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I dragged my cheek over my shoulder to soak up the tears and forced my gaze away from my rescuers. Devile, too caught up in his celebrity-status future, didn’t notice the change in my behavior. Bent over the bag of supplies at his feet, he reached in and took his time assembling something out of my sight.
The air crackled with unspent energy, and the humidity glued the leather to my legs. Tick, tick, tick. Time slowed. That two-faced snake’s up to no good.What does he have planned?Devile’s sudden silence disturbed me.
Under their own power, my eyes darted up. JayJay and Tuga were paused at about the halfway mark, right above the narrow chamber Devile had concealed us in. I needed to keep his attention away from them. My breaths turned shallow and choppy. I hadn’t feared for myself, but with JayJay at risk, the need to free my hands overwhelmed me.
Desperate, I scooted back on my butt until my back hit the wall and rubbed my enclosed wrists against the jagged volcanic rock with slow, precise movements. Instead of the sharp sting where the rough edges bit into my flesh, I felt numb. Underneath the urge to free myself, one thought reigned. Help JayJay.
If my luck held, I could occupy Devile’s manic mind, keeping all his focus on me. “Devile, do you think I could get some water?” Tiny movements, millimeter by millimeter, kept the motion of my arms unnoticeable as I sawed at the binding.
He plucked a nearby trumpet-shaped flower, drank most of it, and then pressed the velvety petal to my lips before tipping. The few drops did nothing to quench my sudden thirst.
“There’s more of that, little mate. You can have your heart’s desire if you accommodate me.”
Against my nature, I forced myself to sound submissive. “Tell me more about your home?”
His eyes widened, and he tossed the empty flower away before leaning closer. Devile’s acrid breath fanned my face. “You’lladore my dwelling. It’s equipped with every luxury. The latest technology, the highest quality materials… I have spared no expense in its construction.”
One of his stubby fingers ran down the tendon along my neck, and he sucked the moisture he gathered into his mouth. My stomach heaved.
“The bedroom walls have been updated according to the latest trend. The transparency can be adjusted to allow others to watch.” His chest expanded, and he licked his lips. “You’ll join the special members’ club I’m a part of. They’ll love you. We have many interesting female species, but so few are compatible.” Devile’s three fingers wrapped around my throat again.
Millimeter by millimeter, I continued to saw, not daring to look up.
“I like clubs.” How he couldn’t read the fakeness in my voice was beyond me. I directed the disgust in my eyes at my leather-clad knees.
In a flash, his arms shot under my armpits, and he pinned me to the wall. With my feet dangling in the air, at his mercy, he pressed his nose to my collarbone. “Your perfume is divine. Tell me you’d love to come and stay with me?”
You smell worse than the woodskie shit fertilizer Geo uses in his garden.
The sudden impact snapped the final tether that held the cuffs together. My shoulders loosened at last. Fire seared through my arms, and my fingertips throbbed. Euphoria and disgust, in equal measures, fizzed like bubbles under my skin, spreading goose bumps down my arms.
Muscles straining, I clenched my free arms behind my back. “Your house sounds…nice.”I know what you’re after, dick face. And I also know none of this bullshit compliment business holdswater without my intent!You might want to look a little closer into your people’s rituals.
With my arms pinned to my sides by sheer will, one thing kept me from slugging him in the face. JayJay. He would arrive any second. Soon, this hell would be over.
His pursed lips dragged up my neck and over my jawline. Too near me, his chest rattled, and his forehead ridge sank into his forehead.
Oh, God, no! There’s no way those lips are touching mine!
But my plan to distract Devile was working. I could stomach his vile lips if it meant keeping JayJay safe. More of his weight leaned into me. My leather tunic prevented sharp volcanic rock from carving notches into my back. A hard bulge pressed into my stomach. You’ve got this. JayJay will be here in a moment. My head slumped against the rough wall.
“Get the blant away from my mate!” JayJay hung one-handed from the wall, about to pounce. His deep forest-colored eyes drank me in, his expression ravenous.
I collapsed to the ground as Devile bolted away from me.
JayJay rushed to my side. “Ginger, bless the goddess Sola. Are you okay?” He crouched and held my bloodied hands in his. Torn and swollen, JayJay’s poor hands were in worse shape than mine.
“I’m fine. Are you okay?” My thready voice broke over my words.
“Tuga, arrest Inmate 141 immediately.”
JayJay spun, placing himself between Devile and me like King Kong in all his glory. He shimmered, his skin lit from within, except for the patterned bands that circled his wrists. Gore and blood soaked him, but under the filth stood a man with more integrity than Devile could ever dream of faking.
Tuga stood hip to hip with JayJay. They loomed over Devile, an impenetrable wall of muscled Rock Dweller.
As impressive in size as JayJay, Tuga spread his massive arms in front of him. “What has he done?”
“You’re my bodyguard. It’s your job to protect me from potential threats, and he’s a potential threat. Now, do as I say.”
