21. Chapter Twenty-One Shadows of Doubt
Chapter Twenty-One: Shadows of Doubt
Tess
We traveled down corridors and up a flight of stairs before Reaper opened a door, placing a finger to his lips so I’d keep quiet. As I stepped over the threshold, a chill ran down my spine.
The room, about the size of a large bedroom, was bathed in a soft illumination from trembling candles, creating an intimate, ever-shifting ambiance that filled the entire space. Towering bookshelves lined three of the walls, their dark wood gleaming dully in the low light.
He pointed at me, and I knew to stay put while he went around the room, checking behind every item and crevice.
In the center of the room stood a round table draped in deep purple velvet. Ornate, high-backed chairs surrounded it, their upholstery worn and faded. The table’s surface was littered with various magical items; a tarnished silver bell, some tarot cards haphazardly strewn about the table and floor, and a broken crystal ball, cracked and splayed open.
As my eyes adjusted to the gloom, I noticed strange symbols etched into the floorboards, forming a perfect circle around the table. The temperature seemed to drop the closer I got to the circle’s edge.
He returned and closed the door, locked it and motioned to the room. “Have a seat,” he said, as if we were old friends. Most of his insanity-act had melted away, and his eyes were back to normal color again, but which version was the real him? I couldn’t be sure.
Swallowing, I kept my eyes glued on him, not looking away for a second. It wasn’t his enticing bulk, nor his glistening skin, or the echo of that fierce expression remaining. It was distrust after what he’d said and done to that guy in the hallway.
Still, my belly clenched, and a warmth buzzed between my legs while I did my best to ignore it.
He was surely going to kill me before the night was done.
“No thanks.”
One corner of his mouth twisted upward in what looked like cynical curiosity. “What is it?”
I shook my head. “Nothing.”
“You’re shaken already, and the night’s only begun. Why did you enter this thing?” He was now completely lucid. The fierceness in his eyes softened, replaced by a curiosity that seemed almost innocent. Many years ago, I might have been fooled, but not anymore.
I closed my eyes and wiggled my fingers. “If you must know, it was to take out one of the contestants. I didn’t expect it to be so…”
“Deadly?” He snickered.
“Nauseating,” I corrected. “Don’t underestimate me. I’m well acquainted with violence. I just didn’t expect it to all come back.” I swallowed down the lump in my throat, refusing to let the tears fall. Clenching my jaw, I took another breath and turned away. “I’ll be fine in a minute.”
He watched me, clearly deep in thought for a few moments. “Most people would feel relieved to know a rival entered the Devil’s Delirium. Didn’t you think someone else here might get the guy?”
“No.”
His lack of response filled the room with a tense silence. When I finally turned to face him, I was struck by the pure disbelief etched across his features—an expression so exaggerated it bordered on comical.
“Well, why the hell not? Who the fuck is this guy? It’s a guy, right?”
I smirked. “He’s my boss, and he’s not just any guy. He’s evil incarnate, and everything here will just feed him and make him worse. I’m the only one who knows the stakes. No one else could challenge him.”
He nodded, listening intently as I spoke. Considering how insane the guy appeared and his fierce reputation, the pensive expression didn’t fit.
Then, his mouth spread, wide and wild, and he threw his arms out. “Ah well… that’s what I’m here for, baby!”
I just stared at him, unmoving.
Terrified.
His expression faltered as his arms fell. “What? You don’t think I can take him?”
I shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe you can. I’m just not sure if the world is better off with you instead of him. ”
A slow grin grew over his face, and he started laughing as I watched his unhinged side return to my horror.
This guy’s psycho definitely rivaled Ivan’s.
“You’re scared of me, aren’t you?”
I backed up a step. “Shouldn’t I be?”
He smiled. “Depends. Does it turn you on?”
My breath caught as I backed against a dusty dresser, pushing it against the wall with a loud thump that punctuated how trapped I was.
“No.”
He stepped closer, inches from me, and whispered, “Are you sure about that?”
My core clenched tight as my clit twitched. The power in his confidence and his earthy aura swirled around me. He pressed his chest against mine, and my nipples tingled. His tongue flicked out as he slowly licked his lips, all his focus on mine, until his gaze rose back up to my eyes.
“Say it,” he rumbled low.
I could barely breathe.
And I had no idea what he wanted.
“What?”
“Say you don’t feel it.”
I swallowed.
Was there a curse in the room?
An opponent approaching?
“Feel what?”
“The energy here. Us...” He leaned into my neck, inhaling a long, lingering breath through his nose.
There were two instinctive reactions to this deep in my gut; one, he was right. There was some kind of synthesis between us. But I didn’t know what it meant. And two, it wasn’t real. It couldn’t be. I assumed it was a trick by the house itself. Either that or me and my dysfunctional hormones, a gift of my childhood.
Ivan was the biggest mistake, but I stupidly lusted after all the scariest dudes who came in to see him. Sometimes, when he shared me, I pretended it was my choice. I’d get myself off while I rode them, fantasizing it was their fingers circling my clit. It never was.
The tension crackled between us for another second, but I couldn’t stand it. Maybe it was his trick rather than the house itself. With clenched fists, I pushed him away and scrambled to the other side of the room. “The only thing I feel is terrified of my promised death tonight. If not by anyone else, then by you at the very end.”
He pressed his lips together in a wistful frown. “I don’t think that’s likely. I can think of far more interesting things to do to you.”
I rolled my eyes. “If it came down to you or me at the end of the night, and we couldn’t leave until one of us gutted the other–”
“I’d let you gut me.”
I froze.
Speechless.
The only sound was that of my heart pounding in my ears.
What. The. Fuck.
“You’d what?”
“I’d hand you the knife and hold my hands behind my back so you could have your way with me. Do you think you could do it? Would that be as hot for you as it would be for me?”
“You’re sick.”
He nodded. “Probably. But I’m your best chance out of here. Now. Let’s sit down so you can tell me all about this guy who hurt you so bad you became a suicide bomber. I’m very much looking forward to hunting him down.”