Page 25 of Capturing Sin

Each night he’d stood me up to meet his friends.

When he’d stiffen as I kissed him but was more than happy to fuck me from behind.

Every time I’d said “I love you” and he’d grunted “okay.”

But I’d been so desperate for someone to care about me that I’d ignored the warning signs. I’d convinced myself that it was real. That Leo loved me. That he wanted to spend his life with me. Build a home. Start a family.

Was he only ever with me because he’d been told to? Had he ever wanted me?

What was so unlovable about me?

To my horror, moisture gathered behind my eyes, burning with the need to escape.

Leo smirked, like the slip in my composure was the victory he’d craved. Any self-esteem I might have had left was shredded.

I blinked furiously, forcing back useless tears.

He knocked into my shoulder, trying to break me fully as he stomped past. “Oh, and I was fucking Tia the whole time.”

He might as well have reached into my chest and crushed my heart.

No wonder he’d chosen to save her over me. I hadn’t even suspected it.

Rage flared, searing back the devastation until I thought I’d burn alive. Everyone thought it was okay to hurt me, and I was sick of it.

I turned to his retreating back with a mocking laugh, imitating the cruel demon who’d bitten me this morning. “I’ll have to send the poor girl my condolences, then.”

Leo paused in the doorway, brows furrowing as he glanced back at me before his expression twisted into an arrogant grin. “She wasn’t the only one.”

Chapter 11

“Yikes, that had to hurt.” The demon’s red brows lifted.

Pain drowned me, but I shoved it aside with a grunt. “At least he left you in peace.”

Her blood-red eyes narrowed suspiciously. “Let me guess.” She tapped her chin with a short claw. “Now you’re done fighting over me like a prime cut, you’re about to go all mad scientist on me?”

Her raspy voice barely trembled, and I silently applauded her bravery in the face of the nightmare she was living now.

Only weeks ago, I’d have thought it was necessary. Possibly even celebrated her capture with Leo and the others.

My mind shied away from the horrors of what I’d done. What I’d let happen.

I locked the dark memories back into the vault I buried deep inside and shuffled over to the reinforced bars caging the demon.

“I question my sanity daily, but I was trying to help you,” I said, giving her another visual sweep. “As a test subject, the operational hunters should leave you alone.”

In theory.

“Wow.” She rounded her eyes, drawing my attention to her impossibly thick red lashes and mocking me with feigned hope. “I’ve always wondered what it felt like to be dissected. How did you know?”

I snorted a laugh, laced with bitterness. “It’s letting me poke at you, or letting them torture you for information until they shove what’s left into the fight ring upstairs.”

She bared her fangs, giving an almost feline hiss, eyes burning with a rage that mirrored the one in my soul. “I get the feeling that walking STD you call an ex will be back to play his games.”

My throat tightened. There was every possibility he would, and since I was a member of omega team, which comprised all the researchers and support staff, Leo far outranked me, despite who my uncle was.

If I wanted to protect this demon—something I’d have stabbed anyone for implying a few weeks ago—I’d need to get her officially assigned to my project.

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