by J. E. Taylor
“You should have taken the twelve years,” he whispered as the air shifted.
He went to stand, and a massive hand pushed him back into the chair.
“You forfeited the game. You get to watch,” the voice thundered. What appeared out of the dark made me scramble backwards and my chair toppled over at the man-beast that stood next to Kaine.
A collar wrapped around Kaine’s neck, yanked his head back against the chair, and his hands slammed down on the armrests, locking in place so he couldn’t move. The fear and horror in his expression equaled what ran amuck in my blood.
“Please,” he whispered, raising his gaze to the thing.
“You folded,” it hissed. “We had her for six years and you folded.”
I stepped backwards into a solid wall of groping hands. And when Kaine’s gaze jumped to mine, a hand flew over my mouth. Fabric tore and I struggled against the insistent hands.
“Why?” I managed to ask and successfully squirmed out of the invisible grip that accosted me. My only option was to step closer to Kaine and the beast. My options were limited, but right at the moment, my focus wasn’t on what was coming; it was locked on the devil’s statement.
My meek question caused the beast to laugh and he turned his red eyes in my direction. I blinked at the rush of fear and familiarity that swept over me.
Without a word, he waved a clawed hand and it was as if I stepped into a multiplex with multiple movies playing. Visions of Kaine filled the space. I scanned the multiple screens, showing multiple card games. It took me a few moments to see the pattern, to see where his games with me diverted from his normal modus operandi. I dropped my gaze, utterly confused.
Kaine played poker, and collected hard time from the players when they lost, but not once did he exchange sexual favors when the players won. The screens multiplied until they were nothing more than half-inch frames, all showing the same brutal beast, and then the walls went black.
The next view provided made my knees buckle. Kaine’s face as he brutalized me earlier was not the smug smile I imagined, but tear-stained and horrified as I lay unconscious and bleeding, tied to the table. There was no joy in his eyes, just the raw pain of the horror he was visiting on me.
“I can’t do this.” He pulled out of me, leaned over, and placed a kiss on my back. The constant flow of thick blood trickled to nothing; then he waved his hand over me and the binds holding me in place released. He scooped me up into his arms and gently kissed my lips.
“I’m sorry, baby,” he whispered before he laid me on the soft bedding that appeared.
I dropped my gaze to his, trying to fathom what the hell was going on, but he stared at a point on the floor between his feet.
The next glimpse I was provided showed his hand as I moved six years into the pot. I stared at the straight flush just before he threw his hand down. Folding. He knew his odds of winning were high, yet, he folded.
“Why?” I asked again, and his gaze rose to mine.
The beast stepped into my line of sight. “The game is over,” he growled. “Kaine lost his bet. Now you’re mine.” He grinned and his sharp teeth gleamed in the darkness. The cloth covering me shredded and the next thing I knew, I hung upside down with both my wrists and ankles bound to a pole, leaving me completely exposed.
“Kaine!”
“You took the gamble,” his voice answered, but it carried the complete defeat I felt. I dropped my head back to see what was coming. The beast stood next to Kaine and when his pants dropped, I struggled against the bonds.
My shakes rattled the chains that held me, and he circled around, stopping between my legs, letting me have a full view of Kaine.
Kaine closed his eyes and turned his head, unwilling to watch.
“You will watch until I tire of her,” the beast growled. Kaine’s head snapped upright and his eyes went wide as though someone tapped them open. “Then you can have what’s left.” The words flowed over me, creating the surreal panic that I couldn’t wrap my arms around.
“Please, don’t,” Kaine said and his chin trembled.
I didn’t have to ask “don’t what,” and the scream of agony ripped through me as efficiently as the devil’s double wide. He didn’t just have one double wide, either, and the plunge nearly split me in two.
“No!” Kaine struggled but his screams of protest were drowned by mine until a strip of duct tape clamped down on his cries.
I should have listened. I should have heeded his warning and as I watched the tears paint his face, a memory materialized.
The wail that escaped from my lips was his name, and as our gazes locked, I understood the tender moments, the way he took me when I won the bets. It was a lover’s touch and now I understood his anger at my not remembering him. The pain that fractured my soul had nothing to do with the devil’s wrath.
It had everything to do with Kaine.
A lifetime ago, when I was on one of my earlier gambling binges, I had run into a downward spiral and Kaine slid into the seat next to me. The sparkle in his eyes, along with his close proximity, had the same effect on me as it did two weeks ago. I was completely smitten.
But instead of my losing every cent I owned, my luck turned hot and I ended up with him in the penthouse for the weekend. Kaine was my one and only affair with something other than cards while I was still married.
Stolen nights at the casino became weeks on end. Kaine knew how to make me laugh and he was the best fuck on earth. Sobs ripped through me now that I understood his comment about wanting to give me a fuck I would never forget.
How in the hell could I have ever forgotten him?
Shame bit me harder than the beast and I screamed Kaine’s name. The pain in his eyes shredded my soul. The devil spilled more than just my blood as he drove through me, hell-bent on destruction.
I derailed Kaine’s mission. I took hell’s main soul collector and turned him against his master. I turned him into a loving man. My mind filled with every tender moment, every smile, every kiss, and I screamed again.
Piece by piece, memories of our history unfolded until we stood in this very room, in the same situation. My greed and his inability to make me see reason, to make me take what I had and run like hell, pounded me harder than the beast slowly tearing me in two.
That time, when the devil came for me, Kaine traded his soul for mine.
He took my place in the chains and the last dark shadow of memory was the beast stepping in front of him and yanking his head back just before the devil whispered, “Open wide.”
The End
About J.E. Taylor
J.E. Taylor is a USA Today bestselling author, a publisher, an editor, a manuscript formatter, a mother, a wife, a business analyst, and a Supernatural fangirl, not necessarily in that order. She first sat down to seriously write in February of 2007 after her daughter asked:
“Mom, if you could do anything, what would you do?”
From that moment on, she hasn’t looked back.
In addition to being co-owner of Novel Concept Publishing, Ms. Taylor also moonlights as a Senior Editor of Allegory E-zine, an online venue for Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror.
She lives in Connecticut with her husband and two children and during the summer months enjoys her weekends on the shore in southern Maine.
Visit her at www.jetaylor75.com and sign up for her newsletter for early previews of her upcoming books, release announcements, and special opportunities for free swag!
Sign up for Ms. Taylor’s newsletter at: https://app.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/y2z2x6
You might also enjoy other books from J.E. Taylor’s backlist:
THE STEVE WILLIAMS SERIES:
From the mountains of New Hampshire to the streets of New York City, these novels take you on a journey through some of the darkest days in Steve Williams' FBI career.
The series includes these single titles:
DARK RECKONING (Book 1)
"J.E. Taylor has penned a tale of te
rror worthy of Lovecraft. The strong characters, edgy atmosphere, and unflinching narrative hooked me from the first and kept me riveted all the way through to its horrifying conclusion - a solid piece of storytelling!" Ty Drago, Editor of Allegory and author of PHOBOS
VENGEANCE (Book 2)
HUNTING SEASON (Book 3):
"Unstoppable, breath stealing, and terrifying all at once." - Cat Connor, author of killerbyte, terrorbyte, and exacerbyte.
"Hunting Season goes where few venture, mixing a compelling crime thriller with supernatural forces. The action and drama is thick and fast and I guarantee you will not be able to put this book down." - Poppet, author of Seithe and Darkroom.
GEORGIA REIGN (Book 4)
CRYSTAL ILLUSIONS (Book 5)
“Gripping, rich and magnificent - crime whodunnits don't get any better than this!” Author Poppet – Author of QUISLINGS, BLINDSIDED, DJINN and DUSAN
“CRYSTAL ILLUSIONS is a dizzying thriller with a terrifying killer, a unique detective, and some twists you will not see coming! This is Steve Williams’ most addictive adventure so far and J.E. Taylor at her very best!” Ty Drago - Author of THE UNDERTAKERS Series
"This has to be one of the best mysteries I have ever read. Move over Agatha Christie there's a new sheriff in town, and she is great." - PRG Reviews
SAVING FACE (Book 6)
THE GAMES TRILOGY
Intensely disturbing. Beautifully horrific. Indescribably intense. Gruesome and gory. You can't help but get caught up in this series.
When Ty Aris kidnaps Jessica Connor for his step-brother’s underground film network, he is not prepared for the impact this woman will have on his life. The Games Trilogy brings Ty and Jessica from the dark days in his step-brother’s sadistic prison, to the glitz of a major motion picture premier in New York City in a powerful combination of suspense, romance, and heartache. They battle the worst in human nature, as well as a paranormal twist that nearly destroys them and all they love.
This series includes these single titles:
SURVIVAL GAMES (Book 1)
MIND GAMES (Book 2)
END GAME (Book 3)
The Games Series is for sale to Adult Audiences Only. It contains substantial sexually explicit scenes, graphic language, and violence that may be considered offensive by some readers.
FALLEN – Games Trilogy Prequel
Ty Ryan’s downward spiral started the day his mother met Jacob Aris.
An unexpected romance between the emergency room nurse and the multi-billionaire plunges Ty into the wealthy world of entitlement, secrets, and lies.
When tragedy strikes, leaving Ty and his siblings at the mercy of Jacob Aris, Ty is powerless to defend against the old man’s rage. Each random beating chips away at Ty’s sanity, leaving him vulnerable to his stepbrother’s master manipulation.
NIGHT HAWK TRILOGY
Damian Andreas is an ancient vampire tasked with keeping the archangel bloodlines safe. Blinded by his hatred for Lucifer, he snatches Naomi Hawk from the devil to claim her as his own. The moment his teeth sink into her neck, he realizes he has just broken his own vows.
When Naomi bites him back, his blood transform her into an immortal shadow, and puts Damian on a collision path with an angry archangel.
Single titles in this series:
NIGHT HAWK (Book 1)
TIGRESS (Book 2):
TRINITY RISING (Book 3):
THE RYAN CHRONICLES
Tom and CJ Ryan harbor the power of the Gods. Refusing to stand with Lucifer puts both of them, and everyone they love, on the devil’s hit list.
There are only so many ways you can break a man before his wrath changes the status quo. Rekindled by family, by love, by home and memories, the ruthless son of Ty Ryan steps into the shoes left under the family tree by his dad, and this time he’s out of mercy.
The series includes these single titles:
CJ’s Story:
ANGEL GRACE - Book 1
ANGEL HEART - Book 2
ANGEL WRATH – Book 3
Tom’s Story:
ANGEL BLOOD - Book 4
ANGEL FIRE - Book 5
ANGEL FURY – Book 6
MAGICK TRILOGY
Paige Turner’s magick skills are rusty, but she needs to refine her spells or her determination to save a very special soul will prove to be disastrous.
Single titles in this series:
MAGICK
BLACK MAGICK
PRACTICAL MAGICK
THE DEATH CHRONICLES TRILOGY
What would you do if you found out Death was your father and you were destined to take over the family business?
Dylan Nicholas Ramsay—Nick to his friends—does not want the job, but he has no choice. The fallout of refusing to accept his fate is bleak, and when rogue reapers step in to try to overthrow the status quo, all hell breaks loose.
Single titles in this Young Adult paranormal suspense series:
DON’T FEAR THE REAPER (Book 1)
HIGHWAY TO HELL (Book 2)
KNOCKING ON HEAVEN’S DOOR (Book 3)
Introducing THE PARADOX FILES, a new urban fantasy series
A protector. A lost soul. A siren looking for salvation.
Kylee Paradox never expected to be a protector of humankind, but when hell’s portals open and let loose the creatures of the underworld, she can’t see any other way.
Armed with an ultimatum, Kylee has no choice but to embrace her new position as bounty hunter of the damned. Sending these monsters back to purgatory becomes her life’s mission.
The only glitches in an otherwise noble pursuit are those who hold her fate in their hands. They forbid her from using her deadly siren song to lure the beasts back to the pit.
If she harms even a single innocent soul in her quest, Kylee herself will become one of the hunted.
SILENCING THE SIREN – Book One
WAKING THE SIREN – Book Two
HUNTING THE SIREN – Book Three
FRACTURED FAIRY TALES
2018
RED
CINDER
BRAVE
TANGLED
FROZEN
SNOW
SPINDLE
BELLE
ROBYN
Other titles by J.E. Taylor
MESSIAH
SILENCE
STAR CROSSED
Short Story Compilation:
GLIMPSES
Visit Ms. Taylor’s website for more information on any of these titles!
Sign up for Ms. Taylor’s newsletter HERE.