Page 51 of The Devil In Disguise

Trying my best for a casual demeanor, I look down at my dress and then laugh it off. “Right, it’s my favorite color. Sorry for bumping into you again.”

As I leave, his gravelly voice sounds from behind me. “The pleasure was all mine, gem.”

Physically, I’m here. Mentally, I’m somewhere else. The wheels in my head are working overtime, as if they’re brand new.

Kylo’s eyes are already on me when I spot him, so I put on my best mask. He can’t know I have my memory back yet. I have to bide my time until I can come up with a plan. Look where acting impulsively has gotten me. He leads me to a large dinner table with a feast laid out, but I have no sort of appetite for any of it.

It feels like my whole world is crashing and burning around me, but I’m supposed to keep a neutral face and eat my food like I’m at Sunday dinner.

These people are out for my blood. I know it.

Kylo leans over and whispers in my ear, “After the food we can we leave.” He places his hand on my thigh and I involuntarily tense up, but play it off. The only place my food went was to different locations around my plate until we were able to leave.

Chapter 21

When I spoke to Renato I hit a dead end. Again. After that Amaris disappeared and I assume she went to the bathroom. While she was gone I was able to pry some information out of some of the drunk guys standing around. The bastard set up this party to show Amaris off to a market of potential buyers. He is trying to sell her off.

The murderous rage that consumed me was almost enough to have me turn around and pop a bullet between Renato’s eyes. But I know I’d be shot down before I could have the satisfaction of watching him fall.

What is he playing at? We have never dealt in the skin trade industry before.

Luckily, I’ve learned to maintain my poker face when needed. All it takes is getting a couple more drinks in these guys and they start singing like a canary. So far, they’ve given me the date and time, but not a location. I’m getting her away from Renato and all of this bullshit as soon as I can.

When Amaris joins me again, something is off. It’s enough to redirect my thinking to worrying about what could have happened to her when I wasn’t around. Did somebody say something, or worse, did they try something? She might also be on the verge of another anxiety attack with how many new faces she’s being exposed to. I didn’t even think about that beforehand.

When we get in the car, the silence is killing me so I ask, “Sweetheart, what’s wrong?”

“I’m just tired.” It’s a short and curt response like the rest of them have been. Luckily, the drive back to the house is short. I plan on prying as soon as she gets inside her house.

Before I get a chance to speak after shutting her front door, she turns around unexpectedly fast and pins me against the door with her knife to my neck, much like she did the first time I came inside uninvited.

Even with her knife to my neck I still adore her. Her eyes are full of unshed tears and it’s like a stab to my heart. I have no idea what’s going on in that pretty little head, but I do know that death would be sweet if it was at her hands.

She is the only person on this green Earth that has that power over me. I am in the palm of her hand whether she knows it or not. At any point, she can crush me and I would welcome it.

“I was going to wait, but I can’t! This was all a stupid game to you, wasn’t it? You are just like him. Were you going to rape me like your dad did to my mom or wait, no, you can skip that part since you got what you wanted, anyway. So what’s next, huh?”

My mind is trying to catch up but it’s swirling with confusion. What the fuck is she talking about. My eyes bounce between hers and it dawns on me. A memory from when I was eight years old flashes in my mind.

I’m never up this early, but Papa wanted me to go with him to wherever we are going now. He woke me up before Mama was even awake and he looked angry, too. It scared me.

I’m quiet in the back seat, but he keeps speaking to himself out loud. Bad words like ‘fuck’, ‘whore’, and ‘bitch’ keep flying out of his mouth. I just hope he isn’t mad at me, again. I try to listen as he speaks, maybe I’ll find out where we are going.

“They think they can get away with this, but they’re wrong.”

“If I can’t have her, no one can.”

Who is he talking about?

Soon after, we come to a stop in front of a pretty, light brown house with two black cars in the driveway and a big front yard. There are all different colors and types of flowers decorating the entrance.

Papa turns to the man sitting next to me by the opposite car door. “Cameo, stay here with my son until you get my call.” The man nods once and Papa tells the other man in the passenger seat to go inside with him.

They both get out the car and Papa taps on my window twice, so I roll it down. He stares at me with a scary look in his eyes that gives me a bad feeling about all this. “Today, you, along with everyone else in that house, will learn what it means to fuck with Renato Kincaid. No mercy is ever given.” With that, they both walk around the back of the house.

My eyes search the new neighborhood for anything interesting and they stop on a little boy who seems to be around my age playing outside with his ball. I wish I could get out of this car and run to the little boy so we can both play.

I know better, though. Friends aren’t allowed. At least I can still see my cousins every once in a while.

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