going to do it.”

Steve sobbed, the itching sensation consuming him, threatening his sanity.

“If you want to rub some of this, you’ll have to do it yourself.” She left the bottle of calamine on the bondage table, next to his right side, sniggering. “Who knows. You might manage to do it. Maybe you can reach it with your teeth and open it.”

“Alisa, please–”

Alisa glanced at her watch. “Gosh, time sure has a way of flying. Gotta get myself ready for school. I forgot to make you breakfast, so I’ll tell my mom to fix you something and bring it to you later.”

“Alisa, wait!” Suddenly, he was overcome by a wave of fury.

Alisa, sensing his anger, smiled mockingly and wiggled her fingers at him. “You have yourself a nice morning, sweetie. Just think of all the fun we’re going to have together.”

Before he was aware of doing so, Steve screamed, “You’re a crazy bitch, Alisa! I hope you fucking die!”

He knew it was a terrible mistake to insult her, but thought he had nothing to lose—he would come to realize how wrong he was about that.

However, surprisingly, she laughed. “I’ve got to teach you some manners, Steve.

But that’s something that can wait.” In truth, she enjoyed seeing him angry at her; she loved that anger born from the feeling of helplessness and humiliation.

Although she would still hurt him plenty for saying those things to her, of course. “Bye, Steve.”

She blew him a kiss and stepped out of the bunker, and right before she slammed the door shut, Steve yelled, “Come back, you fucking cunt!”

◆◆◆

Two hours later, Steve was delirious from the unbearable itch rolling through his body.

It was maddening, and what made it even more excruciating was knowing that there was a bottle of calamine lotion right next to him, and that he couldn’t grab it.

It was like dangling a chunk of meat in front of a starving dog, just out of its reach.

Alisa knew this, and that’s why she’d done it.

Fury greater than any he’d ever experienced overpowered him, and a tremendous scream of rage and helplessness leaped out of him.

A shiver ran through him as his mind raced, dwelling on his father and the immense love he held for him. He thought about Chase spending the rest of his life wondering what had happened to his son. It was going to destroy him.

He thought about Kevin, his dear friend, whom he would never see again.

Steve also thought about all the pain that awaited him at the hands of that crazy woman, whom he’d been stupid enough to fall in love with.

Fresh tears burst out of his eyes, the itch from the poison ivy intensifying as the tears came into contact with the rashes on his cheeks.