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On the outside I’m collected, confident, and calm. Inside I’m a mess, a storm of wounded pride and hungry desperation. Survival above all else. It’ll be worth it.
Devlin rifles through my pouch and bends over the torn paper to write out the terms of our agreement. After he signs it with a flourish, he frees one of my hands.
“Still tied up here,” I point out, shaking my wrist out and flexing it.
“Just how I like you, troublemaker.” Devlin slaps the pen down on the contract and slides it in front of me. “Sign it and I’ll let you go. Of course, if you’ve taken to being tied up, we can leave you like that. You make an excellent addition to the kitchen decor.”
The corners of my mouth turn down. Dickhead.
My hand is clammy as I hold the pen. It slips a little and I adjust my grip.
The wording is simple. The ripped magazine page states precisely what Devlin said.
Blair Davis agrees to complete any order set by Devlin Murphy in exchange for monetary payment.
There’s no end date specified. I’ll endure it, even if it’s forever. The chance to clear the crushing debts Mom and I carry is too valuable. My life and pride are small prices to pay.
Inhaling quietly, I sign myself over to the devil.
Five
Devlin
Once she signs her name on the contract she insisted on, I dig my fingers into the knotted cord on her other wrist, freeing her.
The heat of success coils deep in my gut as I skim over our impromptu contract, her name written neatly with no frills beside mine.
Oh, sticky fingers. You have no idea what you’ve signed up for.
I stick my tongue into my cheek. My head is already overflowing with ideas to humiliate her. I’ll teach her lesson after lesson. Not only will she regret the day she set her sights on taking what’s mine, she’ll learn to fear the monster I keep chained up inside me.
I'll be her own personal nightmare and her salvation all at once. A heady mix of power put in my hands.
The thought of making her dance to my own twisted tune fills me with so much satisfaction I go a little lightheaded from the rush.
Blair slides off the stool, rubbing her wrists. There are pink marks on her skin that will fade by morning. The cord wasn’t tied tight enough to leave a lasting mark.
I should do something to mark her.
That craving gets put on hold for the time being. I need time to plan out the commands I want to give her.
Blair makes quick work of the cord, undoing it from the stool. She skirts around me to snatch up her zipper pouch. Once it’s reattached to her belt, she runs her fingers through her sleek hair.
We’re at an impasse. The terms of the contract are in place, but the mood of her intrusion and my efforts to thwart it hangs between us. We’re not friends—quite the opposite.
Instead of reclaiming firm control once more, I let the moment stretch, curious what she’ll do. Hell, she’s fast enough, I wouldn’t put it past her to snatch the closest thing she can and make a mad dash for the door. If it comes to that, I’m fast as fuck, too. I’ll catch her again.
“So…” Blair trails off and avoids my gaze. “I’m just gonna go.”
She watches me for a beat, like she expects me to go back on my word. I don’t break a deal.
Tipping my head to the side, I lift my brows. “Off you scurry then, gutter rat.”
She grants me a severe look, shoulders a stiff line.
Good. Keep that iron pride intact. You’re gonna need it, sweetheart.
As Blair slips from the room, I trail her. I might not go back on my word, but I don’t trust her at all. Desperation makes people do stupid shit, and she’s got three seconds from the next bad decision written all over her scrawny ass.
