Page 34 of Devoured By Demons

She bites her lip and averts her gaze.

“Listen, I know that you’re scared, and I get that you don’t trust me,” my voice softens. “I’m not one of your father’s men. Yeah, I’ve done some fucked up shit, but I’d never lay a hand on you, Isadora. Never.”

Isa twists her fingers together, nodding. “I—I know you’re not like them. I um… ran away. At least I tried,” she mumbles. “Another girl and I tried to escape.”

“She was sold too?”

Isadora shakes her head. Tears well in her eyes before falling down her cheeks. “I think she’s dead. It was dark when we ran. I heard the gunshot and her scream… a splash.” She hiccups through a sob. “I wanted to save her.” She shakes her head. “I wanted to save myself.”

I drop down into the worn seat at the peeling linoleum table and cross my ankles. “Maybe she made it.”

She shrugs. “If she did and they found her, she’d be dead by now. My father would have had her killed.”

Before I consider a reply, there’s a knock at the door that has me reaching for my gun. I press a finger to my lips and nod toward the bathroom. Understanding, Isadora scurries through the door and closes it softly behind her. When I hear the snick of the lock, I head to the front door and open it a crack.

***

Isadora

“Pizza for Cyler?” the young, male voice comes from thefront door.

“Yeah, thanks.”

Breathing a sigh of relief, I drop down to sit on the edge of the bathtub until I hear a soft knock. “It’s safe,” he says.

The delicious scent of pizza wafts around me and I inhale as my stomach rumbles with hunger. I can’t remember the last time I had pizza. We sit in a comfortable silence at the tiny table where I glance at Mr. Cyler between bites.

Does he expect me to have sex with him again?As I turn the thought over in my mind I’m confused as fuck because while there should be—there’s no fear or apprehension. Instead, there’s a frisson of something else.

Oh my god. I’m just as deranged as he is.

And what the hell was with him talking to the lamp?

This feeling, this sense of safety… I’m more than positive these aren’t normal emotions to have toward someone who just bought you at an underground auction.

“Why did you buy me?” I blurt out and want to slap myself.Jesus Christ, Isa! Does it fucking matter? HE BOUGHT YOU.

He clears his throat, takes a long drink of water, then scratches at his neatly trimmed beard. “I need information. About your father.”

I still in my seat, a slice of pizza halfway to my mouth. Bile rises in my throat as I push the chair back and get to my feet. Crossing my arms over my chest, I back up further. “I—I don’t know anything.” I stutter.

Unfazed by my reaction, he crosses his tattooed arms over his bulky chest and stares at me. His eyes search mine. “I think we both know that’s a lie, Isadora.”

I slump a little, knees slightly bent as the wall holds me up. “Why won’t you tell me your name?” I counter as a flicker of determination courses through me. “You purchased me foreighty-thousand dollars, that means whatever you think I know is very important to you.” Raising my chin, I add, “The least you can do is tell me your name. I know it’s not really Mr. Cyler.”

He grunts and shakes his head. “Fuckin’ alias.” The darkness I saw in his eyes back at the auction has returned. “My name is Zain… but people call me Demon.”

“Zain,” I repeat, testing it on my tongue. My mind niggles as it focuses on something else…Demon, Demon, De—A lightbulb goes off in my head and I gasp, hands covering my mouth. “You—you were at the compound. It was years ago, but I remember you.” I squint, taking in his rugged features, dark, soulless eyes, and that permanent scowl. “You helped me,” I whisper. “You and…” Eyes closed again, I search my memories for the other man’s name, but come up blank. “Diego liked you.”

Demon’s lip curls in disgust. “Yay for me, huh?”

Releasing a sigh of frustration, I ask, “What is it you think I know? Honestly, I’ve spent most of my life cooking and cleaning up after my father. If you want to know what fabric softener he prefers, or how he likes his eggs, I’m your girl. Otherwise, I doubt I’ll be any help to you.”

He nods toward my vacated chair. “Sit, keep eating. You look like you could do with a decent meal.”

Well that was rude… but also true.

“I want to know about the girls, Isa. Where does he find them? Who picks them up? Where does he keep them before the auctions?”

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