The Devil Inside

by Amano, Mia

  “I’m not the best person to help you right now.”

  “You haven’t even heard me out.”

  We’re both standing, separated by the gleaming kitchen island. Kaito’s gaze is hooded, his eyes dark and shadowed. He looks me up and down. I’m wearing a light, red summer dress, but all of a sudden, I feel naked.

  Kaito inclines his head, almost imperceptibly. I take a deep breath and continue. “My sister’s missing. I need your help.”

  He looks at me with a hard, calculating expression. “How old is she?”

  “She’s only sixteen. It’s been two days, Kaito. Our family’s in trouble. My father got mixed up with some bad people. I think her disappearance is connected somehow.”

  “What makes you think I can do anything about it?”

  “You know how to deal with these kinds of people, Kaito.”

  He circles the kitchen bench, stalking towards me. “What ‘kinds’ of people are they, Adele?”

  “You know, people who don’t necessarily follow the law. People like Masahiro, or-”

  “Or?”

  I hesitate, realizing what I was about to say. Kaito’s right in front of me now, his crisp, masculine scent surrounding me. He slides one gloved finger under my chin and tilts my face upward, his dark gaze traveling over me. He’s so close, his face inches from mine. In the fading light, shadow embraces him like an old friend, making him look almost ethereal, but at the same time, menacing.

  “People like who, Adele?”

  Like you, Kaito.

  I stay silent, frozen under his stare. Something’s happened. Kaito’s acting strangely. A sliver of fear traces up my spine, but at the same time, I’m aroused as hell.

  Damn this confusing, asshole-acting, terrifying, beautiful man.

  What’s with the attitude all of a sudden?

  He traces a gloved finger along my cheek. “You should leave.”

  “What?” I blink, confused. “You’re not going to help me?”

  “Teenagers take off all the time. It’s part of growing up. Your sister will come back. You should go home and wait for her.”

  “You’re not listening.” Annoyed, I grab his wrist, pulling his hand away from my face. Kaito doesn’t resist. Instead, he reverses his grip, stilling my arm, his fingers tight around my slender wrist. “This isn’t a case of simple teenage rebellion.”

  “I told you, I can’t help you. You need to leave.”

  I try to raise my hand, but his grip is like steel. Frustration builds, along with my arousal, warmth spreading through my core, my body betraying me. Fuck this. “So you only want me around when it suits you? Is that what this whole thing is to you, Kaito? Am I just another hostess girl to you?”

  He looks me up and down, still grabbing my wrist, his leather encased fingers hard on my bare skin. “That’s all you are,” he says, slowly, cruelly. “Now get out.”

  But he’s still holding on to me, unable to let go of my arm.

  “Fuck you,” I snarl. “I don’t believe you. I don’t know what you’ve done, what’s gotten into you to make you act like this, but I’m not going anywhere until you agree to help me.”

  We stand in deadlock, staring at each other, Kaito looking at me with eyes that hold a swirling storm. His expression is unreadable, but his body can’t lie. There’s a bulge in the front of his jeans. He’s as turned on as I am.

  Oh, shit.

  He releases my wrist. “Take it off,” he murmurs, his voice low and dangerous.

  “What?” I blink, stunned.

  “Take off the dress, or leave.”

  “Fuck you.” I can’t believe the audacity. I came here to ask about Mina, and now he’s got us caught up in this again. “This is so inappropriate.”

  I’m fighting to stay in control, but under the thin, cotton dress, my nipples are hard. My panties are moist. Fucking traitorous body. I shouldn’t do this, but I’m being driven by something I can’t control. I really, shouldn’t do this. But with this man, all my sense goes out the window. Lust consumes me, and I can only think of one thing right now.

  “You wanted to stay.” Kaito murmurs, his voice a low rumble.

  I’m helpless, mesmerized.

  I take a deep breath. Slowly, I cross my arms, pulling the dress over my head. I’m wearing simple cotton panties and a thin, lace triangle bra that reveals my erect nipples.

  Kaito’s expression doesn’t change. I stand before him in my underwear, as the setting sun throws patterns of fire across the room. Crimson light dances across my bare skin, illuminating me in a fiery halo. Across from me, Kaito is shrouded in shadow.

  “The bra. Lose it.” His voice is harsh, cutting through the silence. I hear nothing else except the rasp of my own breathing. My heart is pounding. I unclasp the bra, letting it drop.

  He nods at my panties. “Take them off.”

  I hook my thumb under the edge of my cotton underwear. The thin, cotton panties slide down over my thighs, dropping soundlessly to the floor.

  “You’re aroused, aren’t you, Adele? Can’t help it, can you?” He leans over, his breath caressing my ear, close enough that we’re almost touching. “You should have left when you had the chance.”

  “Is that what you really want me to do?” I grate, hiding the slight shudder that courses through me. It’s the thrill of sudden, burning need. “I’ll leave, then.”

  “Too late for that.” Kaito inhales, deeply, slowly. “You’re stuck now.”

  “So are you.” I glance pointedly at the bulge of his erection.

  “Perhaps.” His hard features could be carved from stone. His dark eyes look black in the shadows. I’m losing myself in that depthless gaze. He stares at me for what feels like an eternity. My core is wound tight with desire, the tension nearly unbearable. His eyes drop to my breasts, following the curves of my waist, settling on the throbbing area between my legs.

  “Touch yourself, Adele.” The words roll off his tongue, as if he’s savoring them. My arousal rises another notch. I’m completely naked before him. He’s still fully clothed. It’s driving me nuts.

  “You sure you can handle that?” I raise an eyebrow. I feel vulnerable, but powerful at the same time. He can’t take his eyes off me.

  “Shut up and do it.”

  I open my mouth to speak, but Kaito silences me with a look. “Do it.”

  It’s as if my hand has a mind of its own. As if pulled by some unseen force, I touch my fingers to my lips, then slide them between the warm folds of my pussy, rubbing against the soft nub of my clit. I’m looking at Kaito the whole time. He’s staring at me with wild, dark eyes, transfixed. Pleasure works its way into my core. I moan.

  “Harder, Adele.”

  I slide my fingers back and forth, rocking my hips. It feels so good. I can’t believe how turned on this is making me.

  How is he doing this?

  Driving me crazy.

  “Faster.”

  Back and forth, feeling my wetness. Kaito’s as still as a rock, giving nothing away. For a fraction of a second, an expression like pain flits across his face, quickly controlled. But the hard set of his mouth gives him away. This is blissful torture for both of us.

  I move my fingers deeper, pushing against the silky flesh, back and forth, back and forth. Faster, harder. A sudden wave of pleasure shoots through me, powerful and raw, building and building. It pulls me with the force of an ocean tide, dragging me to the edge, until I climax. I cry out, my body trembling. A shudder courses through me. I stare at Kaito, trembling, and smile, flushed with pleasure and a strange sense of power. I have such a hold over him right now.

  “Why are you denying yourself?” The question sounds slightly mocking as it slips from my mouth. The coarse black fabric of Kaito’s jeans is stretched taut against the swell of his hard cock. “Do you get off on this kind of thing?”

  He moves so fast that I have no time to react. In an instant, Kaito is behind me, his gloved hands gripping my wrists. Then, leather clad finger
s encircle the back of my neck, strong and unyielding. “Shut the fuck up.”

  He turns me around, pushing me over the granite island bench. The smooth surface is cold against my warm skin. Kaito’s hand is still on my neck, holding me down. He’s ridiculously strong. I’m helpless against him. “You want this bad, don’t you, Adele?”

  Unable to help myself, I nod.

  I hear him undo his belt buckle and zipper. Then his stiff cock is resting against my bare ass. I shudder as Kaito finds my pussy, fingering me with one gloved hand. I moan and squirm against the hard surface of the kitchen bench, my hot breath misting the glassy surface. The leather is rough against my sensitive clit. I grind my hips back and forth, needing more, needing to feel him against me. I want the touch of his bare skin on mine.

  Kaito withdraws his fingers and suddenly he’s there, inside me, his erection huge, filling me, taut against the tightness of my pussy. He’s pressed against me, pushing me down. He enters me, deeper and deeper, viciously, savagely. I’m bent over the kitchen bench, its hard edge digging into my hips. It’s painful, and at the same time, absolute ecstasy. I’m dragged to the edge of another orgasm.

  My body contorts, arcing back. Kaito pushes me down.

  He fucks me, hard and rough, all take. No give.

  He fucks me fully dressed, the coarse fabric of his clothes rubbing on my bare skin. He holds me down, controlling, dominating, not saying a word.

  All I hear is his rough breathing, and low grunts of pleasure.

  I hate it.

  I love it.

  He rocks his hips against my bare ass, thrusting deeper inside me, until I can’t take it any longer. And just when I’m about to lose my mind, an orgasm rips through me, and we both cry out in release. For the second time, I come.

  Suddenly, the pressure of his grip on my neck is gone, and Kaito withdraws, stepping back, pulling up his jeans. He stares at me in silence as I peel myself off the stark, black surface.

  He watches me as I retrieve my discarded clothes, slipping on my red dress.

  I’m completely, utterly satisfied, and at the same time, disgusted with myself.

  His look is hard, calculating. The quiet, protective man I thought I knew is gone, a stranger in his place. And still, he has the power to completely consume me.

  I should be looking for my sister. He’s supposed to help me. It’s not meant to turn out like this. Bitterness creeps through me. Bittersweet. My emotions sharpen, turning to anger. “You’re a fucking savage, Kaito.” I straighten my red dress, smoothing down the crumpled material at the front. “Aren’t you going to help me find my sister? Now that you’ve taken what you wanted?”

  The sun has slipped past the horizon, leaving us in deep shadow, the sky darkening to deep purple. Kaito turns away from me, making his way across the room. “I told you before, I have nothing to offer you.”

  “That’s it? You’re done then?”

  No answer. He disappears into a room, the door closing behind him with a gentle click.

  What the hell just happened? I can’t explain the sudden change in him.

  Was I nothing but a simple fuck to him all along?

  I’m confused, upset. Furious at myself, because I failed to get what I came here for. Unable to forgive myself, because I enjoyed every minute of what he just did to me.

  Mama-san’s words of warning echo in my mind as I slam the door hard on my way out.

  Adele

  As I step onto the bus, my phone rings. It’s mom. I switch my phone to silent as I hand the fare to the driver. I make my way to the very end, watching through the back window as we pull away from the lonely stop. I sigh. I’m feeling too fucked up right now to deal with mom being worried. A terrible emptiness is building inside me. I feel like an idiot. I was warned, but I didn’t listen.

  Why am I so drawn to a someone like Kaito? The hardness inside him that I’ve only caught glimpses of before is real. Just now, I felt the full force of his need, raw and brutal. At the same time, he was distant, not even taking off his clothes to fuck, as if he wanted to keep a barrier between us.

  And still, I couldn’t help myself. I wanted him.

  What the hell was that all about? Maybe it’s time to forget about it and move on. But why do I feel like I’m missing something? It hurts, somehow.

  The phone rings again.

  I let it ring out a bit, but that makes me feel a bit selfish. Mom’s hurting more than I am. She feels responsible for all this. I pick up.

  “Yeah?” I rasp.

  “Adele, honey?”

  “What is it, mom?”

  “You’re not going to believe this.” She sounds different. There’s energy in her voice.

  “What happened, mom?” A strange hope builds inside me. “Did you hear something?”

  “Your sister’s back, Adele. She came back.”

  “Oh my God.” Relief floods through me. “What happened? Is she okay?” Maybe she was just being a teenager all along. She might be dealing with other stuff right now. Her home has been a battlefield, after all. Dad’s brought enough drama into our lives these past few weeks. But it’s not like Mina to do that kind of thing. She’s a good kid.

  Mom hesitates, sounding unsure. “She says she’s fine, but she won’t tell me what happened. She’s acting strange, Adele. I think something happened to her. You better come and talk to her. She listens to you.”

  “Okay. I’ll be right there.” I hang up and stare out the window as the empty streets of downtown pass me by. This is all really strange. Mina keeping secrets? That’s not like her either.

  I think back to Kaito and the way he dismissed my worries so easily. As if he knew something.

  But that would be ridiculous. It would be one major coincidence.

  I change buses and head over towards my family’s house. The neighborhood is quiet, the streets empty. I see families eating dinner or watching TV through warmly lit windows. When I walk in, mom points me in the direction of Mina’s room. “She’s upstairs. Please, go talk to her. She won’t say a word to us.”

  I make my way up to her room. The door is closed. I knock, gently. “Hey kid, it’s me.”

  No answer. I knock again. “Mina, I just want to talk.”

  The sound of sniffling reaches my ears through the thin, wooden door. She’s crying. I push the door open and find my little sister wrapped up in her covers. She blinks away tears. Mina looks so vulnerable, a fragile, tiny wraith clad in a mountain of blankets.

  I don’t say a word. I climb into the bed behind her and wrap my arms around her slender, trembling shoulders. She cries and cries. I don’t know how long we sit like that. I rub her arms and make soothing noises.

  What the hell happened to her?

  Finally, she quiets, and turns to face me. “Thanks, big sis,” she murmurs. Her eyes are full of fear, and at the same time, relief.

  “It’s okay,” I reassure her. “You’re home now. No-one’s going to hurt you.”

  I push a long strand of hair away from her face. Mina nods. “I know. Thanks, Adi.” She manages to summon a trace of a smile. “I’ll be fine, now. I just needed to cry it out.”

  “It was bad, huh?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Wanna talk about it?”

  “I don’t think I should.” Mina’s eyes glaze over, and she stares through me. “I can’t.”

  I grab a tissue from her bedside table and wipe her face. “I won’t judge you, you know. Whatever happened, you’re always going to be my baby sister. But if you don’t want to talk right now, that’s okay. I’m ready whenever you are.”

  Mina looks at the wall, her expression blank. She stays quiet for a while, then squeezes my hand, summoning a smile that is a little brighter, a little more genuine. “Thanks, Adi. You’re always so strong for us. You know dad’s fucked up, so is mom. I’m messed up, too. Especially after the last couple of days.” She hesitates, and takes a deep breath. Her face looks different somehow, as if the last of her childish in
nocence has been taken from her. “Those scary guys, the ones who threatened dad, they came up to me as I was leaving school. Said they would come after mom and dad, hurt them real bad, if I didn’t go with them. That they would kill them if I went to the cops. I had no choice. I got in the car with them, and they took me to a weird house. There were other girls there, Adi. I don’t think they’re even here legally. Some of them couldn’t speak English.”

  I say nothing, trapped by Mina’s haunted expression. A feeling of dread grows inside me as she continues.

  “At first, when I realized what their plan was, I struggled, fought them. I even bit one guy on the hand. So they held me down and injected me with some drug. I hated it, but it felt amazing. I don’t remember much after that. Next thing I know, I’m awake in some disgusting strip club. Some ladies came and dressed me up, put makeup on. They took me to a gross old guy who acted like he owned the place. He wanted to, you know, be the first to have me. Like, have sex with me.” Mina stutters over the last part, tears welling in her eyes. “So they took me to another weird house. But that’s when I escaped.”

  “You did?” Anger and shock fight for dominance in me as I digest what Mina’s saying. Those assholes were going to force her to be a stripper, or worse, a whore. She’s barely sixteen. How many other girls have they forced into prostitution? “How did you manage that? Did that old man do anything to you? We need to tell the police about this. ”

  “No!” Mina protests, a little too quickly. “I don’t want to make a big deal out of this. It’s hard enough telling you about it. I got away, okay? It doesn’t matter how. I just want to forget everything. He didn’t get the chance to do anything to me.”

  “Relax, kiddo.” I put my hands on her shoulders. “No-one is going to make a big deal out of this. You might change your mind later on, but that will be your decision to make. I’m not going to say a word, okay?”

  “Yeah.” Mina looks down, unable to meet my gaze. “Anyway, I’m home now. Doesn’t matter about those guys. They deserved it.” She murmurs that last part so softly I’m not sure I’ve even heard right.