Stevie
The sound of my heeled boots clicking against the pristine marble was the only noise echoing across the grand foyer. If I hadn’t just seen the man that entered before me, I would have assumed that no one lived here and hadn’t for quite some time. The place was cold and empty. The floor was almost too clean, and its grandeur made it feel more like an art museum than someone’s home.
The entire place smelled of wood and leather, and the interior was surprisingly bright. Clean white walls with dark wood accents and sparkling marble floors filled the space. The foyer led me towards two sets of glass stairs that framed the open living space beyond it. The place was absolutely stunning.
They revered The Reapers in this town, but I had no idea they hadthiskind of wealth. The art pieces that hung on the walls alone had to have been worth more money than I could even fathom.
I expected them to be savage criminals. Ones I could easily outsmart given the right opportunity. But the more I explored their domain, the more my assumptions were off. The entire place oozed sophistication, and I was out of my element.
As I continued my exploration, a canvas hanging on the right side of the room caught my eye. The piece was a stark contrast to the more minimalistic pieces hung on the walls. While those felt flat, dull even, this one seemed full of life. It was dark, nearly black, and I could almost feel the emotions radiating off of the canvas. Rage. Sorrow. Power.
Gravitating towards it, my eyes studied each splatter and stroke meticulously. My fingers inched closer of their own volition, drawn to the chaotic texture.
An oversized palm slashed across my vision and wrapped itself around my wrist in a firm hold. Like striking a match, the sensation stirred phantom memories that should’ve stayed buried.
In an instant, I wasn’t in the house anymore; I was pinned to the dirt. With them. The distinct tinge of blood, sweat, dirt coated my senses, encapsulating me in the nightmare and making it feel real. I couldn’t breathe. I gasped for air, desperately trying to ground myself.This isn’t real. This isn’t real.
I took another deep inhale and an unfamiliar scent dominated my senses. Citrus, wood, and spices. Like wrapping myself in a warm blanket by a crackling fire. Where was it coming from?
I blinked.
The flashback vanished. No cold sweat, no lump in my throat, nothing. I opened my eyes to find that the man from the door had released his grip and was staring at me like I had sprouted another head. I stared daggers back at him.How the hell did he pull me out?
“Hands off, princess.” He ordered, not missing a beat and pretending that he didn’t just witness my psychotic break. “Trust me, Ezra is the last person you want to piss off.”
I scoffed at his warning.Trust him?Just because my delusional mind somehow trusted him didn’t mean that I would. I was smarter than that.Then again, I did just sacrifice myself to a group of savage drug dealers, so how smart could I really be?
The thought made me smile.
“Something amusing?” He asked, probably not expecting an answer.
My mouth had always gotten me into trouble, and this situation proved to be no different.
“My apologies, Master,” I bit out, “it isn’t my place to express myself so frivolously. Will you ever forgive me?” I asked, driving the point home by fluttering my lashes.
I should’ve feared him. Hell, I should’ve feared this entire situation, but I refused to live my life in fear anymore. I volunteered to be here, but that didn’t mean I had to just shut up and take the intimidation tactics.
“It’s not Master, it’s Cyrus.” He offered with a crooked grin. “Though with that ass, you can call me anything you want.” He paused, gesturing towards the stairs. “After you.”
I hated the way he made my body react, like my brain and my body were from two different planets and an all-out war was exploding in my head. My brain knew he was dangerous and wanted nothing to do with him, while my body craved his attention and my pussy pulsed at every word uttered from his gorgeous mouth.
A blush crept across my cheeks as I stiffly moved in front of him. I tried tilting my hips forward as I ascended the stairs, doing my best to make my ass look as unappealing as possible. I’m sure I looked like a zombie fresh out of Thriller climbing up the steps, but I didn’t care. It was worth it if it made him rethink his new fascination with me. I didn’t like the way my body felt around him.
“Where are we going?” I asked, mindlessly staring at the industrial looking light fixtures that adorned the wide hallway.
“To your room.” He mumbled, sounding distracted.
At least I knew this wasn’t a march to my death or some awful dungeon. They were giving me an actual room.
“Where exactly is my room?” I asked, feeling like we were walking in circles.
“About four doors ago.” He mumbled, stifling a laugh.
I spun on my heel and cut my eyes at his silently shaking form.
“What?” I asked, dumbfounded.
“My mistake, I must’ve gotten… distracted.” He offered, biting into his lower lip with a lazy smirk.
