THE CABIN WAS BEAUTIFUL. Irina couldn’t believe something so pretty could hold such ugly secrets. Hidden deep within the mountains, the log house was surrounded by trees that made it nearly impossible to see until you looked closely. It sat a long way back from the main road. The gravel driveway twisted and turned enough that she lost all sense of direction. If she could get away, she could follow the road back out . . . No, that wouldn’t work. She’d be too easy to see. She could slip into the trees and follow the road from inside the forest. How far was the highway? Ten kilometers? Twenty?
The moment they got out of the car, Seth dug his fingers into the tender skin on the inside of her arm. “I have a surprise for you. Three of you lucky girls will get to be part of a very special project. The others are already here. We’re the last to arrive.”
Others? Oh, no! She’d hoped they’d . . . what? Escaped? Laughing bitterly, she shook her head at her own stupidity. They were so doped up they weren’t going anywhere. Why the demon hadn’t drugged her was something she didn’t want to think about. He would have a reason for that. He wasn’t the type to do things on a whim. Keeping her alert and able to struggle had seemed like a miracle before, but now it felt ominous. She stopped dead in the driveway. Three guards waited near the front doors. Their eyes settled on the two of them.
Jerking her against his side, he bent to her ear. “Don’t get any ideas, sweetheart. You’re about to meet your new master. Trust me. It’s in your best interest to be as lovely and docile as you can manage. None of these buyers will tolerate disobedience. If you think my punishment was harsh, you’re in for a rude awakening.”
If she was sold to another, she might never be able to escape. She knew this demon. He would relax his guard eventually if he thought she was cowed. Clutching his arm, she begged, “Please don’t do this! I would rather stay with you! Can’t you keep me? I can learn to be what you want.”
Seth studied the tears lingering in 422’s eyes as she begged him to keep her. Crocodile tears. She despised him. He saw her expression when she thought he wasn’t paying attention. If she could gut him with a dull knife, she’d dive right in. He knew her thoughts for fuck’s sake. What was she playing at? Did she really think he was that stupid? How far would she go to convince him? Only one way to find out.
Unmasking his natural irises, he smiled at the instant fear in her eyes. Blinking slowly now, he let her see him for what he was—a demon—not a man. A demon without a conscience, without morals, without empathy. He took what he wanted when he wanted it without a thought to how anyone else might feel. And she was arrogant enough to think she could play him?
“Can you learn, sweetheart? Really?” His voice was deceptively soft, soothing, filled with a little awe and some hope.
Nodding eagerly, she tripped over the words that tumbled from her lips, “Yes! Yes! I can do anything you want. I can cook. I can clean for you. I can—”
“Get on your knees.”
She froze, eyes narrowing to icy slits, mouth thinning to a hard line as she took a small step backwards. “What?”
“I said, get on your knees. Take care of me well, and I’ll decide if you’re worth keeping or not.” He unzipped his slacks and pulled out his half-erect cock.
Ah, there it was again. That expression of disgust, of hate, was back on her lovely little face. She was such a treat. He would miss her. “Well, are you sucking me off or not? I don’t have time for anything more than this unless you want a quick, hard fuck against the wall over there. Make up your mind though. We’ve got a schedule to keep.”
“You are a pig! I hate you!” Her eyes snapped with that passion he appreciated so much.
“Of course you do.” Tucking his dick back into his pants, he hollered to Pox, “Is the camera crew here?”
Pox straightened to attention and replied, “Yes, sir. The crew’s here and so are the three bidders. The other bitches are cleaned up and waiting. We’ve got the equipment ready. The show starts in thirty minutes so she’s got time to clean up.”
Seth shook his head. “She’s ready. Just get everyone situated and briefed. We’ll be there in ten minutes. I want to get this moving. I got a call from the boss earlier. He mentioned our old buddy’s escaped his house arrest. He could make trouble for us.”
Pox barked a rude sound and said, “He’ll have a hard time without his wings. I think we’re good here. We’ll be done and out of here in a few hours.”
“You’re probably right, but I want to get a move on all the same. Let’s not fuck around, yeah?”
There were five other girls besides Irina. They were huddled together in a small bedroom in the back of the house. Seth shoved her inside, with orders to take off her clothes and brush out her hair. The other girls were already naked and gleaming with oiled skin. All had long, black hair and brown eyes, with childlike faces and thin, immature bodies. They even wore the exact same expression of despair. They could’ve been clones. Two of them clung to each other, their sobs muffled as they tried to keep the brutal guards from hearing. A third leaned her head back against the wall, eyes closed, lower lip caught between crooked teeth. None of these girls had the strength to fight off the guards. None of them would try. Irina swallowed over the tightness in her throat and blinked away the dark spots floating across her vision. Surely the demon could hear the frantic sound of her heart pounding in her chest. She felt it like a jackhammer.
This was it. This was the moment she’d been dreading. An auction! A master! This was worse than prostitution. At least she would have a chance to escape if she were working the streets. She could appeal to a customer for help. But one master? He could take her anywhere. She would be a prisoner at his mercy. No. No way. She had to get out of this place before it was too late!
Voices sounded in the hallway and she knew the guards were coming for them. Grabbing the girl closest to her, she whispered urgently, “We must go! Follow me!”
Shaking her head fearfully, the girl whimpered and backed away with huge eyes focused on the door.
“Come on! We can make it!”
The girl shook her head again, saying dully, “You are crazy. There is no way out.”
The voices were growing louder now. There was no time to argue. She had only one chance and she had to take it now. Running to the window, Irina tore the heavy curtains to one side and tried to open it. The humidity caused it to stick. It took several tries to get it to move, but it finally flew upwards. The second it did, an alarm sounded and the bedroom door crashed open. Pox!
She was halfway through the window when he grabbed her around the waist to yank her back inside. Kicking, screaming, clawing, she fought to get loose as he struggled to keep his grip on her sweaty skin. “Let me go! Let me go!”
More men ran into the room as she went berserk. Pox banded his arms around her, holding her back to his chest. Her legs were free so she kicked and bucked to break away. He grunted in pain as she connected with his groin.
“Shut her up!” Seth’s bellow was the last thing she heard.
There was a sharp prick in her arm, and her shrieks died with a sigh.
Now she stood with the others, staring like a zombie, not caring, not hearing what was said. The drugs did the trick. She was as docile as a dead kitten. Three men reclined on the beige leather couch, drinks in their hands, briefcases at their feet. One by one, they raised their hands, and one by one the girls were led from the room. When it was her turn, she blinked at the man who bought her. It was the only resistance she could manage.
Seth drained the dregs of his scotch and rolled his shoulders to work out the kinks from the trip. It was finally fucking over. He was dying to get back to his day job. This constant interacting with humans was exhausting. His scales itched, but it was impossible to reach them through the layers of skin. Rubbing absently, he closed his eyes and stifled a yawn. The auction was a success. They’d made a killing today. The boss would be satisfied with how he disposed of 422. The future was safe. Pox and the other security goons would be happy with their cut of the profits. And now, Seth would enjoy a special treat.
Pox interrupted his gloating with a respectful tap on the door. “Boss? The room’s set up. Travers is chomping at the bit to get moving. Is this a good time?”
Setting the empty tumbler on the coffee table, Seth stood. “Let’s get this production started. I’m ready to get home.”
Pox trailed him as they headed for the basement.
The massive orange fireball could be seen for miles. Af swore under his breath as the plume of thick, black smoke poured into the sky. The friggin’ train was toast. Damn it! Normally he liked destruction, but he didn’t have time for this shit right now. The clock was ticking. Ducking back into the wreckage, he motioned for three other passengers to come to him, yelling “You can get out through the window. The whole front of the train’s on fire. You might want to hurry your asses up before this whole thing explodes.” After picking his way over the seats, he hauled himself up through the broken window and held a hand out to the teenaged girl waiting below.
Two hours later, he was still walking down the road looking for another ride and getting more irritated by the second. As he walked around a curve, he spotted a gas station. The lights were on and there was a vehicle parked out front. Perfect.
A huge black pickup truck was parked next to the gas pumps. Af hung back for a minute. No one else was around. He slipped up beside the truck and yanked open the door. The driver took one look at Af, kicked him dead center in the chest and stomped on the gas. Af landed on his ass while the truck spewed gravel from its rear tires as it hauled ass out of the parking lot.
“Damn it to Hell!” Launching back to his feet, he stomped over to the doors. Locked. Peering through the dark glass, he didn’t see anyone. There were no other cars parked out front. Shit. Now what? Wait here? Walk more? His feet were tired and he was thirsty. Damn human traveling sucked. If he had wings, he’d be flying. His feet wouldn’t hurt. If he had his wings, he’d already be kneeling chest deep in Seth’s torso. Fucking Seth! Uncurling his fist, he blew off some steam by blowing up the gas station. It went up in a nice cloud of smoke. Now that feels good.
An hour later, he was still walking, more like limping, along the highway when he came to a rest stop. A handful of cars were parked there, but one contained a female driver. Better option than another male. Rubbing his chest ruefully, he winced at the twinge of pain that lingered. Looking left and right for witnesses, he walked right up to the green minivan and jerked the door open. A woman screamed her lungs out the second she saw his face. Behind her, two kids joined in the noise until he muted the lot of them. “Shut the hell up! Why is everything so damn loud on this plane? This is why I hate humans.”
Panicking, the woman struggled to unbuckle her seatbelt. He laid his hand over her shoulder and turned her face to his. Locking his gaze to hers, he asked softly, “What’s your name?”
She didn’t blink. She didn’t respond at all. Good. She’s under.
“What’s your name, woman? Answer my question.”
“My name is Tracey.”
“Thank you, Tracey. I’m not stealing your car. I won’t hurt you or your kids if you cooperate. You will drive me until I tell you to stop. Is that clear? Nod if you understand.”
She nodded woodenly.
“Good girl. Now I’m going to let you go and climb into the passenger seat.”
Before he got into the van, he opened the side door and put both kids to sleep. It was either that or he’d kill them. He despised children. So noisy. So messy. Probably better to just let them nap. His rage was just barely under control, but even he drew the line at taking human life unnecessarily. When he got into his seat, the woman was looking at him for instructions. He said, “Just drive north. I’ll tell you when to turn.”
Once they got on the highway, he leaned his head against the seat and closed his eyes to search for Irina’s golden little signal. It was still holding steady in the Catskills.
“How far are we from Hunter Mountain?”
“It’s about two hours from here.”
Travers waited in the shadows, pacing with pent-up adrenaline. Red-faced and sweating rivers, he rounded on Seth the moment he crossed into the room. “Finally! What the hell have you been doing? I’ve got a show tomorrow. I spent a lot of goddamned money on this and I don’t want to fucking rush.”
Cutting his eyes to the crew, Seth pasted a bland expression on his face and brushed off the man’s complaints. “You’ve got plenty of time, Mr. Travers. We can start now and you’ll still have six hours to do anything you want.” He let his eyes drop to the man’s crotch and added in a more nasty tone, “Surely your cock can’t last longer than that?”
Not bothering to laugh, Travers stepped up on Seth with more than a little madness glittering in his eyes. His beefy hands were clenched tightly, a tic jumped in his jaw. The man was definitely on edge. Best to give him the bitch before he had to knock him out. Bad for business, that. Staring the man down, he said evenly, “Will this work for you? The rack is ready.” He passed the big spender a black leather face mask and offered, “We can provide whatever else you want. This is your fantasy.”
Grunting in annoyance, Travers said, “You’re damn right it is. For two million dollars, I should get a fucking cheerleading squad.”
Seth was positive the man’s cock couldn’t handle an entire squad. “So this is acceptable then? Do you need any tools? Special toys?”
The man took a minute to sweep his eyes around the room, taking in the medieval rack, concrete floors, the drain, and the single hanging light bulb. “Just bring me the bitch and make sure she’s awake. I’m not paying to fuck a corpse.”
“Yet.”
Chuckling meanly, the cowboy smiled in a way that bothered Seth, and said, “Yet.”
Right on cue, the door at the top of the stairs swung open and one of the guards appeared with Irina stumbling in front of him. With glazed eyes, she swayed into the railings on the way down the steps but kept her footing. At the bottom, she lurched into Seth with a sharp gasp of recognition.
“Seth! Please do not do this! I am begging you. I’ll do anything you want.” Dropping to her knees, she clawed weakly at the front of his slacks before he caught her wrist and hauled her upright.
“Save it for the camera, sweetheart. You’re about to become a movie star.”
She opened her mouth to argue, but the words slurred away as Pox readjusted her meds. Holding her steady, the demon shook his head behind her. Her eyes fluttered a couple of times before she slid down the front of Pox’s leg.
Tony, the cameraman, interrupted the drama. “Boss? Mr. Travers is ready and the crew’s set.” He nodded his head towards 422 and asked, “That how you want her? She’s not too lively.”
“Give her a couple of minutes. We only gave her enough to shut her up. By the time it matters, she’ll be alert and screaming her fucking head off.”
Tony gave him a thumbs up and scuttled back to the shadows to get Travers mic’d up. Seth studied the woman with a frown. It was too bad, really. He’d hoped for one last blow job before she was gone. She had a luscious mouth. Dismissing the lost opportunity, he ordered, “Chain her and get the blade for Travers. He’ll want the black one.”
Irina’s signal was growing weaker. Af scowled into the darkness. How much farther was she? Expanding his sight outward, he tried to pinpoint her location again, but the usual glimmer of her soul was fading. Come on. Come on. Where are you, my little guidepost? Don’t wander off. I need you to find Seth. Holding his breath as the signal blinked, faded, and blinked back to life again, he was relieved when the signal settled into a dull glow.
“There you are. Stay put now. I’m almost there.”
Startled at the sound of his voice after so many hours of silence, Tracey swung her head in his direction.
“We’re almost there, Tracey. Turn right onto the next road. Then drive five more miles and stop. When we get there, I need you to stay in the car and wait for me. I’ll need a ride back and I’ll have another passenger. Do you understand?”
She blinked and turned back to the road. “Yes, I do. I’ll wait in the car.”
Af turned to check the back seat. Tracey’s two children were soundly sleeping with their sticky fingers clutching worn out stuffed toys. Children were chubby-faced little demons if anyone asked him, but no one ever did. The one nearest to Af was a boy. He could sense it as easily as he sensed humans’ emotions and read their pea brain minds. The child was snuffling softly in his sleep. It was not cute. It grated on his nerves.
They were nearly there. His skin tingled with recognition as the dark energy reached him through the pitch-black forest. Like ripples on a lake, the demon’s evil spiraled ever outward from its source.
Seth was here. Finally!
There was no reason to rein in his temper now. He was two miles away from getting this cursed sigil off of his back. Two miles away from getting his wings released. Two miles away from ripping the bloody, fucking scales from Seth’s body. It was time to set his nature free. He was Af! He was the Angel of Wrath! And he was pissed off on a global, extinction-level, annihilate-everything-in-sight scale. As he drew upon his own dark energy, his eyes smoldered with the white incandescence of pure, righteous fury. His arms went rigid with an overwhelming need to rip and destroy. His powerful heart raced as it sent blood pounding through his body, filling him with strength, giving his wings—
Searing pain?
Arching his back with a grunt of surprise, he clawed at a blade sticking between his shoulders. But no . . . It wasn’t an attack; no weapon was shoved into his back. As he dragged his fingers over his skin, his wings strained desperately beneath the surface. The agony was breathtaking, but oh, so welcome. They were still there! Embracing the pain, he threw gasoline on the fire of his rage by bringing his last memory of Seth’s face to mind. Splattered with Af’s blood, distorted by the flames and shadows of Hell, with eyes glowing with their snakelike pupils—and a smug smile pasted on his mouth.
Seth was about to eat his own teeth.
The van slowed to a crawl and then a complete stop as Tracey pulled over and parked. The wooden building was set back from the road. Lights were on inside and Af identified a handful of guards around the entrance. Demons and humans mixed. They were no match for him. He’d be inside before they could blink.
“Where are you, Irina?”
Her signal was gone.
“And cut. That’s it.” Tony’s guttural voice broke the spell.
No one moved. In his director’s chair, Seth raised heavy lids and used his sleeve to wipe the sweat from his hairline. The material came away bloody. Blinking to clear the fuzzy orgasm haze, he glanced down at the fine spray pattern across his white shirt before flipping his eyes towards the rack.
Travers’ naked body lay sprawled where he’d finally collapsed on top of the girl. The creaking of metal hinges seemed preternaturally loud now that the screaming had stopped. It was the rack. Its swaying gradually slowed until it simply stopped. The patter of dripping blood filled the void. As his brain started firing again, Seth zipped his slacks and gave Pox a stiff nod. “Clean him up.”
Pox lifted a shaky hand towards the rack and asked, “What about her?”
“Burn everything.”