Page 9 of The Secrets That Kill

Like Lucifer.

“For what?”

“Saving you from slavery.”

“Is that what you do?” The sarcasm slips into my voice, and I try to pull it back in. “Save girls from slavery?”

His mouth lifts and those evil eyes slither over me. My stomach dips and turns. “From criminals like Anton? Yes.”

“Thank you.” I pull away. “But I need to go.”

One eyebrow rises. “You don’t want to wait for Cara?”

“I want my phone, Mr. Vale.” I want to gouge his eyes. I want to spit on him. I want to rage and scream.

I don’t even care that someone might have died at Seven7Seven. I just want to get away fromhim.

It’s not fair he’s rich and my brother is dead.

“You’ll get your phone soon.”

“You know what? Keep it.”

I start to rise, and his gaze catches me and slams me back into place. My pulse goes haywire under the unspoken power and command in his eyes.

“Sit.” One word, so soft and yet I find myself sitting like I’ve been dragged into some world I don’t understand.

“Good girl,” he says. Then he leans close, the smell of expensive cologne swirling in the air between us. I’m having trouble getting my lungs to work from him so close to me. He’s a heady mix of leather and wood and a hint of salt and smoke. I drag it into my lungs and it curls around my veins.

He touches me then, his fingers whisper against the side of my throat.

A stroke of fire against my carotid artery.

Gentle and almost not there, yet it’s like he just felt me up.

“Good.” Mercer drops his hand. “Now, I saved your life, but I need something from you. Anton? He goes to Seven7Seven to find his next girl. And you’re it. The things he does…let’s just say he likes to play and destroy a girl and then sell her to the highest, sickest bidder. And he’s not even the worst.”

I’m caught in some crazed spell, one that wraps me tight and I can’t move, can’t fight. This is Mercer, this— “And you’re what? Some kind of savior?”

“I want to stop someone worse than Anton.”

“So do it.”

“I saved you, and that’s worth something,” he says in that low, soft tone that holds me captive.

“So what is it you want from me?”

His lips touch my ear for a moment and it’s like he just grazed my clit.

“You, Ivy Gardner. I wantyou.”

THREE

mercer

Her panic is beautiful.

A work of fucking art.

---