Page 66 of The Devil In Disguise

His confusion is evident when he agrees, but I just turn and say, “Follow me.”

Waiting outside my door while I head inside, the crease between his brows deepen when I walk out with the dog on a leash. I’m pretty sure I’ve never seen Ace on a leash, either.

“Amaris is staying with Luciano for the time being. She requested Ace, but she doesn’t have any clothes or anything with her, so we’re going to go over and grab the necessities. Then you can take a car and go over there. Ace is going to be fine. They gave him something to knock him out, otherwise he has no injuries.” He nods in acknowledgment.

Inside the house, my throat closes up when I inhale her scent. Her heels are discarded in the living room, and when Marco first walks inside her room, he turns to me then quickly looks away. Not quick enough. When I go inside I see the hole in the wall and the trash bags she half packed. Catching myself staring for too long, I clear my throat and say, “Take the bags she packed, don’t worry about the rest.” Then I go wait outside.

I see Marco out, handing him the leash and letting him go on his way. Based on the chatter I overheard when I first arrived, everyone likely thinks Renato is missing.

Tonight, I’ll deal with the estate.

Myra bombards me with questions when I walk in, but I dismiss her for the night and head straight for the office. There’s a random book on the floor by the bookshelf and when I pick it up, a picture falls out. I’d know those almond-shaped, amber eyes anywhere.

This must be where she disappeared to during the party and what triggered her memory. Why did Renato have this picture? I tuck the picture into my pocket and place the book back where it went, then resume my focus on the task at hand.

Chapter 27

Lucifer kept me company for a while after Kylo left, checking up on me and making small talk. The doorbell rings throughout the house, making me jump.

“You’re okay here, don’t worry. I want you to know that you are a warrior, darling. Kylo said he was bringing something back for you, so I’m sure that’s him,” Lucifer reassures me.

When he leaves the room, I drop my head into my hands and groan, internally chastising myself for being so jumpy. I asked for Ace, but I didn’t think it would be that fast.

A muffled conversation wafts through the door crack, but I can’t make out what they are saying. Seconds later, the door swings open with a bang when it hits the wall and Ace runs into the room, jumping on top of my legs.

“Hi baby, I’m okay,” I coo while trying to get him to sit still. He’s buzzing with energy and only calms down when I wince and he sniffs me. His body makes a bed on my lap, his head laying on my stomach.

He seems to be unharmed and that’s all I care about.

“That dog doesn’t listen to a word I—" Marco stops mid-sentence, mirroring the shock on my face for a completely different reason. “Holy shit, Amaris what happened?” The bags in his hand drop to the floor as he rushed towards me.

After finding out everything that I know, a part of me doesn’t know if I should trust him. The warning he gave me before the party makes so much sense now. But if he was warning me, then surely he knew something.

Who can I trust?

His concern turns to confusion when I don’t respond. I’m probably looking at him like he’s a stranger despite my best efforts to keep a neutral face.

He pulls up a chair next to me and goes for a softer approach. “Hey, are you okay? What’s going on?”

I want to cry when he asks me that. Instead, I outright ask him what I want to know. “Did you know they were using me this whole time?”

His face morphs from confusion to understanding. “I had no idea what Renato was planning. The soldiers were buzzing this morning with hushed whispers about an auction and a party, that was when I found you. Then, Renato sent me away to come here and I told Luc about what I heard. We were trying to figure out all the details when Kylo called us. When we got together, that’s when we fully realized what was going on. But by then, they had already taken you.”

A sad, faraway look invades his eyes. “I checked the whole house and the woods. You were gone and it was actually really fucking scary.”

My stomach churns when I remember the party, that was the joke I wasn’t privy to. All I manage is to squeeze my eyes shut and shake my head.

“What if Renato comes for me again?” I think out loud.

A calm smile grows on Marco’s face. “He will never get the chance to hurt you or anyone, ever again.”

My brows shoot up. “Really? You can’t leave me hanging, what did you do?” I accuse.

“I don’t actually know how long I’m supposed to be here but…” He scoots his chair closer, stopping when Ace growls at him. “I don’t want to leave you like this and you have a story to tell me, too. They’ll come get me out if they really need me to leave.”

“Deal. You first,” I urge.

“Let’s just say, Kylo sent him to the doors of Hell before he was fully dead. The devil had a barbeque last night.” He snickers at his own joke and the action is funnier than the joke itself.

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