Deal with the Devil

7. Chapter six

Chapter six:

Amelia

TW: Mention of the word vomit but no actual emesis

How was it that hours had passed? They’d woken early in the morning, and it was a whirlwind. From eating ice cream out of the tub, to lazily laying in his bed naked, she even took a nap comfortably sprawled against him as he read her book. Like she didn’t see him fucking buy them…but honestly, a broke author needs all the royalties she can get. It was a deliciously fantastic morning. They ate breakfast in bed, got dressed, and he took her on a horse ride through his property. When he asked earlier— what world —he fucking meant it. There was nothing for ages. The fence was more of a suggestion because once they hit the trail in the trees, it felt like they were in a whole other realm. Trees whizzed past her as his chestnut stallion galloped down trail after trail. Amelia hadn’t been a horse girl before, but she might just become one after riding in a saddle with Knox.

As they trotted up the hill, Galfree the stallion proudly flicking his tail behind them, they met Denver, the centaur, at the top. “Sir, there’s a phone call for you.”

“Thank you, Denver.” Knox leapt off Galfree and took the phone from Denver. The centaur butler smiled at Amelia who offered the same ‘this is awkward’ smile.

He chuckled, “Why don’t we get Galfree put up while he takes care of that.”

“Thank you.” Amelia was truly appreciative of the break from the weirdness. Denver took ahold of Galfree’s reins, not that he had to truly hold the stallion back and led them toward the barn. Amelia rubbed the horse’s neck, “Good boy, such a good steed.”

Denver snorted, “Careful, you’ll give him an even bigger ego and he won’t fit in the barn stall.”

Galfree snapped his head up and glared at Denver before letting out a massive huff.

Denver returned the glare, “Oh, don’t give me that.”

Amelia cocked a brow as Denver helped her off the saddle and a human stable hand took ahold of Galfree. She watched the stallion trot into a stall and flick his long hair as the stable hand worked to take off the accessories.

“Knox really likes horses, huh?” she teased, glancing up at the Centaur before her face fell in horror. “Oh, I mean, not like—”

Denver rolled his eyes, chuckling, “Not to fret, Ms. Armstrong, I knew what you were alluding to, and yes, Mr. Zrazduel has a love of horses and the great outdoors. He prefers his life outside the city and business inside it.”

“Mmm, now I wonder where it comes from, or is it just another one of his random life choices,” she murmured to herself, following the butler back toward the house.

“The horses are because of their speed. He likes running; clearly you understand he’s a fan of chasing something.”

Her face lit up in painful embarrassment as she let out a wheeze, “Yeah, I caught that.”

Denver grinned smugly, “But the outdoors is due to having lived in the city his whole life. He told me when he started hiring staff that he wanted a place he could escape.”

Amelia scanned the horizon, looking across the open yard and endless trees surrounding the property. “Yeah, I get that.”

She slapped her hand like a mosquito had landed on it and blinked suddenly. Glancing down to her palm, her heart skipped a beat. The mark was beginning to fade. “Oh.”

“Your contract is almost over, Ms. Armstrong.”

She whirled to face Knox as he strutted up the yard. Amelia was struck solid, staring at him confused. “Oh? So you weren’t kidding, it does just fade.”

He held up his hand and she saw the same symbol as if it weren’t fully filled in. So, it’s almost over then? Why did it sting? Oh yeah, because she was a fucking idiot and caught feelings. Knox was the bad boy of her dreams. She shouldn’t have but she knew herself too well. Amelia Armstrong had more than a crush, more than liked Knox Zrazduel, and she hated it. The whole point was just to trade, and she’d ended up tangled.

It wouldn’t sting so much if he didn’t kiss her. As he leaned over her, their lips brushed, and her chest fluttered. She grabbed the front of his shirt and dragged him closer. He tugged on her lower lip before letting it go with a sigh. “Let’s get you packed up and ready to go.”

“What? Why?” she blurted out without even consideration.

“It will take about an hour to drive back into town and then some to get you home. I did promise. Our agreement is coming to an end.” He slipped away and left an ache in her chest as she followed him helplessly.

No, this is a good thing! Knox was a bad person—he was a criminal! She’d come, she’d given him what he wanted, and she was leaving with her freedom and her sister’s safety. This was a good thing, damnit! Yet, as he offered her a stack of clothing to go home in, she almost felt angry. He was just going to let her go like that?

He has to…the contract stated she left when twenty-four hours was up.

She pulled on the underwear and jeans, hating how perfectly they fit. The bra was nice and expensive, she knew the silky ones were ten times the price of cotton. Pulling on the simple camisole over it felt like an anti-climatic ending. This was their ending.

Amelia took a moment to brush her hair in the mirror of his bathroom, staring at her reflection as if it had any fucking answers. This is a good thing, and you should just let it happen.

So, she did. Taking a deep breath, she left the bathroom and found him sitting on the edge of the bed, staring down at his phone. She edged closer to him, “Everything okay?”

“Hmm?” He glanced up and flashed that shark smile like he’d done the first time she saw him. In the alleyway it was a danger sign with neon lights. However, after spending a whole day attached to him at the hip, it was more cute than dangerous. Maybe I should seek therapy. He let out a small chuckle, “Perfectly fine, business never stops and running an empire includes a lot of moving parts.”

“Have to keep track of all your worker bees, I get it.” She tucked her hands into her back pockets, sitting back on her heels.

“If I were a worse boss, I would simply let them handle themselves. However, some need more handholding than others, you understand. Working in retail, that is.”

She groaned, “Oh, don’t get me started.”

“Oh, I’m getting you started,” he snickered.

“Fine, but that’s your mistake. So, there’s this employee named Ravi at the bookstore I work at, and he’s currently the neediest mother fucker this side of King’s Fall. He asked me the other day how to put toilet paper on the hook in the bathroom—which, if we had one that takes a key or one of those fancy crystal dispensers, I get it—but it’s literally a metal hook with a rubber ball at the end. You twist the ball off and shove that fucker on. But I’ve shown him twice. I think he’s just acting dumb so people will stop asking him to do stuff, but Eloise doesn’t play like that. She’ll ask you a hundred times, and show you a hundred times, and has the patience of a god…”

And off she went on her tangent about retail and bad employees all the way down the stairs and into the foyer. Denver bowed his head to Amelia before wishing them a good journey, returning to his task at hand with the rest of the staff. He handed out jobs and checked off things on a clipboard. Knox stood by the door, a hand extended to Amelia. She took it, stepping out into the afternoon sunshine. It glittered against the glistening grass and leaves.

John came around the car and opened it for them. Sliding inside, she glanced down at her hand. With every passing second, a drop of the tattoo disappeared from her flesh.

Knox slid in beside her, the door locked to his right with a loud click. “Thank you, Mrs. Armstrong, for keeping your side of the bargain.”

Oh, so this is...ouch. She smiled softly at her lap. “I assume then, that this is the end of our contract and you’ve already kept your side of the deal?”

“Of course,” He angled himself toward her, their knees touching in the back of the town car. It was a smaller version of the one they drove home in, less a limousine and more a car with a partition and leather seats. “That was the call Denver had me tend to, ensuring all mentions of Rick, you, or your sister were cleared, and debts are paid in full. You are free of me.”

Amelia swallowed a lump in her throat. “And so, I’ll never see you again, right?”

They locked eyes for a long moment. Say no. Amelia screamed it loud enough in her mind she hoped he could hear. Say no, laugh evilly, say you’re not rid of me that easily, something...chase me, Knox. He stared through her, burning his essence into her soul. Then, with a sharp cough and clearing of his throat, he glanced away to his lap, pulling on his gloves as if to fully separate the two with one last piece of clothing. “Correct; our deal was I was to never see you again, Ms. Armstrong, and I’m a fiend of my word.”

She looked at her lap, folding her hands against her thighs. So, you won’t chase me? He would chase her down in the house and in the yard, but the real chase, he wouldn’t even consider it? Stop! Those are feelings you’re not supposed to have! Amelia flattened the jeans against her thighs.

“Unless,” he breathed and her heart skipped a beat. “Unless, of course, you’re naughty, Ms. Armstrong. For all naughty things end up at my feet one way or another.”

Amelia skin broke out in goosebumps, glancing up from her sweaty palms to his face. He gave her one stern look that she couldn’t read between the lines of, and it filled her with unending questions. A soft expression came over him as he reached across the cab and brushed the hair from her shoulders. His purple gaze lingered on the hickeys he’d so feverishly covered her in. “However, we both know how good you are, pet, so I expect to never see you again.”

Amelia hadn’t even realized they’d left the house till she saw the city coming closer through the trees. The sounds of the city were but a soft murmur that grew stronger. The road was far more solid than she remembered it. Or maybe the car is just better. Amelia leaned into his touch as his gloved hands lingered against her jaw.

“The contracts not quite up, pet,” he purred, capturing her jaw with his thumb pressed against her lower lip. Amelia let him guide her away from her seat and into his. In a rush of movements, he took position in the middle of the seat, her legs straddled around him. Their lips brushed, not a kiss but full of electricity. She tasted his breath as he teased her once more as he had the last time she was in the car. He pulled her into his lap.

“Is this what you want?” she panted, wrapping her arms around his shoulders.

“No, but it’s all I can have.” Knox didn’t explain and it left her reeling as he kissed her, hard. His gloves in her hair, ripping her into him till there was no air between them. When she pulled her lips away for only a moment to breathe, he snarled and pulled her back in. She inhaled sharply, tasting his scent as he engulfed her. No matter what Amelia tried, he didn’t let her leave the kiss. Her hands moved to his pants, and he snatched them away. She tried to coax his hands to her, over her breasts or along her back, he would bring her hands back to his shoulders and grab up her hair, bringing her back into a kiss.

Keeping her separate but against him all the same. Then, he slowed down, their noses brushing, lips open against each other. They gulped the others’ air, swallowing the last taste of each other as the city loomed over the car.

“What do you want, Knox?” she panted, cupping his face.

He stared up at her, an eternity passing between them as he steadily pulled her hand from his face. They both glanced down at the mark and found only a few lines left. He kissed her palm, nuzzling his face against it. Shivers ran down Amelia’s spine and she nearly begged. The words, caught in her throat, refused to spill from her mouth. He kissed her wrist as the car slowed to a stop. Precise and exact to the second, as the door was pulled open beside them, the last line on her hand faded.

“That is no longer your concern, Ms. Armstrong. Your contract is complete.” He nodded to the hand John offered her. She took it, leaving the beating heart behind as she stepped out into the evening sun. Amelia twisted toward him. This is a good thing. This is a good thing. This is a good thing.

“Have a good life, Mr. Zrazduel.”

“Have a good life, Ms. Armstrong.”

She stepped backward, away from the car as John closed the door behind them. Nothing but cold, impassive, inky windows and her own reflection staring back at her. Maybe he would chase her, maybe he wouldn’t, but it was no longer in her hands. Because at the end of the day, their relationship was a deal and if they proceeded, she would always worry how real it was.

Stepping up the driveway, she took a deep breath and found strength in her legs. It wasn’t real. This is a good thing. Coming up to the front porch, she reached up into the bottom of the peony flower box. Her extra key was where it always was and dropped into her palm. The car stayed in place. Gonna need to find a new hiding spot. Opening the front door with a heavy creak, she stepped through the front door and shut it hard behind her.

The scent of home was bizarre. It smelt normal, like trash bags that need taking out, a living room full of fresheners, dirty socks but clean coats. A one-story house, the living room, her kingdom, was exactly as she left it minus two large pieces of paper taped to the back of it. Her sheets and pillows were in the ottoman where she pulled them out at night. Her clothing was in the chest of drawers they used as a tv stand. Her whole life was here in the living room of her sister’s house.

Amelia stepped up to the couch and took the note labeled ‘Amelia’ first.

Hey, if you get home before I do, please I hope to the dragons you do or maybe I don’t, I dunno. Dragons above I’m so worried. The one goon gave me one picture and that was all the confirmation I got you’re still alive. Please be alive. If you get home before I do, there’s leftovers in a container in the fridge for you. Please be here when I get home. I called you out of work for you, quoting that you got sun poisoning and were vomiting and stuff, so just...you know, act sick? Your phones on the charger.

Amelia set her sister’s note aside and grabbed the note labeled ‘Am-crack!’ and smirked. One single line.

Aunt Am-crack, please be back soon. I miss you.

Stuffing both notes into her laptop bag that was still on the coffee table where she left it, she dropped onto the couch. Feet up on the table, hands dropped in her lap, she stared into the abyss for a long time. Her body ached. Her mind was blank. Her heart was still beating somehow.

And then she pulled out her laptop and opened a new document to start writing. She had a new idea.