A crescendo of cries came from upstairs, drawing my eyes toward the stairway leading up. It didn’t sound to me like Everly had any problems being handled by the opposite twin.
In truth, I’d always thought Everly had a thing for both of them. However, since we’d gotten here, it seemed she’d spent the majority of her time with Isaac. Then again, I’d thought Ian and Heaven were going at it like rabbits, but I’d learned that hadn’t been the case. Heaven and Ian had slept separately every night, even after the erotic encounters the five of us had endured.
My phone vibrated on the counter. After nearly dropping my glass, I set it down, snatched up the phone.
The Devil: You can’t avoid me forever. Remember that.
I’d been getting the texts throughout the day and night for the past week, ever since we’d come to Ian and Isaac’s. I hadn’t bothered to tell anyone about them, and I never responded, not giving Roger—or whatever the fuck his name was—the pleasure of hearing from me.
I figured I needed to get a new phone number. And I would, once I went home.
While we couldn’t stay here forever, I wasn’t making a big deal about wanting to leave, either. I wasn’t a prisoner, knew I could go whenever I wanted, with or without Ian’s or Isaac’s permission, but I’d realized I wasn’t here anymore because it was for my safety.
I was here because I didn’t want to be anywhere else.
Eight days ago, I’d been coming home from work, ready to fall into bed, fearing whatever hell I might encounter if and when the devil showed his face. Now I woke up, breathing easy, no exhaustion from watching the shadowy corners of the room all night and day. No, I didn’t have a job anymore, but I could find something. I wasn’t above any job, didn’t care if I needed three to make ends meet. I would take care of myself. Had been since the day I turned eighteen.
I turned on the barstool when Ian and Everly came downstairs. He patted her on the butt, sent her to her room to shower and rest. A second later, he joined me in the kitchen.
“Isaac took Heaven to her sister’s,” he said simply. “Not sure if you knew it or not.”
“Yeah. She came to tell me goodbye.”
Ian’s eyes instantly dropped to the phone I’d left out. I reached for it, but he beat me to it. My eyes met his.
He held it out. “Unlock it.”
Without hesitating, I typed in the passcode. He could see every number, would likely not need me to give it to him again. I honestly didn’t care. I had nothing to hide from anyone, certainly not the two men who had somehow given my life meaning.
“The devil.” He grunted.
I dropped my head.
“For fuck’s sake,” Ian hissed. “Dante, look at me.”
I jerked my head up at the vehemence in his tone. He was squeezing the phone in his big fist.
“Why didn’t you tell us he was texting you?”
“I didn’t think it mattered, Master.” It wasn’t an argument, a simple statement.
Ian took a deep breath, let it out, stared at the phone screen. “Son of a bitch.” His eyes lifted, met mine again. “That bastard is vicious. Is this how he’s always treated you?”
“Yes, Master.” Only that was nothing compared to some of the shit he’d said or done during the time I’d known him.
Ian was still reading, and my tension was rising. I’d never deleted the text thread, so it went back for … however long the phone would go for the past few years. I tried to think about the things he might find.
“Oh, shit.” I jumped to my feet, swallowed hard. “Please, Master. Please don’t … I don’t want you…”
Ian’s eyes lifted, the emerald green filled with anguish. He’d read it.
I could feel my heart breaking. I didn’t want him to know about the evil that I’d lived through. And Roger had always enjoyed reliving those moments in text, describing in horrid detail all the ways he had hurt me. My Masters knew some of it, things I hadn’t even known, such as Roger/Vernon trying to buy me. That had been news to me, but not surprising. However, until now, I didn’t think they’d fully understood the magnitude of the man’s evil.
“He—” Ian inhaled deeply, his molars grinding.
“Please, Master.” My voice was guttural, but it didn’t stop Ian from reading more.
“Christ Almighty.” When Ian looked up, he was breathing hard. The anguish had turned to rage.
I didn’t know what to say, what to do.
“I’ll understand if you want me to go,” I whispered, my heart aching.
“What?” His shocked expression had me stilling. “You’re not going anywhere. Not if my opinion means two shits to you.”
“It does,” I said quickly. “I don’t… I don’t want to go.” I glanced at the phone. “But—”
