The Devil's Rose

up to

elvet ropes biting into my wrists. V

g, "Lot Seventeen. The D'Amo

vy. A dull ache pulsed behind my eyes, and lim

r the last memory before the

hots. The smell of smoke. A flash

spine before I cou

ll had they

air tasted chemical and sweet, like I'd been dr

nked the bli

through my sku

igures appeared, seated in a velvet-draped room that looked like a twisted opera h

turned

on a

ot a hallucina

My wrists were bound in front of me with red ribbon that mig

't dre

eing au

t my voice was hoarse, as if I

edo said from the corner. "Remember, gentlemen-this i

art s

Am

name.

n my fathe

ors to call in. There was only me, a stage, a roo

haky breath. "I

arried over the mi

d. One man laughed-a short, cruel bark of sound. Another

th a cigar glowing between

m. I hated

on," a voi

hr

ou

mill

h the air like a death se

know-but my gaze caught on a figure se

bid. He di

ion like a knife betw

watch

nd rested on the arm of his chair like a king on his throne

predator that already kn

ike ink. And a mouth ma

ive kind that the others wore like perfume-but real da

wavered as he looked

illion

l went

ed toward the

eath

oken. Hadn't

was und

id wa

ared cha

ioneer croaked.

re

hit me li

n Mor

nes and designer suits, a name whispered with blood-soaked reverence. H

ather once called

hadow peeling off the wall and

the room. Men shifted in their seats. W

n't ju

as f

just bo

t the edge o

money. His eyes raked over me from head to toe, slowly, like he wa

Barefoot, trembli

t

ouch me,

rried, but his gaz

t. It was a slash of something col

d ten million eu

mooth, threaded with

d to o

mach t

ot a t

and cut the red ribbon from my wrists w

fluttered t

anded me

ri

Too heavy for elegance. It w

it

N

ile va

pped onto

he faint scar along his jaw, the cold calculation in his eye

again," he

his

e ring on

e droppe

back

. "Now everyone know

m the auctio

ot, staring out the window at the blur of rain-soaked street

d, watching me the way a scientis

dn't offer explanation

er pressing in fro

said finally, my voice r

ead toward me s

her talked about you like y

he was

s landed

ched. "Your father cost me everything once.

"So now you're tak

n't de

," he said simply. "The

ched m

I said. "And

at me again, e

mains to

n. The villa was a fortress-stone, iron, silence. Guards with guns a

g gleamed with we

rystal chandelie

rridor to a set of

r ro

re not locking m

l find the cage is more effect

ized bed, silk sheets, a view of the garden-but

ed in the

run," he said,

try to k

ched

rt to believe you

t, I didn

he ring on my finger. I could still feel L

dn't

n't s

e me, somethin

thought he could o

been sold l

s still

s didn't

yes like smoke and h

he one who