Page 58 of Sin and Salvation

A weapons cache had taken priority over me, their mate.

Maxime knew the moment my resolve was broken. I tried my best to blink back tears, but it was impossible. They poured over my cheeks, dripping onto my shirt.

He stepped forward, tossing an embroidered kerchief onto my lap. “Use that. I can’t abide crying females. You have another chance, Venus. It was stupidity to allow them to mate you, but if you survive the breaking of the mate bond… you still have me.” He smiled indulgently, but the expression wavered when I defiantly tossed his kerchief to the floor. “If you behave yourself, if you grovel for forgiveness… perhaps I will see fit to reinstate you to your previous position. You will be permitted to take up residence in the Tower again as a guest, rather than a prisoner.”

“I would rather die down here,” I spat.

Maxime simply nodded, as though I’d told him I preferred hot weather to cold. “I believe you would, dear. Intelligence is not one of your strong suits. But we’ll see if you feel the same way after a week or two in this hole. All you have to do is hold onto your mind.”

He tapped a finger against his temple, eyes as cold as a reptile’s, and turned his back on me.

I watched him leave the room, followed by his guards. The handle rattled as they locked it behind them.

I looked at the four gray walls, the mess I’d left on the floor, the empty cot. My whole life, reduced to this.

And my men… my mates… chasing after their dealer. Did they know I was missing? Did they care?

Or had I really just been a footnote to them, nothing but a distraction?

I curled up on the cot, tears gluing my eyelashes together, and stared at the door.

ChapterTwenty-Nine

Within this gray cell, there was no concept of time.

I had no notion of whether it was night or day. It was like my internal clock had been smashed along with the back of my head. Minutes, hours, or even years could’ve passed.

Maxime sent a physician in to look at me. The male demon, with small, slightly curved violet horns, inspected me in the most perfunctory manner possible, refusing to make eye contact.

He’d given me several pills, informed me in a detached voice that overdosing would not get me out of this, and had left. Shortly afterwards, one of the guards had opened the doors long enough to slide in a plastic tray with food on it.

It was bland food: oatmeal, mushy carrots, and a cup of water. I ate only a few bites before my stomach threatened to rebel again, and pushed it away.

I spent most of the time curled up on my cot, but as I sat there, my eyes kept drifting from the door to the food tray.

The pills deadened the pain in my head and neck, and I plotted.

Even if I had the tools on hand, I would have no idea of how to pick a lock. I could wait beside the door for the guard to fetch the old food, but those demons were from Wrath, and built like walking tanks.

I thought about doing what I’d done in the club, and sucking the energy from them at a distance, but something had happened to my own power. The minute I’d realized Maxime was telling the truth, that my mates weren’t looking for me, my own power had dwindled to the faintest flame within me.

I couldn’t suck the life force from a house fly now, let alone several demons.

I wondered if this was what it felt like to feel the beginnings of the mate bond shattering, like a hand cupping my whole body and squeezing until I was crushed.

My thoughts ended up running in circles. I couldn’t escape, couldn’t fight… but I had one weapon left to me.

Myself.

I hoped the trio were wise enough to catch onto Maxime’s plan and vacate Club Onyx before the explosives went off. Even if they didn’t want me… I couldn’t stand to know they’d been hurt or killed.

As for me, I may be in Maxime’s hands once more, but I wouldn’t remain there.

My body would never leave this room, but my soul could. The Devil would bring it to Hell, free from Maxime forever.

I got off the cot, dumping bowls of food as I picked up the plastic tray. I trapped it under my knees, bending it backwards until the plastic cracked and splintered.

It took a little finessing, but I managed to tear a big chunk of flat plastic away, a shard with sharp edges. I kicked the rest of the mess towards the door. Let them think I’d destroyed it by having a tantrum.

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