Page 11 of Dmitri

He huffs a laugh and shakes his head. “Dae, you know that’s bullshit. You don’t get out.”

“Yes, I did. I’m done. Kaleb said—”

“Kaleb said to come get you. So here I am. Get in the fucking car, Daelyn.”

“No.” I backup more.

He advances. “Don’t make this ugly.”

“I’m not going.” My heart runs in panicked circles like a headless chicken. “I’m out!” Spinning on my heels, I race across the lawn and up my front steps.

Ace is on me before I can reach the door.

“Let go of me,” I snap.

“We’ve got an audience,” he warns in my ear. To my horror,a neighbor two doors down is watching us while she waters her roses. “We don’t want anyone here knowing you’re a drug dealing whore, now do we? Think what CPS would do about that.” Ace lets go of me and flashes her a smile. “Nice roses.”

Mrs. Rainey shakes her head and turns to water her other flowers.

Ace grips my arm. “Are you going to behave now, Dae?”

Shaking the hair from my eyes, I turn around and give him my best fake smile. “Of course.”

Going into survival mode, my body relaxes, and a stillness takes over my organs. Like a zombie, I head to Ace’s car.

After dropping into the passenger seat, I look at the window to my living room to see Addie’s watching us. She looks annoyed as she mouths, “What the fuck?”

“I’ll be back soon!” I call out, hoping she didn’t see what Mrs. Rainey did. “Don’t forget the garlic bread in the freezer!”

Ace waves at her and if her smile is any sign, he probably winked or made some other flirtatious gesture I can’t see. That means she didn’t see the exchange between us when he stopped me from getting back into the house.

Thank God.

After Ace gets in the car, we both buckle up and he starts the engine. Mentally preparing for the worst, I stare at the burn scar on his arm from Kaleb’s signet ring that matches the one on my wrist. If I had a knife, I’d cut it off me right now.

And I wouldn’t pull up the blade until I sliced my arm from wrist to elbow.

???

I have no clue where Kaleb currently lives—probably the seventh circle of Hell since he’s the goddamn devil—so it’s no surprise when I’m brought to a hotel. We’ve met here tons of times and I’m pretty sure he owns the building.

Dread tries clawing its way up my back, but my psychological walls won’t let it find purchase. Keeping my head down, I let Ace escort me through the lobby and into an elevator. I hit the fifth-floor button before he can.

Silence fills my ears until they’re ringing.

When the doors open, Ace slips out first and keeps his gaze straight ahead. We pass a guard standing outside Kaleb’s room. His name is Casey, and he’s a sweetheart some days and a fucking animal on others.

Ace knocks twice and the door opens. I step inside first, like always.

“Did she give you any trouble?” Kaleb asks without looking up at us. His fingers fly across his cell as he types something.

“None.”

My breath nearly catches. Ace just lied. Why?

“Good.” Kaleb jerks his head, silently dismissing Ace, and the door shuts. It’s just me and Kaleb now.

In the beginning, he and I would be on each other in an instant, tearing each other’s clothes off. He’d push me against the wall and kiss down my neck, suck on my tits. I’d beg for his cock. He’d fuck me for hours, making me come so many times I’d sob. Then he’d fuck me some more.

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