Page 73 of Capturing Sin

“Where the hell are you taking me that this would blend in?” I hissed, gesturing down at myself.

His smirk bloomed into a full, wicked grin. “Ever been to a demon nightclub?”

Chapter 29

Itugged on the dress’s hem, cursing Sin with every fibre of my being.

“Stop.” He slapped my hand away, tempting me to return the favour on his smug face. “You’re meant to be my human plaything. You’ll look suspicious and get us kicked out.”

“Oh no,” I deadpanned. “What a shame if I don’t make things easy for my kidnapper to complete his nefarious plans.”

“It would be a shame if I had to prove you’re mine in front of all the other demons to save them from figuring out you’re a hunter who likes to experiment on demons.” He flashed a pointy grin. “I will make you scream for me in a room full of people, poison.”

My teeth snicked as I clamped my mouth closed on the next verbal jab. Sin was threat personified. I wouldn’t put it past him to toy with me anyway, in his own little form of revenge.

After making me dress in this ridiculous lingerie, he’d given me a pair of surprisingly comfortable strappy heels to match, somehow exactly in my size. He’d also grabbed a long coat for me to fend off the chilly British summer.

Despite the temperature, he was topless, which I supposed must be normal for him, given the vicious spikes across his back and shoulders.

It turned out, before his capture, a witch in another city had glamoured him with magic. He could walk amongst the humans, and all they’d see was a normal person. No fangs, claws, horns, or spikes in sight.

It made calling a ride to the seedier part of Riverside a lot less stressful. The man hadn’t batted an eye as we’d hopped in, whisking us away in tense silence before dropping us outside a run-down pub on a narrow street.

All hunters had spelled charms created by captured mages so we could see through glamour. Mine was a citrine stud earring disguised among other gold piercings that I never removed.

Hence why I saw the monster beneath the lie.

“It’s just down here.” Sin guided my steps with a hand on my lower back. I resisted the urge to shove him away, letting his warmth invade me with gritted teeth instead.

I was British. It was practically a law that you didn’t turn down free heat.

A smirk twitched his lips in my periphery. The evil bastard knew just how to get under my skin and was clearly loving every moment.

“Remind me again why you have to drag me with you? You know anyone who survived the attack will be after us both, right?” I eyed him as we walked, wondering whether he knew who my uncle was.

If he didn’t, I definitely wasn’t telling him. Whatever tenuous use he apparently had for me as chief juice box would dry up the second he found out I was the only living relative to the leader of the Riverside hunters. In theory, I’d be a strong contender to take over the chapter as hunter prime once my uncle retired, but I’d never wanted that position.

Sin huffed. “Those cultist morons are always after demons in this realm, despite how few of us actually harm anyone.” He shot me a considering look. “I already know they’ll be trying to find any hunters whose bodies haven’t turned up, but why would that worry you? Don’t you want to be found, poison?”

Only years of practise kept me walking casually, my face a neutral mask as I realised my error. “Of course I do.” I flicked my long, now silky-smooth, hair over one shoulder. “I just thought you should know that whatever you have planned will ultimately be for nothing.”

His eyes narrowed, silvery lashes eclipsing the stars in his eyes. “You’re hiding something.”

I scoffed. “I’m not hiding anything. You just don’t know a thing about me, Sin. There’s a difference.”

He arched a brow, tugging at the small horns edging it. “Like your obsession with Italian food? Or how you lift your chin right before you’re going to cut me down? That you struggle to bury your delightfully violent side?” He grabbed my wrist, smothering the tiger-lily tattoo and turning me to face him. “Or how you were being slowly starved? How the other hunters were cruel to you? How you were being forced to work there? How someone high up beats you and everyone turns a blind eye?”

He was practically snarling by the end, his bare chest rising and falling too fast as his eyes flashed with starlight. His hand tightened on my wrist, solid and warm, grounding me when I felt completely untethered.

My lips parted, mask cracking along with my strained voice. “How…? You can’t possibly know that. You were caged in a lab.”

My emotions spilled out, scrambling my composure.

Even Leo had been oblivious to what I’d been going through all these years, let alone the past few weeks since the incident that tore my carefully controlled world apart.

“I was, and you were my everything. All I could do was watch you, learn about you, and hope to one day use all my knowledge to get what I want.” His lips spread into a feral grin. “I made you a promise, poison, and I’m going to keep it.”

Pain lanced my chest. He was studying me to find information he could use against me. Obviously.