Page 31 of Claimed By the Damned
At some point, she glances up, catching me watching her. “What?”
I shake my head. "Nothing. Just thinking that at some point, you stopped feeling like a guest and started feeling like... part of this place."
She blinks, clearly unsure how to respond, so she doesn’t. Just turns back to the stove, lips twitching like she’s fighting off a smile.
This girl has got me all twisted up, and I don’t know what scares me more—that I need her in a way I’ve never needed anyone, or that one day she might not need me back.
Chapter 11: Small Mercies
Lila
The house starts to feel less like a cage and more like… something else. Not home—no, I'm still not ready for that word—but a safehouse, maybe. Caught between my past and whatever comes next. The three men orbiting me? They're still mostly a mystery, but one I'm slowly figuring out, piece by piece.
Ethan is the easiest to be around. He explains the surveillance system setup with that teasing grin and easy confidence, guiding my hand over the mouse. “Alright, Angel,” he says, nudging my shoulder with his. “Time to make you my hacker apprentice. I’ll have you coding like a pro in no time.”
“I doubt that’s a good idea,” I mutter, narrowing my eyes at the tangle of screens, cables, and blinking lights before me. The air smells faintly of hot electronics and Ethan’s clean soap scent. The quiet whirring of cooling fans provides a constant hum beneath his patient explanation. “I think you want me to break something?”
“Nah, I’d never let you near thereallyimportant stuff.” He smirks. “I just need someone to fetch me snacks while I work. Maybe sit on my lap, look pretty, and pretend to type.”
I roll my eyes, but the corners of my mouth twitch upward. “So generous.”
“I try.” He leans closer, his voice dropping. “But seriously, this is important. I want you to know how to check the cameras, how to lock down the house if something happens. It’s not just about keeping you safe—it’s about making sure youfeelsafe.”
I frown. “But you guys are always here.”
He hesitates for a beat, then sighs. “Mostly, yeah. But sometimes we need to go out on jobs. Missions. Whatever you want to call them. When that happens, you might be here physically alone—obviously all the security guards, you'll never betrulyaloneor unprotected—but without one of us right here in the house. And I need to know you can handle the lockdown procedures if necessary.”
Hesitantly, I hover my hand over the keyboard. The cursor blinks, taunting my uncertainty. A hundred what-ifs run through my head.What if I press the wrong button? What if I shut down the whole system? What if something happens while they’re gone, and I can’t fix it?
Ethan seems to sense my reluctance because he reaches out, lightly tapping the back of my hand. “Relax, Angel. You’re not defusing a bomb, just learning how to click a few buttons. If you mess up, I’m right here to fix it. No pressure.”
The tension in my chest eases slightly. I take a slow breath and press the key he indicated. A new screen opens, displaying live feeds from around the property. The sheer amount of control at my fingertips sends an unfamiliar rush through me.
For the first time in years, I’m not completely at someone else’s mercy.
Ethan grins. “See? Easy. Now, let’s set up emergency lockdown procedures. If something happens while we’re out, you hit this button—boom. Steel shutters come down, security locks engage, the panic room seals itself. No one’s getting in.”
I trace my fingers over the keyboard, absorbing the information, testing the clicks and commands. It truly clicks when I navigate back to the main screen without Ethan’s help. My fingers move almost instinctively, memory guiding them instead of fear.
For the first time in years, I’m not just reacting—I’m taking control, even in this small way. It feels… different. It feels likeme.
Of course, Ryker has to ruin the moment.
A hand shoots out, flicking the back of my ear. I jerk, swatting wildly as Ryker cackles, hopping onto the counter with a proteinbar dangling from his lips like an unlit cigar. “Damn, Baby Girl, I’ve seen grandmas pick this up faster than you.”
“You know grandmas who hack security systems?” I shoot back.
“Yeah,” he says, dead serious. “Mean old lady in Albuquerque. Runs an underground poker ring. She's ruthless.”
Ethan sighs, rubbing a hand down his face. “Ryker, do you ever shut up?”
“Not if I can help it.” He grins, flashing sharp teeth. “Hey, Lila, if youreallywant to get good, you should practice hacking into Bastian’s private files. Bet there’s some kinky shit in there.”
A surprised laugh escapes before I can stop it, the sound unfamiliar but strangely light. For a second, I almost forget where I am, who I am. Ryker notices, eyes gleaming with victory—but there’s something else there too. A flicker of satisfaction, yes, but also quiet relief. Like he was testing the waters, checking if I still have fight left in me. “There it is,” he declares smugly. “That’s what I like to see.”
“What?”
“A real laugh. Not the fake, polite crap you’ve been handing out.”
