Page 60 of Magic of Sins

That’s Jared. I recognize his voice.

Syrus’ arms encircle my body, and he’s pressing me against him so tightly that I can barely move.

“I could use some help,” he says, breathing heavily. “You didn’t tell me what a raging bitch she is.”

“Well, that’s because when she was with me, she was very tame.” Jared enters Ava’s room, a disgusting grin on his face. Gently, he strokes my cheek. His fingers rest coolly on my heated skin. “Isn’t that right, Kaya?”

“Go to hell!”

This earns a quiet laugh from him.

“That’s exactly where I plan on going. And you, honey, will accompany me.”

I feel a pinch in my bicep. When I manage to turn my head a little, I see a syringe in Jared’s hand. He must have given me something. My arm throbs dully, and I feel dizzy. My eyelids grow heavy.

“Don’t try to fight it, princess. It won’t do you any good.”

Syrus snorts in amusement. His grip eases a little, and I slump in his arms.

“Careful. You don’t want her to crack her pretty little head open,” Jared warns him.

Then I’m jerked upright and lifted into someone’s arms. My head falls back and the world blurs before my eyes until everything goes black.

I’m freezing.

The piercing cold is the first thing I notice. That and the steady drip of water.

I seem to be locked in a dark basement. Dim daylight falls through a tiny window at the very top of one wall. Is it early morning, or is the sun setting again already? How much time has passed since Jared and that Syrus guy kidnapped me? And where am I?

Slowly I straighten up and lean against the cold stone wall. My skull throbs as if someone had hit me hard. I squint into the darkness.

The room is no bigger than a pantry. It smells musty. There is nothing in it except the worn mattress I’m sitting on. I must be in a cellar, and the door looks heavy. It appears to be made of steel. I struggle to my feet and jiggle the door handle, but of course it’s locked. No chance of getting out that way.

“Hey!” I yell, banging on the door. “Hey, is anyone there?”

I listen, but everything remains silent. No one’s coming to get me.

What do these guys want from me? They didn’t kill me like they did Ava, so they must be hoping to gain something from keeping me alive. Maybe they want to blackmail Caden.

Caden.

He’s my last hope. I pray that he got Erin’s call and went to my apartment. He would at least know something’s happened.

But will he save me? Even if that means having to give in to Jared and Syrus’s demands? And will he even be able to find me in this underground hole?

I stand on tiptoes to look out the window, trying to catch a glimpse of the surroundings. But it only leads to a shaft. I can see a grate high above through which light falls. The acrid stench of waste fills my nostrils. Presumably the grate leads to a backyard somewhere in the East End.

I return to the mattress, sit down, and pull my legs up to my body. Ava appears in my mind’s eye, lying lifeless on the bed in her room. I can’t imagine the horror she must have endured, the fear she must have felt. Or was it anger that defined her last minutes? Anger at me for keeping things from her. For putting her in this position.

It’s all my fault.

Resigned, I close my eyes. I feel like crying, but it seems likeI’ve already shed all my tears. I feel empty, and fatigue envelops me like a heavy blanket.

The squeaking of the door wakes me. I must have fallen asleep from exhaustion. My limbs ache from the fight with Syrus, from the aftereffects of the shot Jared gave me, and from lying curled up and pressed against the wall.

When I turn my head, Syrus is there, casually leaning against the doorframe. The sleeves of his shirt are rolled up, revealing muscular forearms. Two red scratches, which I must have given him in the heat of the moment, run across his face.

“The princess is awake. Did you sleep well?” he says with a sneer.

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