by Vin Stephens
Of course. Timber was the direct, no-nonsense guy. She took a long moment to admire his easy confidence. It was easy to picture spending hours with him, in bed and out.
Timber pulled her out of her reverie. “You know, with the way you interrogate, we could find a place for you in the personnel department.” His voice lowered seductively. “And I could fuck you any time of day instead of impatiently awaiting nights.”
Sin swallowed. “Would you really like that? For me to stay longer than this week?”
The somber look on his face melted Sin’s heart. “I would like that more than anything else in the world.”
If there was one thing she knew about Timber, it was that he never said anything he didn’t mean. His simple words gave her renewed hope. Maybe there was a chance for her to spend the rest of her life within the arms of these mature, virile men. Her response resonated with honesty and the conviction to make this fantasy a reality. “I would like that very much, too, Timber.”
* * * *
Devon was late the next morning. He turned the tap off and stepped out the shower. Naturally, Sin was to blame. What ever had she been thinking, inviting innocent Cherry to view their coupling? He shook his head in amusement as he strode across the bathroom floor without bothering with a towel. Poor Cherry had turned every shade of red he could have imagined before she’d fled the room. Thank God for that. Every night his patience to take Sin’s body grew shorter. He would have thrown Cherry out on her ass.
Sin was such a challenging creature. She absorbed the energies from their vigorous lovemaking like a flower lapping up the sun’s rays, and it made her bloom. And the only damn thing he’d gotten out of it all was a quick fucking addiction problem. She was a sexual aphrodisiac, oozing sexual allure that tainted even the air he breathed. How the hell was he going to let her go? One week. Fuck, he’d been so deluded. He hadn’t even scratched the surface of uncovering all her secrets, and there was only one night left before freeing Sin. He certainly hadn’t dredged up the courage to confront her about the disturbing mind-speaking thing. Not that I’m complaining. That intimacy they shared was mind-blowing, especially when he had better things to do with his tongue than speak. Damn, she has the most delicious pussy. But he would let her go. He had to. Hiding his body from her forever was impossible. It was better if he sent her away rather than watched her face contort in disgust as she fled in fear.
As he took the second step into his bedroom, he suddenly froze. “Sin.”
She had been just entering his room and ground to a halt. Her hand clutched at her chest as though she was trying to grab at her heart. Devon stared at her, mesmerized by her beauty. Her flushed face and heaving chest reminded him of the adventurous games they played. He wanted to grab her and fuck her so hard he’d really give her heart a better reason to race.
“Devon.” His name echoed through his mind although her lips didn’t move. At first Devon mistook her tone for quiet submission until he looked into her eyes. They were round and filled with acute shock.
Fuck. Devon looked down at himself. Naked. God, why did this woman distract him this much? His hands fisted fiercely at his sides as he spun away from her.
Her loud gasp instantly turned his anger into rage. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. As if what he’d shown her hadn’t been enough, he now went and flashed the worst. He did not want to see the horror on her face. He didn’t want her fucking pity, either. Escape. He had to get away. Furious at her and despising himself, he strode back into the bathroom.
* * * *
Sin dashed after him and caught the door before it was slammed in her face. She skidded as her feet hit wet tiles.
“Go away.”
Every fiber within her wanted to reach out to him, but his back was so rigid. His face reflecting in the mirror was cruel and tormented. The small cry that had been welling inside her became a fully fledged scream of pain.
Devon clutched at his head. “Stop it.” Sin realized she was actually screaming inside of herself and fisted her hands. She had to get a grip on herself. Devon fell forward and gripped the basin. His face was twisted in silent agony.
Sin stared at him, speechless. Tears spilled over the rim of her lashes and fell freely. Every inch of his body was covered in scars. Ugly, swollen criss-crosses ran the length of his back, buttocks, and legs. His front, from the brief view she’d been allowed, had fared no better. His entire torso, stomach, arms, and thighs were marred with cruel lacerations. There were puckered burn wounds. Whip welts. Razor gashes. They were old hurts as she’d guessed, but the pain was fresh. The scars within had never healed. The random patches of smooth, unmarked skin were widely spaced. Sin swallowed thickly. Left unmarred, he would have been a devastatingly gorgeous man. And she still saw that beauty despite the crumpled, abused wrapping covering his body. “My God. Who?” She sought Devon’s eyes in the mirror but only saw the dark top of his head.
“I told you to leave.”
“I cannot.” She reached out to touch his stiff back but froze when he flinched before her finger even made contact. Her hands lingered a mere hair’s breadth away uncertainly. It seemed like miles.
“Go!” His shout made her jump, but her feet remained firmly rooted.
Sin’s heart lurched at the thought of losing him. Her mind scrambled, tangling her words and accent into clumsy knots. “Let me help ye,” she pleaded. “Doonae shut me out.”
Devon straightened suddenly. The look in his eyes was murderous. “Don’t you get it? You can’t help me. I don’t want you here.”
“Doonae say that. Please, Devon. Ye cannae send me away.” Sin gulped as waves of panic and sadness overwhelmed her. She tasted the salt in her tears, but her mouth remained bone dry.
“Get the fuck out. Out of my house, out of my head, and out of my life.”
“Nay. I willnae leave ye. Stop saying that.” Sin wailed openly. Ragged sobs made her chest ache, and her body trembled. “Please.”
“You stop it! Stop fucking with my mind.” Devon turned and charged at her. A whirlwind of rage and fury surrounded him like a dark cloak. He screamed in her face. “I. Don’t. Want. You. Here. How many fucking times must I tell you that? Get out!”
Sin cringed at the maliciousness in his features and tone. She couldn’t leave him. He needed her as much as she needed him. “Nay!” She raged against his rejection.
Devon squeezed his eyes shut and covered his ears wildly. His fingers curled and yanked at his wet hair savagely. “Get the fuck out of my head.” Sin stepped back as his eyes suddenly flew open. Molten silver swirled in the depths. He looked like a demon intent on raising hell and mayhem. And then he said the one word she could not accept. “Witch.”
Sin fell back as though he had struck her physically. Turning on her heels, she raced through the doorway. Blinded by her tears, she fled. But within, she knew she had nowhere to go. Devon owned her as completely as the first day he’d said the words aloud. Her body had been claimed and discarded, her heart snatched and crushed.
Chapter 5
For the rest of the day, Sin alternated between pitiful crying and self-righteous cursing. It had taken three older men, mature enough to have daughters her age, to unlock the spirit within her. Kyle, with his easygoing camaraderie, had so easily baited with her sweet smiles and laughter. She had been hooked by Timber’s direct, honest outbursts that had left her speechless many times. Devon’s dark, consuming masculinity had drawn her in and secured her submission. She’d been as helpless as a fish caught in a net from the very beginning. Falling in love with them had been inevitable. Now she would be forced to return to her mundane existence, to the feeble fumbling of inexperienced guys her age who knew so little about life and pleasure, who knew nothing of her. A healthy portion of her anger had been directed at her all-knowing twin. Vice had promised exquisite passion and life-altering desire, but he had not mentioned this pain that was tearing her in two. Damn Vice. Damn her for being a naïve fool. And damn these men who still made her mouth
and pussy drool while they cruelly ripped her heart out of her chest.
It was later that night when Kyle came to deliver her eviction, as though the first one hadn’t been harassing enough. Sin turned to Kyle desperately. “You cannae just stand there and tell me tae leave. I willnae accept yon money like a common tramp.” She threw the envelope containing the stack of bills, enough for a cab and airfare to Scotland, he’d come to deliver back at him. “Stand up tae Devon. Fight him, dammit. Fight for him, with him. Do something, anything except allow him tae continue living this hell.”
“What would you have me do, Sin? All he asked for was privacy. Was that too much? What the hell were you doing in his bedroom anyway?”
“He wasnae supposed tae be there, dammit.” Her voice lowered. “I go there when everyone leaves me during the day. It’s where I feel closer tae Devon, tae ye and Timber.”
“Oh, Sin.” Kyle grabbed her and hugged her tightly. His arms were bands of steel and welcoming comfort. “I had no idea you were lonely. Not one of us had enough sense. We kept you like a prisoner, didn’t we?”
Sin shook her head. His shirt was crumpled and damp with her tears. “I doonae mind. That bedroom is the only place I ever felt like I fitted, where I could be myself without fear of being condemned.”
“I know, baby.” He stroked her hair soothingly. “I shouldn’t have snapped at you. I’m sorry for making you lose your temper, even if I do find that accent of yours mighty sexy.”
Her life and dreams had been shattered to inconspicuous pieces. She wanted to scream, rant, and plea for them not to cast her away. And here he was making her want to smile again. Damn you, Kyle. She had to be rational. There was too much at stake. In a calmer manner, she inquired, “Do you really want me to leave?”
Sin felt his quick inhale clearly with her head pressed against his chest. “Hell no. I can’t even image a life without you now.” Slowly, his hold on her body tightened until she could barely breathe. “If it were up to me, I would tuck you right here.” His chin pressed down, sealing his hold on her. “And keep you here for all eternity.”
Through the haze of pain, a small ray of hope ignited within her. “Then help me.” She looked up into his face. His brown eyes were soft, melting swirls of chocolate. “Help me help Devon. There has to be a way to make him trust me.”
“Trust?” His chest rumbled on a chuckle, but there was no amusement in his gaze. “Devon trusts no one.”
“But you and Timber, he allows you both to see his body. He trusts you.”
“No, Sin.” Kyle shook his head somberly. “That has nothing to do with trust. It’s his own twisted way of seeking redemption.”
“What? I don’t understand.”
Kyle swiped his hand over his face. It was obvious this was a matter that had concerned him for some time as well. “Devon doesn’t believe he deserves anything good. Me and Timber are like rewards, eye candy he offers women as payment for the offense of his touch.”
Sin shook her head sadly. “Why does he see himself as such a beast?”
“Just one more of the many scars he was left with. Not all are on the surface.”
The thick knot in Sin’s chest tightened. “There is also so much good in him and so much to be proud of. Tell me, Kyle. Tell me what happened to him.”
“It’s not a pretty story.”
“I’m not squeamish.”
The corners of Kyle’s lips lifted. “You’re definitely not that.” He sighed heavily. “What I’m telling you is in the strictest of confidence.” She nodded solemnly, and he continued. “Devon was abused by his tyrannical father throughout his childhood. Wealth and power were a deadly mix, and the monster used both as armors to hide his evil. I can’t say exactly what he did to Devon, but from the wounds he carries, I think there wasn’t anything the fucker didn’t do to him.”
“So many scars.” Sin frowned. “How did he get away for that long? Why didn’t anyone do anything?”
“Simple. No one knew. Nobody even had a clue that there existed a boy who lived in a dungeon, surviving the most inhumane treatment. According to what me and Timber were able to find out, Devon’s mother died in a mysterious accident while he was still an infant. To us there is nothing mysterious at all. The dog had simply discarded his old victim as soon as fresh new prey had arrived.”
Grabbing Kyle’s hand, Sin dug her nails in. “Are you saying he tortured Devon from the time he was a baby, and no even knew this baby existed. How did he get away?”
“The father or Devon?” Kyle shrugged. “In Devon’s case, the child grew into a man. He escaped. He could not even speak when he entered the world, but Devon is a survivor. And, well, the father committed suicide not long after Devon found freedom.”
“The bastard probably knew Devon would come for him.”
Kyle smiled simply. “He sure did himself a favor by putting that bullet in his head.” He grew serious. “Coming back to trust, I think Devon tried at times to get help. He hasn’t said anything, but I refuse to believe a person as strong and determined as Devon would have idled away his time without rebelling. A mansion the size he was held captive in had to have had many servants.”
“You think he begged people there but was denied help and eventually got away on his own.”
“Yes, Sin, that’s exactly what I believe. Devon was never given a reason to have faith in humanity, so he shrugged mankind off and lives by his own principles.”
Sin had to agree, but how did Kyle and Timber fit into the picture? They could not be simple medals of bravery Devon plugged in his sub’s pussies. “You and Timber must mean more to him than you think.”
“Huh!” Kyle threw his hands into the air in frustration. “Devon doesn’t even allow us to take cell phone contracts without first having us sign a contract with him first. He even makes us sign our names on the dotted line with matters pertaining to the bedroom.”
Sin’s jaw dropped to her chest. “You mean you had to sign a contract?” Her finger stabbed into her chest.
Kyle nodded. “I’m sorry. But I have to be honest so you understand just how impossible it is for Devon to trust.”
Her temples throbbed, and she rubbed them distractedly. She could not give up. If he had fought for so long and survived, the least she could do was put up her own fists. This man was worth fighting for. And she damn sure wasn’t walking away like those people who had abandoned him in his most dire time of need. “Kyle, I believe Devon is about to learn that I am no simple sub. Now are you with me or not?”
Kyle laughed heartily. “Do you even have to ask?”
* * * *
Sin entered the lion’s den. Even with Kyle clutching her hand, she was still apprehensive. She caught Timber’s surprised glance and wished she’d asked for his support before facing her Devon.
Devon lurched in his chair so fast, the drink in his hand spilled over. “What is she still doing here?” He looked at Sin and Kyle’s joined hands pointedly. “Or have you come to say your good-byes, Kyle? Good fucking luck to you both.”
Kyle stiffened beside Sin, but his voice was unwavering. “Nobody’s leaving.” He placed the envelope of money on a desk nearby. “I signed a contract, remember. Sin still owes me a night.”
“So go find a fucking motel.”
“Shall I quote the contract?”
Devon rose slowly. Sin saw clearly that his calm speed was absolutely no indication of his mood. The air practically vibrated from the waves of rage beating off him. “Fuck you, Kyle. She is my slave, and I’ve had enough of her.”
In the straightforward way Timber always spoke, he interjected, “I haven’t had enough. I also want my night.”
Sin sighed in relief at Timber’s support. Silently, she conveyed her gratitude with a slight smile. Devon, however, was not the least bit impressed. “Well, screw you, too, Timber.” His eyes narrowed dangerously. “My word is final. She leaves.”
Sin stepped forward. Her insides trembled, but she was not willing to
show him her fear. “Actually, had you drawn up papers regarding a damn mutt, it would have suited you better. But I am a living, feeling person, and I refuse to be thrown aside simply because you haven’t the balls to finish what you started.”
Devon froze. “A damn dog sounds fucking more appealing.”
“How about a kitty?” Sin taunted him by licking her lips as her lashes lowered seductively. “It is immensely more pleasurable.”
A single eyebrow raised as Devon smirked. “Perhaps if it didn’t talk.”
“I don’t have to.” Sin smiled serenely as she sent her message mentally. “I can smell the scent of your pre-cum. Is your cock hard and ready, or would you like me to suck on it, Master?”
The tick on Devon’s jaw grew agitated. The look he gave her was purely vulpine. “Have you told your ardent supporters that you’re a witch?”
She matched his sly gaze even though it stung to high heaven having that name brandished about. “Why would you say that?”
“Oh come now, Sin.” Devon walked up to her and towered over her menacingly. “Tell them how you can read and speak into minds.”
Sin swallowed hard. It was hard to concentrate with Devon invading her space. “If I could do that, then I wouldn’t have had to ask so many questions, would I?” She sighed heavily. “But I don’t like lying, even though I know I can get away with it, so I will be honest. My mother was a Scottish seer. She performed an ominous mating ritual to call on the spirit of a demon lover to impregnate her with his seed. My father was the dark prince of ecstasy and lust.” She stepped forward and ran her nails down Devon’s muscled abs. “I possess no magic. Devon, you are only one I’ve been able to communicate with in such a manner. Even my twin, Vice’s, internal thoughts evade me. My devil father gifted me just two things, his dark visage and his ravenous hunger for the flesh.” Acceptance and fierce pride of her heritage coursed through her. She was finally free. “Now which of you hot-blooded mortals will feed my demonic lust first?” Thick silence greeted her challenge. There, I’ve opened myself to ridicule and slander. Now it was up to them to accept or destroy her.