Total pages in book: 56
Estimated words: 52578 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 263(@200wpm)___ 210(@250wpm)___ 175(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 52578 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 263(@200wpm)___ 210(@250wpm)___ 175(@300wpm)
Fear slices through my lust, shredding it. “What did you say?” Even as I tell myself that I heard wrong, I know I haven’t. He said Eve. My name. My real name. And it’s not because he saw me scrawl it on the paper.
I stand abruptly. “I have to go. I’ll issue you a full refund.”
“It’s too late for that.” He still sounds regretful, which scares me more than anything else. I’ve ignored red flag after red flag, and now I’m in trouble I can’t get myself out of. There will be no interruption to save me, not with a locked hotel door between me and the rest of the world. Damn it.
Azazel hasn’t moved, so I take the opportunity to skirt the coffee table and dig my phone out of my purse. I shoot him a look, not sure if I should be more scared or less that he seems intent to let me do this.
Almost as if it really doesn’t matter.
I don’t bother texting Pope. I have to get the fuck out of here, and my hands are shaking so much, it’s difficult to type out my passcode.
They pick up immediately. “What’s wrong?” Of course they’d know something is wrong. I would never call them in the middle of a session without cause.
“I need an escort to the car.” There’s no need to get into the weirdness of this whole thing. Even as I think it, I’m struck by the fact that some fool part of my head is still sure Azazel won’t hurt me. I don’t know what the fuck is wrong with me. I’ve witnessed far too many instances where a “good” person turns feral and violent to those closest to them. Afterward, everyone wrings their hands and wonders how they didn’t realize the danger.
In reality, the signs were there all along. They just chose to turn away from them. To continue in their happy little lives, sure that nothing bad could happen in their nice neighborhood. To believe that this client won’t be the one who lashes out. I’m a fool.
Pope doesn’t hesitate. “My man will be there in three minutes. Lock yourself in the bathroom if you need to. He has a key to the hotel room.”
With anyone else, that would be a huge breach of trust. With Pope, it’s the standard of doing business. They don’t fuck around with their people’s safety.
Azazel rises slowly to his feet, and I skitter back a few steps.
“Right. I’m going to do that.” I hang up. There’s no point in keeping Pope on the phone, and I’d prefer both my hands free if it comes to a fight.
He raises his hands, palms out. “I’m not going to hurt you, Eve.”
“Stop saying that name.” I edge back a few more steps. I know the layout of this suite well enough. The bathroom is just down the hall and to the left. Azazel is obviously strong, but surely not even he can break down a door in three minutes? Or two minutes now.
“Please calm down.”
“No one in the history of the universe has ever calmed down when someone said to calm down.” I back up another few steps. “Please don’t come any closer. Pope’s man is liable to shoot you.”
“I didn’t want things to go like this. I wanted to find another way.” He drags a hand through his dark hair. “I’m sorry.”
Now it’s my turn to hold up my hands. I’m well into the hallway now, only about ten feet from the bathroom. “There’s nothing to apologize for. Just . . . stay there.”
“E—” He cuts himself off and sighs. “You’re in danger.”
“No shit.” The words come out too high and tight. Despite my best efforts, my fear leaks in through the cracks. “Please don’t come any closer.”
“I’m not going to hurt you. I would never hurt you.” He glances at the door, and his expression goes stony. “One day, you’ll understand and forgive me for this.”
Between one blink and the next, he’s before me. I can’t stop the scream that tears from my lungs as he wraps an arm around my back and hauls me against his chest. It doesn’t hurt, but no one moves that fast. It’s almost like he teleported. “I’m sorry.”
“Please . . .” The room fades out around me. For a moment, I’m sure he drugged me, but my head feels clear despite the fear shrieking at me that I’m in danger.
I shove against his chest, but there’s nowhere to go. I hear the hotel room burst open as everything goes black.
CHAPTER 3
AZAZEL
“What have you done?”
I don’t look up as I carefully lay Eve on the bed. The room is nearly identical to those of the other human women I’ve made contracts with in the last few days. It’s not what I would have chosen for Eve if circumstances were different . . . but circumstances aren’t different.