Page 1 of Cruel Devotion

Illuminate

Eloise

Why did the idea of saying yes to this prick make me want to swipe a fork from the nearest table and gouge my eyes out?

Oh, right. I forgot.

It’s because I don’t like him.

I don’t want to get married—not to him. Not to anyone.

The smile stretched across my face twitched the harder I pretended I wasn’t seconds from having a meltdown right here in the middle of my engagement party. Not only did I have to hold back from showing how much I loathed the shitty situation I found myself in, but I had to pretend I liked it. The only thing I could do was slowly bite down on the inside of my cheek.

Pain was my only escape.

My family was well off, but we had nothing on Cohen’s. My fiance was from a conglomerate family with government ties. The kind that needed clearance. He had eyes on him at all times. There was no room for error or scandal. Gossip spread like a brush fire in the summer in a small town like Buckley. With that reminder, I bit down harder and tasted iron; the metallic taste reminded me I had some fraction of control. I could feel my mom’s gaze on the side of my face and forced myself to look as happy about the union as my parents were. She had an eerie ability to sense the direction my thoughts would go. Luckily, my father’s best friend, Jamie, appeared—freeing me ofher attention. In the corner of my eyes, my father laughed by her side as he shook her hand.

A slimy hand slithered up my thigh. My spine stiffened as his fingers danced at the hem of my dress. He was playing with fire, but with the public setting we were in, I couldn’t do anything. I fought the urge to cringe as Cohen’s fingers continued up my curves. He stopped me mid-turn and yanked me flush against his front. What looked like a sweet embrace was unwanted. Leaning in, he pressed his lips against my ear, and my skin crawled.

“Everything you’re hiding under that dress… is mine to take.” Cohen’s hot breath on my nape made my stomach churn, and I fought for my life to keep the look of disgust from my face. The smell of alcohol and garlic came off him in waves. When I was sure my mask was firmly in place, I turned my face to the side. Our lips were so close I prayed he didn’t get the wrong idea. His brown eyes lowered and his throat bobbed as he swallowed.

Gross.

“Oh, Cohen. Don’t mistake my public obedience as a green light to my body. Until I say yes, I’m not yours. And we both know you couldn’t handle me.” The whispered words looked like we were sharing a secret.

The idiot needed a few seconds to think. Brown eyes stared at me as he blinked a couple times. He was nowhere near as sharp as his father. Eventually, realization dawned, and a greedy grin pulled at the corners of his lips. As much as I wanted to pry his clammy fingers from my waist and tell him where to go, I had no choice but to play along. My mother was hell to deal with, and I would rather follow the rules and fake it than face her fury.

The Winslow house had two rules, just two: don’t sleep around, and never embarrass the family name. My mother was a trust fund baby who never had to work a day in her life. She’d rather inhale a bottle of pills than face shame and scandal. Lovewas not something I grew up with, and kindness was equivalent to weakness. She thrived off the misfortune of those she classified as less than and didn’t care if she had to kick people on the street when buying land for her vision: a shopping outlet.

My parents had planned my marriage to Cohen and didn’t think I deserved to know until the week of the engagement party. I didn’t know arranged marriages were still a thing in modern day America.

Lucky me.

Rumors said his family worked with the devil. Despite the religious roots, Buckley had always been a superstitious town nestled along the Dark Forest in the Pacific Northwest. There was a rumor of a barrier deep in the woods that kept us out. My parents bought into the supposed “monsters” Cohen’s family dealt with. They saw it as an opportunity to tap into untouched wealth. If there was a paranormal world, they were going to be one of the first families to step foot into it. They could keep feeding me the bullshit about how this marriage would elevate my social status and ensure my future family was well taken care of, but I knew better. They were greedy. Putting up a fight was a waste of time. One meeting turned into another, until I was pressured into accepting his proposal.

“Oh, I’m not mistaken, sweetheart. You’re already mine, whether you admit it or not. Enjoy that attitude while you can because once we’re married, I’ll enjoy stomping it out,” Cohen promised. His grip on my hip turned punishing. The expression on my face remained one of contentment.

“Let me go, or I’ll embarrass us both. I’ll scream so loud the town will be buzzing with rumors before the sun sets.” My smile was wide as my mom’s eyes flashed. She took in the tension that rolled off me despite the pearly whites. It didn’t matter how good I’d been at wearing my mask; she could see through the little cracks.

“You wouldn’t dare,” he grunted. He was rattled—caught between asserting his dominance and the threat of scandal, unsure whether or not to call my bluff. I looked over my shoulder, meeting his shit-colored eyes.

“Try me,” I taunted, a tremor working its way down my arm.

My blade called me.

“Ellie? Did I miss something?” My mother hadn’t called me by my childhood nickname in years. The concern in her voice drew my father’s attention. This wasn’t because she was scared; she was testing me, reminding me to keep him pleased. This was a dance, and it was Cohen’s turn to lead. His grip on my waist loosened.

“Not at all, Dorothy. Ellie’s just a little impatient. She can’t wait until our special day.” He flashed her his signature asshole smile. I balled my hand into a fist as my mom grinned, clearly pleased with his response. Her eyes narrowed a fraction on me and the words she’d ingrained in my mind since I was a little girl rang in my ears.

“Mind your manners and fix your mask.”

My back instantly straightened. The sound of quick footsteps rushed toward me, and I wheezed as a small body crashed into mine. Looking down, big brown eyes stared up at me. My mask slipped, and I smiled at the one little light I held close. Wrapping my arms around my baby brother, he squeezed me tight. All it took was one look at him to make me forget the blade waiting for me at home. My little brother was my mini-me, but where my hair was light brown, his was dark. With a cute button nose and freckles splashed across his face, he had me wrapped around his little finger.

“Hey, bud.” I kissed the top of his head.

“Hi, sissy,” he whispered.

“Archie!” my mom chastised. His eyes drooped sadly and his shoulders followed before he let me go. I squeezed his armand his eyes brightened slightly. I winked at him and a crooked smile pulled at one side of his lips as he tried to work his mask back into place. Turning from me, he held his head high as he headed toward his seat without a glance her way. He was the one reason I put up with my family. I don’t know how many times I’d thought of running away. With him around, I wasn’t going anywhere.

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