Page 155 of Inferno

“Here we fucking go. She’s arrived.” He stands and pushes his chair out of the way as he steps in front of me, towering over me.

Gripping me by the chin, he tips my head up to him.

“This can go two ways. I’m sure you’re well established with this lifestyle. Hard way or the easy one?” He clasps me tighter, his gaze not faltering.

“The hard way doesn’t involve my dick this time either. By hard, I mean painful.” He winks and releases me.

“Who are you?” I ask.

Confusion flashes across his face. “Who am I?” He points at his chest.

“Your master. Declan Quinn.”

I nod slowly.

“Didn’t think you looked like a ‘Jimmy’.” I hide my hurt.

Maybe nothing about that night was real. We’re both two fucking liars.

“You’re a bloody good actress, heartbreaker. You set me up for murder, I assume? Which poor guy did you kill in the end? The one you drugged or beat up? Jimmy was just your next victim.”

I shake my head.

“No. That’s not true,” I whisper.

He paces the room, shaking his head, before turning to me and pointing.

“No. I’m not falling for your bullshit again. None of it was real,” he shouts.

He rubs his chest, almost like he’s in pain, yet a darkness flashes across his eyes, and I shudder.

It seems he doesn’t know what to do with me. That only tells me one thing.

I have a chance to get through to him. If I can get him to see the Charlotte from that night.

Perhaps he will believe me.

But right now, he looks furious.

This is my last resort, my last chance to save my daughter.

“Easy way,” I say.

He stops in his tracks; he’s gripping the knife so tight in his fist, blood starts to drip onto the floor.

“You’re bleeding,” I stutter.

He glances down and raises his eyebrow at the drops on the white flooring.

“You can’t feel pain when you’re numb,” he whispers, almost to himself.

“I know. Survival mode creates monsters.”

“Is that what you are? Hmm?”

I swallow past the lump in my throat.

“I do what I have to do.”

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