A Deal in Darkness (Dark and Devilish #2)

26

NEVER SURRENDER

ADRIANA

T he sunset over London is stunning and I stare out the loft’s window, wishing I could be out in the evening air. It's cold because the sky is clear, and the pinks and ambers that bleed into each other before turning into midnight blue are breathtaking.

It’s been a week since we went to the nightclub, and Enzo’s been different. Gentler. More considerate. It’s as if he understands I need time to process what happened. He’s kept a close eye on me but it hasn’t been overbearing and he’s even been patient, explaining what happened repeatedly, leaving no question unanswered.

I could ask him if we could go for a walk, but I don't want to. I'm reluctant to ask on principle, refusing to cross this bridge. Instead, I've sat in silence or listened to whatever music Enzo puts on, passing the time until he decides he wants something else.

Enzo's eyes brim with starlight, and I'm sure he knows what's running through my mind. This is the game we play and he invariably wins.

Part of me wants to concede defeat and part refuses to accept this is what my life is now.

The man tilts his head and he won’t help me. Not this time. On other occasions he's stepped in, but tonight Enzo's decided that I either take this step or suffer the consequences.

I sigh, turn away, and mourn the loss of my freedom.

“It's beautiful.”

I hear him stride across the room and feel his presence as he stands behind me. He presses a kiss on the back of my neck and I don't know what to make of it.

“It is, baby. I've seen thousands of sunsets but none compare to you. Forgive me for ignoring the evening’s colors while I stare at the most dazzling thing I've seen in millennia instead.”

Enzo passes me a glass of champagne and I wonder where he got it.

“Come with me, Adi.”

I traipse behind him, leaving the pink haze that casts an ethereal glow over London as we walk through a corridor I haven’t discovered yet. Enzo lifts his hand and plumes of colored light shimmer towards a plain doorway, and the radiant spectrum contrasts with the dullness of everything around us.

The door creaks open and Enzo walks through it, holding it open. I step through the doorframe and the world changes before my eyes, blurring before a tropical garden conjures itself into existence. The flowers are the same hues as the sunset we just left behind and a well-kept path leads through dense foliage.

Birds sing an evening song that’s as magical as the garden, and the sound of gently running water heralds a fountain or a small waterfall. The bewitching noises are as captivating as the smells, and it’s almost as if this garden was filled with things I would like.

It can’t have been made for me.

But then, it can’t be here either.

Not in London—and certainly not in Enzo’s house.

“I believe there may be more things in heaven and earth than are dreamt of in your philosophy, sweet girl. It’s as real as you or I, or the stars above and the fires of Hell beneath us.”

“How did you…” My voice trails off as a hummingbird flies across the path, flapping its wings so fast its iridescent blues leave a trail in their wake.

Enzo stares down, and for a moment he looks boyish. The severeness of his devilishly handsome face disappears, revealing a softer and almost kind appearance. The dark eyes glimmer with stardust and his skin glows, catching the rainbow colors of the flowers. For a few seconds, Enzo is beautiful, ethereal, and entirely different from the demon I know.

And then the darkness descends again and the harshness returns, obliterating the silkier, mellower version of him I just saw.

“I am one of the Lords of Hell, Adi. I think it’s within my powers to discern what you want and need and distinguish between the two.” He gestures and we walk, strolling like lovers walking through paradise. “I allow men to indulge their most primal urges, to find release from the constraint of morality. I make no distinction based on gender.”

The path opens to a clearing and we reach the promised fountain. Water cascades down tiers made of gold as birds bathe in the pools and butterflies dance through the rainbow-colored mist.

“You have quite the imagination, baby.”

“What is this, Lorenzo?”

He tilts his head and the starlight returns to his irises. “This is whatever you want it to be, Adriana. It’s all your hopes and wishes, your dreams, and your fears if you so choose. Whatever you want will appear here, and it is as real as anything in any mortal or immortal realm.” He drops his lips onto mine and his kiss contains the heat of a thousand sunrises. “This is what I offer you, and all I require is your obedience. Stop fighting me and this is yours.”

I pant into his mouth and collapse against his chest.

“Give me what I want and I’ll give you all of this.”

“You want too much, Enzo.”

A quiet laugh rolls off his chest. “I want you, Adriana.”

I toss my head and he closes his eyes for a moment longer than he needs to.

“I will have you one way or the other, and denying this is pointless. You are mine, Adi.” He kisses me again and my treacherous heart burns for the man who’s perfect for me, although he’s everything I should despise. “Surrender, baby. Give in and we’ll direct your energy to more pleasurable pursuits.”

My glass disappears and Enzo smirks, certain he’s going to get his way. I wish I had his confidence, but he’s won every other battle we’ve fought, and I see no reason for this to be any different.

The simple truth is if he hadn’t been such an asshole, I’d already have given him what he wants. Enzo could have seduced me with gifts and evenings out, with straightforward conversations and consideration for what I want or need. He’s done little without making demands, often getting more than I can give, and the lines between what he’s taking and what I’m giving freely aren’t as clear as they should be.

Nor are those between what I like and what I accept.

I’m confused and hurt, uncertain and unable to trust him, even though he saved my life.

And of all the things he’s done, his deceit is by far the bitterest pill to swallow. The asshole trapped me in a deal that I can’t escape and I’m doomed by my naivety. My heart might be falling for him, but my head is determined to fight, refusing to be fooled by the same lies twice.

Or by the same liar twice.

“I don’t believe you.”

The four words cut through the air like a dagger piercing a chest, but Enzo doesn’t flinch. His eyes darken and the rims of gold shine brighter, trailing circles of sparkles around his irises.

“I know, baby. I know.”

He lifts me into him, and his kiss is deep and sensual. My body molds to his as Enzo cups my ass and I almost moan, somehow stopping myself from seeking more. I’m enjoying all this is and everything he’s giving me and I want more, but I don’t want to give it to him.

I don’t want to trust him.

Not with my heart.

Or my soul.

“You’re so damn perfect, Adriana. Give me what I want and I’ll give you this world and any others you desire.”

Enzo kisses my neck, and my composure breaks as blossom falls around us. It’s the perfect romance, my ideal kiss—except it isn’t. Not with him. Not like this. Not when I’m not sure if I’d choose this.

“Baby, stop overthinking this. I feel your desire. I know your need. Stop constraining yourself in the illusion of free will. It doesn’t exist and the choice I give you is more than any other immortal allows.”

“I don’t believe…”

Enzo’s mouth crashes into mine and steals my words, leaving me breathless and without a tether. I’m drifting on a sea of desire, as lost and aimless as wood riding the ocean’s currents after the devastation of the storm. I’m shattered, barely afloat, but trying not to surrender to the tides that try to pull me under.

My head’s only just above water and I’m sinking into the desire Enzo’s stoking in me. His hard body holds me firm and his hands touch me in all the right places and I’m melting, despite my best intentions.

“I won’t hide who I am from you, Adi. I never have and I never will. Don’t hide from me. Or yourself.” He brings his lips dangerously close to my earlobe and a shudder of excitement trails down my spine. “You are mine and I adore you.”

My clit throbs, and I fall into madness, moaning as he sucks and bites my neck. My fingers claw his arms, clinging to him and trying to inflict enough damage to make it hurt, retaliating for everything he’s done. It’s so damn wrong, but it’s also so damn right. I hate him for being perfectly imperfect, for being the asshole he is but the one I need and want. The man’s stolen my heart and he’ll sway my head, eventually.

Enzo’s already won this battle. Again.

He’s taken everything he wanted without giving me a choice.

“It’s okay, baby,” he whispers. “I’ll always catch you. In your darkest moments and when you think you are falling into oblivion. There’s nowhere I won’t go to claim you, nothing I will not conquer or destroy for you. I’ll tear down this and any other world to have you, Adriana, and I pity the soul that tries to come between us.”

Enzo runs his knuckles down my face and my eyes close, half surrendering, half denying the way he soothes the storm raging inside me.

“Kneel, baby.”

I whimper, and his touch is like a balm that cools the burn tearing through my soul. He’s easing me into this and my knees want to give way while my head screams I need to fight him.

“I have a gift for you,” he whispers in a tone of pure seduction. “I was going to give it to you the night we were attacked. It’s special, truly special—as is this evening. Kneel for me, Adriana.”

My resistance breaks and I sink beneath him, finding comfort in a position I despise. I’m released from whatever burden I’ve been carrying and the noise quietens as everything stills, and I find a peace I didn’t know I craved.

I lift my head, and Enzo holds an ornate box before me. It’s pure gold with intricate patterns and the design is intricate, delicate, and magnificent. The metal catches the sunlight's colors reflecting from the water as the blossom falls around us, creating a magical backdrop in a moment where time has no meaning.

“Open it, Adriana.”

My fingers grasp the lock and lift the catch, freeing it before I pry the lid open. The inside is lined with blood red velvet and the jewelry inside the box is even more spectacular than its exterior. I stare in a daze, seeing the huge emeralds and sapphires sunk between the intricate gold design but struggling to understand what I’m being offered.

“It’s stunning.”

“It’s a collar, sweet girl. My collar. I want you to wear it. For me. You belong to me and I want everyone to know it.” Enzo’s tone is just as seductive and just as easy as before, but now it’s deeper, darker and much more dangerous. “Mortals cannot see it unless I allow them to, baby.”

I stare at the collar and the reality of what he’s asking crashes down around me. My heart accelerates as adrenaline pours into my system and the edges of my vision darken, leaving me staring at the ornate jewelry that threatens everything I thought I knew.

It’s too much to ask of me. It’s something I wouldn’t ever want and couldn’t tolerate. It’s another despicable thing, and yet I’m drawn to the collar. His collar.

And I want it.

Heaven help me, I want to wear it.

I’m excited by the thought of this and my mind finds many justifications for my reaction. I convince myself this is what demons think of as a token of affection, akin to an expensive necklace—or that this is Enzo’s way of keeping me safe. I persuade myself it’s only temporary, and I can change my mind if I decide I don’t like this game. I talk myself into believing this is normal, that this is just a token of affection given from one lover to another.

“What is it, Lorenzo?” I ask, my voice trembling. “What is it really?”

“My collar,” he replies. “My claim of ownership. My protection and a token of my esteem for you. A demonstration that I place you above all others, now and until we part. This collar has not been worn in several millennia and I give it to you because you are worthy of this, Adriana. Worthy of being mine and having all I can give you.”

Enzo lifts the metal from its box, opening it as he moves it closer to my neck.

“Lift your hair, baby. It’ll fit perfectly.”

My body stills and the voices of dissent fall quiet.

All I hear is desire. All I want is this. All I know is that I don’t want to fight him on this. I want to surrender.

The metal glides over my neck and Enzo’s hands wrap around it, closing the choker in place. It’s cold but warms as it rests against my skin, sitting as if it were made for me. Heat builds and sparks dance across me as the wind blows through my hair and the world changes.

Its colors are more vibrant, its sounds more startling. The shapes are more defined and I see shadows of things that are, that might be and will never come to pass.

Enzo steps back and the gold overwhelms his irises, flooding them with the light of the stars above us. His lips part and his nostrils flare as he stares down at me in wonder, entranced and in my thrall, possessed by the sight of me in his collar.

I trail a finger over the metal and trace its pattern to the back, reaching for the clasp. I fiddle with it and can’t find a release. My hands pull at the collar and it doesn’t give an inch, staying in place with a rigidity it lacked moments ago.

“I can’t get it off.”

I’m panicking and Enzo lifts my chin with his thumb.

“Don’t play with it, baby. It doesn’t come off, Adriana.” His jaw ticks and he looks sad. “Not until I decide it does, and I’ve made my intentions clear. You are mine for all eternity and you will wear my collar to prove it.”