Page 42 of The Devil's Deal

“Open your mouth,” he demands as the hand holding the fork nears my mouth.

I shake my head, refusing to eat this way, being fed while tied up. Hell no.

“Eat. Now.” His eyes flare with anger.

“No.” I glare right back.

He pushes the fork in a little. “I wasn’t asking. I said eat.”

“And I said no,” I mutter as bits of crepe land in my mouth, and I spit them out. “Not when you still have me bound like this!” I yank my wrist. “Untie me.”

He roughly drops the fork onto the tray, and it clatters loudly while his hand simultaneously lands on the back of my head, his palm harshly fisting my hair.

“This is not some fucking negotiation, Chiara. Stop fighting me. It will go a lot better for you if you do.”

I clench my jaw, my gaze battling with his. “I’ve been around men far scarier than you. You’re nothing.”

He drops his hand. “Fine.” He stands, picking up the tray. “You want to kill yourself? Go ahead. Starve.”

“If I’m dead, so is your bargaining chip,” I say. “It’s why you have me here, isn’t it?”

“If you’re dead, I’ll serve your head on a silver platter to your daddy. You have no idea why you’re here, and believe me, you don’t want to know. So go ahead, baby, make it harder on yourself.”

“I’mnotyour baby.”

“Okay, not baby.” His shoulders rock with a small laugh. “You have ten seconds to decide if you want me to feed you or I’m leaving. There will be no food until later.”

“Fuck you!” I spit out.

“Suit yourself.”

Then he strolls back out of the room.

His words play over and over in my head, making me wonder why I’m actually here to begin with.

* * *

The sound of the door opening jars me out of sleep.

Wait? I fell asleep? Shit.

I should’ve tried harder to stay awake. I can’t trust my safety to that man who’s walking back in with the same damn tray in his hands.

I refuse to accept anything from him. He can shove that food up his tight, round ass.

“I’ve come to see if you’re hungry enough that you’ve lost that stubbornness.” His voice drifts closer.

My stomach growls, as though on cue.

Damn traitor.

I turn my face away, staring off to the side.

He groans, lowering himself onto the bed beside me. “You’re going to make me damn crazy the whole time you’re here, aren’t you?”

I peer over at him again, popping a brow, the corner of my mouth twisting upward. “Pretty much.”

He sucks in a breath. “You’re a fucking pain in my ass.”

---