Deal with the Devil

18. Chapter seventeen

Chapter seventeen:

Knox

There’s nothing quite like the peace of waking up to another person in bed who enjoys being there…and then having all that peace and quiet shattered like glass when a preteen, his mother, and the butler barged into the room.

“Mr. Knox, tell my mom I’m not going to school!”

“You’re going to school!” Penny snapped.

“Mrs. Calhoon, I must insist that leaving the house is incredibly dangerous.” Denver took up most of the doorway, giving Knox an apologetic look. The fiend cracked an eye open and peaked over the duvet at the gaggle of people inside his room. Amelia curled up more into him and stuffed the comforter over the entirety of her head.

“Danger or not, I’m not letting him miss a day of school. His education is in danger!” Penny hissed.

“Penny! Let him stay home from school!” Amelia croaked from under the blanket.

“Thank you, Aunt Am-crack!” Brayden cheered.

“Don’t you dare betray me like this. You know how important his grades are!” Penny glared at the lump under the blanket.

“Mrs. Calhoon, we can have a tutor here today to keep up with his studies…wait…today is Saturday? Correct?” Knox snatched up his phone and checked the screen. Indeed, it was Saturday. “What occult bullshit do you have him attending on a Saturday?”

“He’s not supposed to go today, you dickhead!” Penny huffed, putting her hands on her hips.

“We usually do my homework over breakfast, but I didn’t want to do it cause I’m not going back to school for a bit, isn’t that what you said?” Brayden waved at Knox flippantly.

“Why…is this…in my bedroom before ten am?” Knox grumbled.

“Am I going to school?” Brayden asked again.

“Do your homework, I’ll have a tutor here Monday to keep him up to date with his work, but you’re not leaving the house till we’ve settled the problem. There? Happy?” Knox stared at Denver. “Please remove them.”

Penny snarled but stomped past the centaur. Brayden giggled wickedly as he let Denver lead him away. Knox heard his butler apologize but didn’t care to listen. Instead, he flopped back into his bed, hands tossed over his forehead. Amelia nuzzled her face against the side of his chest. Knox scooped her up in the blanket and pulled her out from beneath its warm cover.

“Surprisingly, my sister is the tame one,” Amelia breathed against his damp skin. Sweat from sleep and body heat coated every inch of him. Knox shivered at the cool brush of her breath.

“I’m biased.” He kissed the top of her head.

Amelia hummed sleepily as they dozed off and on for another hour. Knox’s bladder and Amelia’s stomach decided enough was enough. He stumbled to the bathroom and relieved himself before allowing her to come in and brush her teeth. Knox was scrubbing his own when the door to the bedroom opened and closed rather quickly, something having been set inside.

He spat out the paste and inspected the noise. Finding her things delivered into the room. Her tote was set on the end of the bed along with her duffle bag. He instantly opened the bag, finding the collar still there. Amelia stepped out of the bathroom as he tucked it safely inside the bedside table.

“I would have expected you to try and latch that bad boy on me last night.”

“The moment escaped me,” he confessed, chuckling. “I would have liked to put it around your neck for once, but…someone decided to throw me for a loop once more.”

Amelia smirked proudly, sauntering through the room in her nakedness. Knox resisted spanking her as she bent over the bed dramatically. Well, that was until she wiggled her backside and he caved. He could never tell her no. He landed a loud smack against her cheek. She groaned and his cock bobbed in front of him. Yet, her grumbling stomach reminded him they woke up on a mission.

She giggled, patting her stomach, “Hush you.”

“No, we ought to eat,” he sighed, reaching past her and whisking out a sundress out of her bag. Setting it and a pair of underwear on the bed in front of her, he left her to dress with a kiss on the shoulder. “But, doesn’t mean you can’t give me better access to your pussy throughout the day.”

“Are you sure you’re hungry? Or horny? I know those wires can get mixed up,” she teased, swatting at his backside as he passed her.

“Ha!” he barked, entering his closet. Her mischievous laughter fueled his heart. Pulling on boxers, pants, and a simple sweater over his torso, he listened to her rummaging for something. When he returned to her, his pet was organizing her items into stacks. She glanced up with an arched brow. “So…where does my stuff go?”

She held up a stack of clothes and he saw the contract printed on her flesh once more. In the light of day, it was shockingly dark. He’d put more into that contract than he should have, but she’d looked so determined. Another mixture of conflicted emotions. Amelia asked for him, all of him, his truth and his desires, and the safety of her family. There was a nagging feeling that she’d only offered to keep her sister and nephew safe…just as she had the first time. Yet, he knew there was something else there. Something lurking below in her chest that craved him equally. She tried to hide it under the guise of protection, but Knox could taste it in her deal.

Amelia Armstrong wanted this life with him, despite all the signs pointing her away.

He smirked, stepping to the side of his closet. Motioning at the walk in room, the light clicked on over his head. “Our closet awaits…however, let us address your space after breakfast.”

She opened her mouth only to slam it shut when her stomach growled again. With a sigh, she put her clothing down. “Fair.”

Knox chuckled, crossing the room and holding the bedroom door open for her. His pet crossed the threshold and began the first day of the rest of her life with him.

~.x.o.x.o.~

“I’m just saying, that maybe, this was a bad idea.” Maevin stared at the two sisters bickering over a piece of paper on the table where the child was squished between them.

“No, you have to carry the one.”

“That’s not how they do the math anymore.”

“Do… the math …anymore,” Maevin snickered, wheeling to face Knox.

The fiend was sitting perfectly content at the breakfast table, eating and going over reports. Despite the ruckus of Penny and Amelia bickering about how to do math problems with Brayden, it was a nice change. The house was rather quiet most days. In the last two hours, the family ate breakfast, attempted to go over homework with the preteen, and Knox was tinkled pink.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Knox chuckled under his breath as he flipped from his data pad to his phone, going over inventory and orders placed. It was strange to work on something so mundane when things have been anything but for the last few weeks. Working on paperwork like a regular business owner was strange to him.

A singular knock to the door frame of the dining room hushed the entire crowd of people. Knox glanced up from his work and found Zavros in the doorway. “Boss, the Bonesaw boys are here.”

“Take them to my office, I’ll be right there.” Knox closed out of his reports and stood up from his seat.

“I’ll take that as my cue,” Maevin whispered, standing up as well. The elf straightened his vest, sauntering from the table. Now that Maevin wasn’t on stalking Amelia duty, he was back on his regular hunt for problems. Maevin was the spy keeper of Knox’s kingdom. He had eyes behind his eyes, his spies hid in the shadows even where there were none.

“Have you finished combing through the flash drive?” Knox asked, the pair stepping out from the room.

“It seems our waitress was a very good tail. She knew Amelia and Penny’s schedules probably better than they did, and then, of course, she was gathering intel on you when she decided she didn’t like the payment plan. She saved audio files of her speaking on the phone, but the other voice is clearly a masked filter. I did find one of her and Kyle speaking, but just the one and they were discussing you.”

Knox scowled, chewing on the inside of his cheek. He didn’t like the situation at all. He huffed, “Keep looking, I want to find our vampire, and soon.”

“On it,” Maevin bowed his head to Knox, ducking into a hallway within the house and disappearing.

Zavros stood by the office door, nodding to Knox as they both walked inside. Knox pulled on his best business face, stalking to his desk. Before him were two minotaur brothers in mechanic jumpsuits, casually leaning back in their seats.

“Zrazduel, pleasure!” Jessie, the soon to be head of the family, smirked at Knox.

“Mr. Bonesaw, as always, an absolute pleasure. How’s the shop?” Knox sank into his seat. Despite everything, he was happy to see the Bonesaw brothers. They kept business easy. They would come in, discuss what they needed, already had a payment plan in mind, and what was in it for Knox. Their business had been lucrative for Knox to invest in.

“Good, standing on all four of its legs, ya know, oil here, tire there, it’s good. That last payment helped us do a little spit shine before tax season this year, mighty helpful.” Jessie was a white and rust colored minotaur with long, slender horns. His nose ring that dangled was a classic gold, but the dainty chain dangling from his neck was new.

Knox clocked it instantly. As far as Knox knew, Jessie Bonesaw, the second of three of the Bonesaw brothers, was unattached. His older brother was some sort of a sports star, and the younger brother was just shy of being an adult, so Jessie had taken on his father’s business. Not that Mr. Bonesaw was out of the picture, but Jessie was the heir now…he should be the one talking with people, making himself known. What he shouldn’t be doing, of course, is what Knox was doing and getting himself attached to a weakness.

“Of course, always here to help. What can I do for you?” Knox folded his hands against his desk.

“Well, there is this one problem, that I’d be most appreciative of your help with. I know you’re busy with cleaning the money, so it’s no problem if it takes some time, just as long as it happens. But there’s a guy I know who…well…he needs to have an accident.” Jessie glanced at Rex, the younger brother, watching him hand over a simple manilla folder.

“Ooooh, I love when conversations start this way.” Knox was almost giddy at the idea of a simple request. Taking the folder, he opened it to find a simple sheet of paper and a five by eight paparazzo style photo of the man in question. “Gillian Hurley, oof, a terrible name. What has Mr. Hurley done to earn an accident, and what kind of accident are we talking about?”

Jessie smirked, “Let’s say Mr. Hurley likes to put his hands on women and kids.”

Knox’s face fell and Jessie snorted. The minotaur knew he hit a soft spot. Knox wouldn’t lie. With a scowl he answered, “Someone I know?”

“Not that I think so, but the dame’s name is Quinn Witchbane, she’s got a little girl. Quinn’s an accountant, but not like our accountants, just a regular people accountant. Ran into me and the boys at the shop. Mr. Hurley totaled her car when she tried to leave his sorry ass. So, on principle, I’d like a small favor if you don’t mind. I want Mr. Hurley to never breathe again, if that’s okay?”

Knox held up the image, looking at a burley human man with thick arms, a sour look on his grizzled face, and a cigar stuck in his lip. A sick, twisted pleasure filled Knox at the idea of personally seeing to Mr. Hurley’s accident. Knox needed some stress relief.

“I’ll see it done.” Knox sat down the file and tucked away in his desk. “I wonder, if that chain around your neck is a thank you from Ms. Witchbane?”

Jessie laughed nervously, plucking it out from under his jumpsuit. A sweet, golden loop of metal with a tiny, heart-shaped locket at the end. He undid the latch with a flick of his thumbnail. Inside were two tiny pictures of a woman and a child, Knox couldn’t see it clearly from where he was, but another was a photo of a bugbear enveloping the other two in his big, fuzzy arms. “A birthday present from Ms. Witchbane.”

“Oh, happy belated birthday, Mr. Bonesaw,” Knox smirked, leaning forward. That’s when he saw the tiny horns, the cute bat wings, and the curly tail that ended with an upside down heart on the woman in question. “A succubus?”

“Which is why I figured you would take an interest in this, you know, saving a fellow fiend?” Jessie arched a brow.

“Of course, but why not take care of this in house? I know your boys are more than capable with a tire iron?” Knox shot a wicked smirk at Rex who laughed nervously and shrank in his seat under the intense stare.

“We are, but…I need this done out of city. Mr. Hurley is somewhat of a big name in finance, and if his friends get a whiff of foul play, lawyers will fly up my ass like flies on shit. I need it taken out of the city and done cleanly. I can’t have them coming for Ms. Witchbane either.”

Knox folded his hands back over his lap sitting back. “Of course, consider it done. And…for this I only ask a simple favor in return.”

“Name it.” Jessie relaxed back against the leather seat, tucking the chain away.

“Keep your ears open for rats.”

Jessie’s eyes reflected an understanding as he nodded. “I know of a few nests around town, I’ll keep an ear out for them.”

“Much appreciated, Mr. Bonesaw. And what a pleasure it is working for you.” The two gentlemen stood and left the room without much more than a simple nod and a soft thank you. Knox sat back in his chair, already staring past them. He considered going out to find Mr. Hurley now. He needed something to beat senselessly.

But then Amelia slithered through his office door, and he had much more pressing things to do.

“Pet?” He smirked.

“You in the business for car repairs now too?” she teased, jabbing a thumb over her shoulder at the disappearing minotaurs.

“No, but I do business with them. The Bonesaw brothers are delightful to work with,” Knox snickered, pushing his chair back from the desk. Amelia didn’t even have to be told, she rounded the desk and sank down onto his left thigh. She draped her arms around him.

“Hey, about Penny and me this morning…” she trailed off with a sigh.

“No need to apologize, pet, I quite like the noise. It helps break up the silence.” He cocked his head to the side, “Are you alright?”

“I came in here with the sole purpose of getting you to tell me everything that’s going on with this threat to my and my sister’s life.” She straightened her spine and seemingly, physically prepared for the answer.

“Well…there’s a lot, but if that’s what you want, I need to head into the casino anyway. It will help answer some of it.” He nodded, pushing the chair back from the desk even further.

“Let me go change, meet me by the front door in ten?” She eyed him mischievously before skittering out of his hands and nearly climbing hand over foot across the floor. Amelia was gone in the blink of an eye, and he nearly chased her. Knox had to hold himself back from naturally bolting after her. There was a wicked glee filling his chest as he slowly followed her from the room. He caught a glimpse of her wheeling around the bend in the stairs, giggling manically.

Zavros stood, frozen in place with confusion, watching after her. “Uh, boss?”

“We’re heading into the casino shortly, will you grab the driver?” he asked, straightening out his shirt.

Zavros nodded, still clearly baffled, but not wanting to ask as he ducked out the front door of the house. Knox took up his cane and pulled on his coat. Denver left the solitude of his own office and waved to his boss. “Headed out, sir?”

“Yes, Amelia and I will be back.”

“What shall I do with the others?” Denver raised an eyebrow.

“They can do as they please, just…don’t let them break anything.”

Denver snorted, “Got it, looks like I’m digging out the movies and popcorn. Young master Armstrong, how do you feel about a racing movie or a fighting movie?”

The centaur strutted into the dining room where the sounds of Brayden and his mother talking filled the foyer before being muffled behind a closed door. Knox stepped toward the front door and turned to watch the stairs. After a few moments, Amelia slowly crept into view and stole the air from his very lungs. All legs, her thick thighs and toned calves put up on display in pretty, black, strappy wedges. A scrunched black dress that wrapped her up like a birthday present just for him, and a collar— his collar—wrapped around her throat. Something akin to a leather strap was wrapped up her right forearm like a snake coiled around her. She tossed her hair with a flick, letting the shimmering, blue curtain fall down behind her.

Amelia smirked, catching him gawking. “I figured since we’re going to work, I should look the part.”

“The part?” he blurted out, throat tight.

Her saunter across the foyer made him want to forget the casino all together. Fuck the work. He wanted to drag her by the collar into his office and drape her over the couch.

“The boss’s girl, she’s always supposed to be alluring. Right? The seductress of the evil mob boss?” she teased, flattening the lapels of his jacket before brushing past him. The front door opened for her. Knox bit the inside of his cheek to keep from misbehaving.

She wanted the truth. She wanted to know what’s going on. She deserves to know the truth… how can I possibly be expected to focus when she looks like that?

Knox had never felt like a starved dog before, never thought he would drool over anyone. Then he met Amelia, and he was a beast trying to resist wrapping his teeth around her throat.

“You read too many novels,” he croaked, charging after her. He stepped up to the car door first and opened it for her.

“People in glass houses, Knox,” she purred, and his cock struggled to keep seated in his pants.

“ Get in this fucking car, ” he growled.

She winked at him and slipped inside. Knox tossed himself into the backseat and barked for his driver to take them to the casino. The second the doors locked, and the car lurched into motion, he flicked a finger at the partition. It hissed as it rolled up. Knox waited one second to situate himself in the seat before reaching over, grabbing her by the collar, and ripping her into his lap. She yelped, tumbling into his chest. Her hands slapped against the leather seats around his shoulders.

Two fingers slipping through the metal ring on her collar, he tugged her face closer. Her lips brushed his as he exhaled. “You could have worn whatever you liked to the casino…and you chose this? ”

She grinned from ear to ear, settling herself against him. The warmth of her cunt pressed into his lap and Knox’s eyes nearly rolled back in his head. Fuck. Amelia Armstrong would be the death of him. Knox dropped one hand to the outside of her thigh. Slithering his fingers under the fabric, he traveled up her thigh till he brushed the back of his fingers against her silk covered core. Finally, Amelia was the one whimpering, bucking her hips softly against his touch.

“Do you not like it?” she gasped as he brushed the front of her panties aside. Gloved fingers traced her slit, coating the leather with her desire.

“I love it, but it will be hard to be professional with you decorated like a very naughty cake I want to shove my face into,” he breathed. Knox slipped his forefinger into her warmth and curled it against her clit. Amelia jerked. Their lips crashed together as he beckoned her desire more and more. Circling her clit, chasing her mouth, teeth clashing, the back of the car grew heated.

She pulled back, tossing her head back. Panting, her voice raspy, she spoke, “Good thing you don’t have to be professional.”

“It’s still a business despite how seedy it may be,” he snorted, pinching her clit. She cried out, rocking her hips.

“Are you saying I should dress less sexy?” She giggled maniacally.

“No, absolutely not,” he laughed, driving two fingers deep inside her, leaving his thumb to soothingly circle her clit.

“Was it the collar? Was it too much?” The glee in her face made his chest flutter. She was truly enjoying every second. He let go of the collar to grab ahold of her by the hair and bring her lips back to him. He kissed his wicked pet hard. Smashing their mouths together over and over as he drove her wild with his fingers. Her hips bucked wildly. He fucked her with his fingers harder, craving her orgasm. When she broke, she cried out against his mouth. He devoured the feeling, the sound, the delight. It filled his chest with a foreign warmth he’d not felt before. Swallowing her whimpers and murmured pleas as she coated his glove with her cum. Her legs trembled.

Knox didn’t realize until it was too late…magic swirled in his belly.

He hadn’t fed like that in some time.

Knox furrowed his brows, staring into the reflection on the car window as Amelia dropped into his chest. Her pretty face burrowed against his throat, breathing hard. He stared at himself, seeing the shock and confusion etched into his features. He fed. Knox was not a succubus, he did not feed off sexual desire or need. He was a fear-eater, a devil meant to lap up terror. How? He fed on her delight and pleasure.

That’s strange.

Knox didn’t have anyone at the moment to discuss his findings with…but he knew someone who might have an idea or two.

However, that would have to wait as a certain, mischievous, blue haired author slithered down out of his lap.

“Pet,” he warned, watching her slip to the floorboard of the car. She looked up at him with puppy dog eyes. “What are you doing?”

“Well, we’ll be at the casino soon,” she breathed, reaching her hands across his lap. His lungs turned to dried husks as her fingers wrapped around his belt loop.

Knox cocked a brow. “What a generous pet you are.”

She smirked, undoing his belt with only a flick of the wrist. “Well, you said I was distracting. That you wanted to be professional, so…why don’t I take the edge off?”

His pants unzipped and she barely had to coax his cock out. It sprang out , desperate to be inside her in any capacity. Her peachy fingers wrapped around his plum-colored cock. She brought his weeping tip to her mouth and kissed it tenderly. Knox’s head fell back, eyes fluttering closed. Her snicker filled his ears. He didn’t care. Knox didn’t have a single brain cell left to punish her for her smugness. Not that he wanted to punish her for that, she’d earned being smug. When she slipped her lips around him, he groaned.

“Good pet,” he moaned as she sucked him deep into her mouth. He soothed the fist he had wrapped around her hair, instead stroking her head as she bobbed up and down. Soft, waves of relief washed over him with every stroke of her tongue against the underside of his cock. She sucked harder near the tip and stars filled the backside of his eyelids. Knox panted for air, hips rocking with her in a sweet, maddening rhythm. She was using pressure but not going fast and he wasn’t sure how she even knew that’s what he liked.

Knox had been too caught up in fucking her cunt before that he’d never suggested the sweet treat of fucking her mouth. His balls tightened as she sucked on his tip again. An orgasm wasn’t too far off, he could tell he would break soon. The car slowed to a stop, but the driver clearly didn’t get out yet. On the precipice of oblivion, his toes curled within his shoes.

Amelia moaned against his cock, wrapping her fingers around his base and tugging. That’s all it took. He saw fireworks exploding behind his lids. Knox groaned. Bucking into her mouth, he spilled deep into her throat as she drank it down with heavy gulps.

Knox hissed, “Such a good pet.”

Amelia popped off his cock with a slick, lewd sound. His eyes fluttered open. Her fingers moved slowly, working his steadily softening cock back into his pants. When his belt was redone, she knocked three times against the partition. It rolled down and the driver stepped out.

He glared down at her. “And how does he know about that?”

“Please, that’s the universal knock for ‘we’re done fucking’.” She rolled her eyes, crawling up into his lap. The door popped open. Amelia took the offered hand, sliding out of his lap and into the sunshine. Knox followed her out onto the sidewalk nearest the casino.