I was squirming, fidgeting, doing everything in my power not to open the door and jump out of the car. The urge to flee was overwhelming like a primal instinct screaming at me to escape while I still could. But I couldn't.
Kyle was driving and I sneaked a glance at his knuckles, white on the steering wheel, jaw clenched in barely contained anger. He was pissed-pissed as hell-because I'd made him wait an extra ten minutes. And now he was taking it out on the road driving the car with reckless speed.
I hated it. Hated how I was obeying Judas, how I was letting fear dictate my every move. But what choice did I have?
I wanted to ask Kyle about Judas's mood, wanted to know if there was even the slightest chance I could beg for mercy, plead on my knees for him to spare me. But the words stuck in my throat, tangled with fear and dread. I couldn't ask. Not with Kyle like this, his anger simmering just beneath the surface. Yabe he'd himself push me out the car if I get on his nerves.
These men were terrifying.
Sighing, I glanced out as the lights outside blurred while we sped past, but all I could think about was the darkness waiting for me at the end of this drive. The darkness that went by the name.
The thought made me sick, but I kept it down, swallowed the bile, and forced myself to breathe. There was no escape. No way out. I had to face whatever was coming, no matter how much it terrified me.
I somewhere heard, the fastest way to make a man lose interest in you was to sleep with him. It was just my thought, but if I… if I sleep with him once, he'd leave me be, right? Cause that was my last hope now. Maybe he'd find me too boring, maybe sex with him wouldn't be that bad….
And suddenly I recalled the day I saw him practically fucking the brains out of that woman. I shook my head. No, no, no.
The car screeched to a halt, and I flinched, my body strangely tense and on edge. We had arrived. The end of the line.
Kyle shot me a glance silently commanding me to get out.
This was it. The moment I'd been dreading.
I had to face Judas. Even if it meant losing everything in the process.
I didn't know how I made it to the elevator or why I even contemplated running for the thousandth time in one week. But somehow, Kyle was behind me, making sure I kept my thoughts in my head only. I trembled just as we stepped outside the elevator.
The silence of the hallway pressed down on me and my heart raced, every nerve on edge as Kyle led the way. The corridor was dimly lit, the air thick with a suffocating tension that made it hard to breathe. My eyes darted to the walls, lined with expensive artwork, but I couldn't focus on anything except the growing panic tightening around my chest.
Kyle stopped in front of a door with a gold plate, the number gleaming ominously in the low light. My breath quickened, my thoughts spiralling out of control. I was hyperventilating now, the fear clawing at my throat, making it almost impossible to get air into my lungs.
I... I couldn't do it. I couldn't...
My legs wobbled, almost gave out beneath me and I nearly stumbled. Before I could hit the ground, Kyle's hand shot out, grabbing me by the bicep with a grip that was more painful than steadying. He didn't care about my panic and didn't even pause as he shoved me through the door, and I bit my lips hard to not scream.
Last time I kneaded a man in the balls and ran, it ended with me tied to the chair and his hands in my jeans.
I stumbled inside, barely catching myself before I fell, and my breath hitched as the door slammed shut behind me. He didn't just lock me in, right?
And I spun around just as swiftly and clung to the door twisting the knobs I panic. It was locked from the outside. And here I was.
Alone.
Tired and defeated, I turned around slowly. My breaths came in short, rapid pants, my chest heaving as I tried to calm myself down and looked around the dark place. Forcing myself to take a step forward with my eyes wide, I tried to adjust to the dim light filtering through the heavy drapes.
The suite was luxurious, too luxurious. The floor was covered in a thick, plush carpet, so soft that my feet sank into it with each step. The walls were adorned with ornate mouldings, the furniture a mix of rich, dark woods and expensive fabrics. A grand chandelier hung from the ceiling and whatnot.
What startled me was the large, king-sized bed that dominated the centre of the room, draped in deep crimson sheets that seemed to absorb the light rather than reflect it. To the side, a velvet chaise lounge sat by the window, the drapes were partially drawn, revealing the night sky outside. A marble fireplace stood against one wall completely unlit.
And there was no sign of Judas.
I should be ecstatic, zealous and flying in the seventh sky. But I knew better.
Swallowing hard as the knot in my throat tightened, I took another shaky breath.
I stood frozen, every muscle in my body tensed and taut as I strained to hear even the slightest sound, my heart pounding in my ears and sweat tickling down my back as I wrapped the heavy coat tightly around me. It was maddening, and the anticipation was unbearable. I was trembling, my skin prickling with fear and something darker, something I didn't want to admit.
For a second I even contemplated walking back to the door and beg Kyle, but the thought went as soon as it came when a shiver raced down my spine the moment I sensed movement in the shadows.
A breathless gasp left my lips as my gaze snapped to the far corner of the room, where the darkness seemed to pulse and shift. My mouth went dry, my pulse racing, every instinct screaming at me to run. But I was rooted to the spot, unable to move, unable to breathe.
And then… I saw him.
My nightmare emerged from the darkness like a storm. Cold fire in his eyes suddenly drew me in and held me captive in his piercing gaze.
For a second, I thought I just imagined him, that the man in front of me couldn't look as lethal but when he took a step forward I felt the brutal aura of his suffocating me. The dark suit whispered against his skin was perfectly dangerous and equally venomous. The air around me trembled and pressed me down with his demanding presence. Silence screamed, and so did my head as I stumbled back unconsciously.
"J-Judas…" I whimpered as he closed the distance taking slow deliberate steps like a predator closing in on prey. Light flickered on his face, the pale blues shimmered and so did the curve of his lips I failed to notice earlier. Those damned eyes raked over me, devouring, owning every inch before his gaze locked onto mine with an untamed intensity.
"You look so scared, Ptichka," he murmured, he tilted his head, feigning innocence, as if he hadn't just emerged from the shadows like some phantom, nearly stopping my heart in the process. At that moment, I would have gladly chosen a heart attack over facing him. His lips curled into that dark smile, the one that promised nothing but ruin. "You're not thinking of running away now, are you?"
Keep it together, Sera. Just keep your head high. He's just trying to scare you. But the truth burned in my veins-I knew he didn't have to try. One look from him, and I was already undone.
"Are you curious?" he continued, and his wicked whisper coiled around me. "Wondering just how deep I'll sink into that pretty little throat of yours."
I swallowed hard, taking another step back, my hands desperately pulling the flaps of the coat tighter praying he wouldn't catch any glimpse.
The demon stepped closer, and his hand brushed against my cheek. I flinched as his fingers trailed down to my neck pushing the collar of the coat aside. He tilted my chin up, forcing my gaze to meet his. The heat of him pressed against me, his breath hot against my ear he leaned in.
"Because once I'm in, there's no going back. You can not run, little bird," His hand slid down, I shut my eyes and grazed my collarbone before moving lower. To make my situation worse, his touch was teasingly threatening. "I'll wreck you, Ptichka, ruin you completely, and you'll fucking love every second of it."