Page 5 of Devil's Sinner

She looked away, squirming beneath my watchful gaze. It was then that I noticed it, the faint, blueish hint to the skin around her eye, and then more of it, soft blue and purple circles on her forearm. Georgia saw me looking, and forcibly pulled down the sleeve of her dress.

"What the hell is going on here?" A voice interrupted us.

Momentarily distracted, I looked away from Georgia to find Peterson standing in the lobby looking furious. Every instinct I had was screaming at me to rip his head clean off his shoulders. I took three steps forward, and the bastard scrambled, trying to get away from me.

"What's happening is that you're fucking dying tonight, Peterson," I said assuredly.

"Not so fast," the guy laughed, clicking his fingers. "First of all, Windsor, I'll bill you for the door. The stained glass on it was Italian. Gothic. Cost a fortune as you might imagine, though I'm sure you'll gladly replace it to keep this little...outburstof yours under wraps."

Two thugs appeared behind the bastard, a silent warning of what was going to happen if I didn't stop pursuing Connor.

"Now, I really think you've outstayed your welcome," Peterson went on coolly. "I suggest you get the fuck out of my house before I have you thrown out."

I ignored his words, taking a step back. Instantly, the goons stepped forward, one on each side of Connor. I smirked, saying, "Can't even defend yourself, can you, you fuck?"

"Do watch your tongue," the sly bastard said with a slimy smile.

"Where is she? Where is Violet?"

"Little Violet Cabot?" His voice dripped with innocence, but I knew just how fake it was. He was a sick, perverted fuck and I was going to have his balls for this. "I just gave her a ride to the bus station, like she asked. She was so eager to get away from you, Windsor. I wonder what the fuck you did to her."

"Liar," I snarled. "Does your wife know you were trying to buy her sister, Peterson? Does she know what a sick, sick son of a bitch you are?"

The prick didn't answer, instead walking over nonchalantly to his wife and placing his arm around her waist. Surely, I wasn't the only one who saw her flinch, but neither of the thugs responded to it, making me wonder how long Peterson had been abusing the woman right under everyone's eyes.

"Of course she knows," Connor finally replied, his saccharine smile firmly in place and his persuasive gaze locked with his wife. "She knows everything, like a good wife should. Don't you, dear?"

"I d-do," Georgia stuttered, and I watched her husband pinch her skin firmly when she stuttered. "I know what you did to her, too, Devlin."

Before I could object, Connor sighed heavily and went on. "Of course, I tried to do things the right way and buy the girl... Make it easier for you, Windsor. But you just had to make itsovery difficult, didn't you?"

I didn't answer, just stared at him with barely controlled rage flowing through my veins. My hands had formed fists at my sides, and I had to force myself to stay calm.

"I didn't make anything difficult," I finally said. "You're the one kidnapping innocent young women."

"Me?" Peterson laughed out loud, managing to piss me off even more. "I could say the same for you, Windsor, and I would have a willing witness to support this statement."

"Violet would never say that," I hissed.

"Oh, she would." He shrugged as if he didn't have a care in the world. "But I suppose you never really knew her, did you, Windsor? I learned more about the girl while driving her to the bus stop than you did all these years. I can't help but feel sorry for you, old sport."

"You're going to pay for this. Now." I was done holding back. I allowed the red mist to take over, descending my fury upon Peterson. I fully anticipated his thugs to stop me, and was ready to fight them off, but what I didn't see coming was Georgia throwing herself at me, clawing at my face.

"Let go of him, you bastard!" she screamed at the top of her voice. "First my sister, now my husband? What is wrong with you, Devlin, you fucking jerk?"

"Calm down," I demanded, grabbing her by the wrists firmly, but gently and glaring at Peterson. "Control your woman."

He merely smirked, but Georgia wasn't nearly done yet. She kept cursing, going at me like an enraged cat, trying to scratch my face, all the while spewing her vitriol.

"You tried to make my little sister your own personal whore! You tried to force her into a compromising position so she had no choice but to obey you!"

"Yeah?" I asked calmly. "And where were you through all of this, big sister? Didyoutry to help her? Or were you just trying to get her here so your husband could abuse her too?"

"Fuck you," she snarled. "You always hated us! You hated my entire family, you wanted to see us go down since the beginning! All of this was just some... sick revenge ploy to get back at us! Just admit it, Devlin! You're so hung up on revenge you're ready to use an innocent, eighteen-year-old girl just to get vengeance!"

As she spewed insult after insult at me, I finally began to realize just how wrong she was. I didn't want revenge. Yes, I had my beef with the Cabots, but it wasn't about that with Violet, maybe never had been. I wanted her as a woman, as a partner, as a plaything.

And I was going to get her back, even if it was over her sister's dead body.