A Deal with the mafia Devil

The Devil

was a kingdom carved

ke silk, but reeking of control. She kept staring at the ornate chandelier

ing broke. Nothing

stant. Not even the warmt

startled her. Three

dn't a

r opene

ered-stone-fa

sed and presentable

Aria croaked

will see

lingered in the a

slowly, deliberately. Every s

in dress, sleek and suffocating. No zippers. N

tared

ct me to

ng. "You are no longer in a place whe

ot you

said, "yo

-

its of dead-eyed men in suits watching her like ghosts. The smel

beat louder w

re massive. Black wood. Iron h

e and opened the

okshelves lined the walls. A fireplace crackled q

he window, hands

turn when

," he sai

and closed

le

frozen ju

inally

shifted-approval, hunger, amusement. It was ha

" he

idn't

aid

ather

"Still so

gaze. "Still

as hoping they didn't

sk and sat behind i

ly wondering w

'm your property now. Or so the staff

thered. "Correct.

nto fists. "I don'

do

hoice. That's not marri

le in this world. What matters is powe

mean

n prot

n? Ripping me from my life, shoving me into a cast

a. A soft illusion wrapped in poverty. Your par

fer was

s seat, coming

her ground,

ou'll understand something far more frightening-this world has no pla

et to play savior when you're t

ed her for

"Would you like to see what the wo

a f

ha

lled out a black folder,

ead. O

idn't

eating you alive. D

ated, then flippe

omach

ot

ze

edge. Walking to school. Sleepi

ster. Names. D

e

had bi

our father owed money to some very dangerous people. He offered

caught in

uldn't-he

di

hoto showed her undressing in her bedroom. She rem

de my offer, there were already

do it?" Her

uldn't stand the idea of someone

ith rage and confusion. "So

said, un

ow. "You parade me around like a trophy?

e. I'll teach you how to survive this wor

k, trembling. "Y

pract

across the room, pape

er love you

red," Dante repli

I don't

slow step

break you u

-

That

gger. Like the walls the

weight of the folder sti

her had betrayed her.

Da

lector. A devil who saved her fr

ruth lingered b

dn't

ed her more

nock sta

e, it wa

red withou

ing when he entered-like it w

didn't wan

ome for con

n wh

item onto the bed.

eck

pendant in the

dn't t

is t

lar. But

led. "You

r don't. I

ned to

sed at

've destroyed you. And not gently. You're mine now, Aria. But in time, you'

n he wa

the necklace and a thou

-