Page 52 of Cruel Devil

“So that’s why you haven’t killed me yet.” I’m transfixed.

He chuckles. “Don’t flatter yourself. My customer base prefers much younger stock.”

There’s a sickening lump in my stomach. Savage was telling the truth about Sullivan’s auctions? I didn’t want to believe it. Thought he was just trying to scare me.

“No. Please. You can’t sell them.” I turn in his grip, staring up into his eyes as cold dread washes over me.

He tosses down the last of his drink with a cold smile, his eyes never leaving mine. His warm fingers grasp my chin, so gently the touch feels sensual.

“I’ve grown quite fond of them. Especially Athena. You’d have to give me something incredibly valuable in return.”

“Anything,” I whisper.

Maintaining eye contact is sickening. I feel like his evil taint is infecting me the longer we look at each other, his touch spreading a slow poison through my skin and into my veins.

He brushes his thumb over my bottom lip, then slides his finger inside my mouth. My first instinct is to bite it off clean at the fucking knuckle, but instead, I let him invade me and spread his toxin even deeper.

Anything he wants.

His eyes drop to my mouth, lips parting as if he’s mesmerized by the power he holds over me.

Fucking psycho.

“Do what you do best, my pretty little assassin. Your target is Sergio. Send me proof that he’s dead, and I’ll repay a life for a life.”

I can’t speak, because he’s holding down my tongue, so I nod, careful to keep my gaze locked with his.

Just the corner of his mouth turns up.

He uses the thumb in my mouth to drag me closer.

“Do you know why it’s so much fun playing with toys, Nyx?”

He slides his thumb out of my mouth and grabs my hair, yanking my head back so sharply that I gasp in pain.

“They don’t have a choice but to play along. Even if you play rough.” He twists his hand, bringing tears to my eyes. There’s the soft clink of metal, and a shock goes through me as I recognize the sound of a belt buckle.

“Even when they know you’re going to break them.”

Chapter 18

Savage

“So, uh…how long are we?—”

“You can leave,” I tell Vito. I meet Andy’s gaze in the rear view mirror. “Take her back to the villa, get something to eat.”

“I guess…” Vito trails off, scratching his nails over the millimeter of stubble on his jaw. “I do need a shower.”

“I’m not going anywhere.” Andy’s green eyes are ablaze when I turn to look at her over my shoulder. “I shouldn’t have left her in the first place.”

I scoff. “You don’t know my wife that well yet, Andy, but trust me—she’s a lone ranger kind of girl. I’d say independent, but it’s closer to stubborn as a fucking mule.”

Andy drops her gaze, but still shakes her head. “I shouldn’t have backed down so easily. She could be anywhere by now.”

“Unless she figured out teleportation, I’m pretty sure she’s still inside the club,” Vito says, a chuckle in his voice that dies an ugly death when he looks in my direction. “Right?”

I run a hand through my hair, mussing it even worse than it had been. “I don’t know anything anymore. It’s been two hours. What the fuck could possibly take that long to discuss?”

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