Chapter 6 The Devil She Prayed To
Cole Ryder's POV
(Earlier that day...)
I wrapped up business in the dungeon quicker than expected. Weak men who drugged up women just to get a chance with her were not worth too much of my precious time.
One son of a bitch died begore i even got a chance to play with him. Weak, disgusting wimps!
I couldn’t bring myself to return to my penthouse. Not with Sleeping Beauty curled up in my bed, so I booked a different room for the night instead.
It took everything in me to leash the instincts roaring in my blood, screaming to be near her. To claim her. But I’d rather lose her now than have her find out who I truly was...what I truly did... and run from me like everyone else.
People always changed when I walked into a room. Their faces, their energy, their mannerisms, but I never cared. But if she ran... if she looked at me with the same fear in her eyes... I think it would fucking break me.
“The penthouse is empty, boss. I guess mystery girl had to leave early,” Jeffery said from the door.
A slight pang stabbed my chest, but I shook it off.
“Did you get a name? Something I could use to find her?”
“No,” I replied flatly.
“No?” he echoed.
“No.”
“What? No as in no name? No way to find her or meet her again?”
“Are you deaf or just pretending to be, Jeffery?” I snapped.
“Color me surprised boss, infact, color me deaf and fucking dumb, because I really do not understand you right now. I’ve never seen you like that with anyone. You never care. Not about yourself. Not about anyone else. But yesterday... I finally saw you feel. And now you're just throwing it away?”
“What is this? A fucking theater performance?” I growled. “Get back to work, Jeffery.”
“Boss…”
“Jeffery..." I took a deep breath knowing the fucker will not let it go until I threw him a bone.
"Let’s hope I see her again. If I do... maybe I’ll see what comes next,” I said, standing up and walking out. I had a flight to catch at 11am to New York. I needed to leave California.
“We're supposed to be on our way to the airport. Be prepared when I get back,” I told him, already heading to the elevator. “I need to work out some nerves.”
And there was only one way I did that. I headed right back to the dungeon.
The blood of my enemies always calmed me down.
I sat in the VVIP lounge of the airline, waiting to be called up to board. My ears still rang from the sweet sound of his screams as I played with the mole when I went back to work off some stress. Round two didn't disappoint.
He’d held out longer than most. I had to give it to him. Most people started spilling the moment the chainsaw came out. But not him. Two limbs down, skull fractured, and finally, he sang and told me everything I needed.
Now, here I was, bored again, picking at the dried blood under my fingernails when I saw her.
Even though I’d only seen her just once, but I could pick her out of a thousand strangers. My mind locked on her. My chest tightened. My breath... caught.
I straightened in my seat. Her brown skin shimmered under the airport lights, her afro bouncing wildly with every hurried step she took. Black leggings. Oversized hoodie. And somehow, she looked like runway royalty.
My entire body reacted just like it did last night. I could hear the squeak of her sneakers on tile. I followed it like a man possessed.
"...what is she doing at the airport?" I asked no one in particular. I was a little embarrassed to think that I had not even tried to know that much about her.
My eyes followed her as she moved, but something was off. Her pretty face from last night was full of panic. Her brows were pinched, and her lips were pulled down into a frown.
Something happened to her this morning, and I didn’t like that.
I didn’t fucking like that at all.
I watched her run up to the airline desk, panic in her voice.
“Please… please, I need to board this plane. I’m already booked. I don’t understand why I can’t get in,” she begged.
“I apologize, ma’am,” the agent replied, unmoved. “But due to your delay, your seat was reassigned to another customer. We can offer a refund if—”
“I don’t need a refund!” she snapped. “You don’t understand. I need to get on this flight.”
That’s when it hit me. She’d overslept. Missed the flight. Because of me.
A rare emotion stirred in my chest, something I’d never felt before.
Guilt.
I leaned back with a sigh, letting it settle like poison. I shouldn’t interfere, I wouldn’t normally, but her eyes… those wide, watery eyes… I was doomed from the start.
I glanced at Jeffery, who was already grinning like the smug bastard he was.
“Wipe that stupid smile off your face.”
“You want me to...? I mean, you did say you'd do something if you saw her again, boss”
“Call the airport management. Tell them to delay the flight. I’m not ready to board. And make sure they boot whoever is beside me in business class. My girl needs a seat.”
Jeffery didn’t even wait for confirmation. The bastard took off like a rocket. I’d never seen him so eager to obey.
Being a VVIP came with perks. And if the airline wanted to keep the funding my family gave to them, they’d do as I said.
"Your flight has been delayed, Boss. Abd the seat beside yours is now vacant " Jeffery said immediately he returned.
"Tell her"
"Me?"
"And don't mention me, Jeffery. I mean it"
I watched from my corner as he walked up to her, looking every bit the professional. He tapped her shoulder, spoke softly. When she heard the news, her face lit up.
Holy. Fuck.
That smile. That teary, grateful smile could end wars.
My pulse jumped. My knees buckled. I’d never seen anything more beautiful.
She thanked him over and over, and I just watched like I hadn’t done a damn thing.
I didn’t know if God existed. Or if we’d ever really been to the moon. Didn’t care if parallel universes were real.
All I knew was that I found the meaning of life at the boarding gate of a goddamn plane.