Page 61 of The Devil's Den

“We do what we gotta do to survive.”

“Is that what you tell yourselves?”

He doesn’t say anything else as the drive continues, and all I can do is wait for the torment to begin once we arrive.

The car jolts before it turns right, and then it stops. Doors open, then mine does too as he clutches my forearm. “Come on. We’re here.”

I climb out, the same small pebbles at my feet, the ones I remember all too well. Drew pulls me inside, dragging me down the stairs before the music scratches up my skin. I don’t remove my blindfold, not this time. But he yanks it off, stuffing the bag and blindfold into his pocket.

“My God…these kids. They’re so young.” I sniffle. “Monsters. All of you.”

“I don’t do that shit,” he tells me, as though that absolves him in some way.

“You haven’t stopped it either.”

“Whatever, bitch. Watch your mouth. Your boyfriend isn’t here to protect you this time.”

A tremor rolls down my body as he leads me to a black door, a different one this time. When it opens, a tall, beautiful woman greets me.

“I’ve got this,” she says to him. He lets me go and marches off.

“Come on, we don’t have much time. Your clothes are in the bathroom. I’ll do your hair and makeup after you’re dressed.”

I back up a step, my eyes scanning what looks like a dressing room. Two floor-to-ceiling mirrors line one side, a clothing rack in the corner, and a black leather sofa against the other wall. There’s a vanity there too with all kinds of makeup on it.

“Who are you? Why am I here?” My stomach heaves and churns, my lungs growing tight.

“I’m Destiny. You’re going to be in a show tonight, so hurry before boss man gets mad at you. Believe me, you don’t want him mad.” Her long, shiny black hair brushes down to the small of her back.

“A show? What kind of show?”

She laughs once. “You’re new, huh? Well, one piece of advice…” She slaps her hand on my shoulder, her gray eyes lined with a thick row of black liner on the top lid. “Do whatever they say. You want to please the master.” She rolls her eyes as she goes to the vanity, sharpening an eye pencil.

“Who’s the master?”

I don’t even have to ask. I already know.

“Agnelo of course. Faro is the boss, boss, but Agnelo is the one who runs everything and everyone here.”

“And this show? I’ll have to have se—sex with someone?”

“Mm-hmm. So come on, go get dressed before they come in here and flip out.”

My head violently shakes, my skin growing clammy. I fight the feeling to run, to go anywhere but here, but I can’t.

“I’m sorry, sweetie, but you don’t really have a choice.” She shrugs as I blink back tears, knowing she’s right.

There’s no one in this world who matters more than the three people in my life. So I slog into that bathroom and I put on a white mini dress and slip into another pair of strappy heels, gold this time. I come out, knowing when I do, I’ll never be the same. That the nightmares I had after the first time will turn into something even worse.

“Wow!” Destiny’s eyes skim my body. “You look good. Hiding a body behind those baggy clothes, huh?”

I swallow, trying to step over to her in these shoes, but it takes me a while.

She threads her hand through mine. “Come on, I’ll help you.” I take a seat before the vanity as she comes to stand behind me, gathering my hair in her palms as she assesses it, peering at me through the mirror.

“You look terrified.”

“And I shouldn’t be?”

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