Page 65 of Demon’s Temptation

Brent froze. “Garrett?”

The other male rubbed a hand across his jaw and shook his head, a grin tilting up his lips. “No, afraid not. But if you hand yourself willingly over to me, I’ll help you find him and let her go.”

Brent stared into the guy’s eyes through that little screen and tried to work out what the hell was going on.

“You still don’t remember me?” the bastard said before Brent could reply then frowned dramatically. “I’m hurt. We had some good times, you and I.”

His stomach bottomed out. That voice? A memory came crashing back, an unwelcome one. He’d never seen his face, but Victor had been there, too, held in that place, and like Brent, he’d been confused and lost. They’d used what he was against him.

“Why are you doing this?” Brent rasped.

Victor’s eyes hardened. “Will you do the exchange?”

Brent would endure anything to keep Chaya safe, to get her away from that psycho. “Where are you?”

Victor’s nostrils flared and he licked his lips. “You agree to my terms?”

Like hell. “Yeah. Now tell me where you are.”

“I’ll meet you at her apartment. You have fifteen minutes to get there, alone, before things get unpleasant for her.” Victor disconnected.

He contemplated calling for backup anyway, but Victor was clearly unhinged, unstable. Brent didn’t know what the guy might do if someone other than him showed up. He couldn’t risk Chaya.

He reached her apartment with barely five minutes to spare.

The door was locked when he tried it but then swung open before he could put his fist to it. Like the fucker had been waiting with his eye pressed to the peephole.

Victor stood with a gun in his hand, but it wasn’t aimed at Brent. It was aimed at Chay. She lay on the floor, tied up. Arms at her back, her body was bound tight enough to cut off her circulation, to cause pain.

Victor’s gaze traveled over Brent, making his skin crawl. “Come in. Make yourself at home.”

Brent took a step toward Chaya’s still form and reached for her.

Victor shook his head. “I wouldn’t go any closer if I were you.”

“Can I at least talk to her?”

The male’s cold eyes darted down to her then back to him. “You can try.” He shrugged. “She wasn’t well when I found her stumbling down the street. Made for an easy target, though.”

Victor had set him up and had those demons attack him in the club. The bastard knew exactly what would happen when they force-fed him their emotions because he’d witnessed it firsthand four years ago.

Brent turned back to Chaya. “Sweetheart? Can you hear me?” She didn’t acknowledge him, eyes fixed straight ahead. “What have you done to her?”

“Nothing yet.” He motioned him away with the gun. “Over there.”

Brent had no choice but to do as he was told and moved to the other side of the room. “I did what you asked. I’m here. Untie her and let her go. She has nothing to do with this. This is between you and me.”

“Hands behind your back.” Victor pulled a pair of cuffs from his back pocket. “Turn around.”

“Let her go first,” Brent gritted out.

“I’m not stupid, my boy.”

My boy.

Shivers skated down his spine. God, he’d never wanted to hear that again. That’s what Garrett had called them, the demi and other demons being used there. My boy. My girl. Turning his back, he offered the other male his hands. A cuff clicked into place on his right wrist then Victor threaded it through the old radiator pipe attached to the wall and secured the other. “You have me where you want me. Now let her go.”

With Brent immobilized, Victor seemed to relax further and took a seat on the couch, resting the gun on his knee. “I was very angry when your friend came and set us free. The knights should have stayed the hell away.” He stared blankly at the wall, deep in his own head. “You were his favorite. Did you know that? The master knew what you liked, what made you scream in pleasure…in pain.” His nostrils flared and his face twisted. “I loved him, and you ruined everything. When the knights came, they didn’t just take you, they took everything. They destroyed everything.”