Page 61 of Hell Bites

Slowly, she turns a glassy stare my way. “He’s my husband, Felix. How else am I supposed to greet him?”

I shake my head as I stumble backward. Zia giggles, the image of her kissing that male is now branded on my brain, and I remember too late Davina is behind me. As her icy hand closes around the back of my neck and squeezes the device she implanted in me, that’s when realization hits.

“You… You set me up?”

Azizia grins, her eyes squeezing shut when that male puts his lips on her neck again, kissing her where I fed from her. That soft, delicate spot, it was mine.

She was mine.

At least, that’s what I thought, what I was stupid enough to allow myself to believe.

Now, looking at Zia as her eyes land on me, staring at the female I risked everything for, that I fully intended to leave Hell with, I can physically feel my heart stop beating regularly and instead it thumps against my ribs in a steady, hollow rhythm.

“Zia…” I plead, my voice barely above a whisper. “Why? I thought…” I shake my head as Davina’s nails dig into the sides of my neck. “Just, why?”

Azizia holds my stare, no signs of remorse or guilt, there’s no acknowledgment there at all until she gives me a little shrug, but she says nothing as her attention is quickly pulled away when her husband tightens his hold on her.

Stealing my spine against the way I want to drop to my knees, I straighten up then ask, “None of it meant anything to you, did it?”

“Why would it?” Zia giggles as Xadrian nips at her ear.

Then a thought occurs to me, one I was an idiot not to have the second I realized Azizia set me up.

“This entire thing was a trap, wasn’t it?” I nod to myself, ignoring Davina’s grip and her demands to shut up. “You, going topside, kidnapping me? You knew who I was from the jump because you were sent to bring me back to Davina. It all makes sense now. The obsession, knowing everything about me…”

Every single word has my heart cracking, has my body going numb from the inside out. I don’t hear anyone anymore, I don't feel Davina’s hand. I see nothing but Zia’s face as she laughs at me, fucking laughs with the male she pretended to be afraid of, and eventually my vision starts to dark around the edges.

“I just want—” My voice cracks and I clear my throat. “Will you just tell me why you did it?”

Then, Zia delivers the final blow, and I nearly fall to my knees. “Why not?”

I swallow thickly as I nod, trying like hell to stay somewhat composed even though it feels like everything inside of me died with her betrayal.

“Hush now, darling,” Davina whispers. “You don’t need her anymore. I’m here. Your queen is here, and she is going to take care of her special boy.”

I wretch at those words, my stomach pitching and rolling as Davina licks my cheek, as her free hand slides across my chest and her nails tear my already tattered shirt. Her skin against mine causes me to heave, and out of desperation or sheer stupidity, I look at Zia one last time and try to find some shred of decency left from the demon I knew.

The unhinged demon who didn’t shy away from murder.

Surely she’ll be willing to kill me?

She already shattered my heart with her betrayal then dug the pieces from my chest with her blatant disregard for anyone other than her husband. Killing me shouldn’t be an issue, not when it seems to be a hobby of hers.

If she knew what Davina did to me, if I’d have told her what that last year was like, maybe Zia would have done it out of pity alone but I didn’t, and she won’t.

Begging for death isn’t really my style, anyway.

“Bind him,” Davina says as she leans into me, pressing herself against me until she’s practically humping my leg like the bitch she is. “I don’t want my special boy getting away, not after waiting so long to bring him back home.”

She releases my neck as one of her guards grabs me, and despite the disgust and fear, the heartache and anger I’m experiencing, I know what needs to be done.

Jerking my arm free, I spin to face Davina, her face contorting into an expression of rage but before she can act, I drop to my knees in front of her.

“You don’t need to bind me,” I say with a shaky voice. Then I drop my head as tears sting my eyes. Tears I refuse to ever shed. “I’ll go willingly. I’m your slave once again.”

Zia broke my heart and I sure as fuck hope Davina will break my body because falling for this shit twice in one lifetime is more than enough, and I’m fucking done living.

Chapter Twenty-One

---