Page 29 of Art of Sin

13PAST

15 YEARS OLD

A brush runsthrough my long hair, washed and conditioned to silk. It’s been so long since I was this clean, the sensation is foreign. Like I’m exposed, newly vulnerable without my layers of grime. I don’t recognize the girl in the mirror. My skin is pale, glistening with moisturizer, and my cheeks are bright pink.

The brushstrokes are steady and hypnotic. My scalp tingles, warmth trickling through my limbs as I watch the movement of his hand. My body’s reaction feels like a betrayal, though I can’t blame myself. No one’s ever brushed my hair before.

Through my lashes, I glance at his reflection in the mirror. He’s young, decent looking, with dark hair, tan skin, and hazel eyes. Not my type. And yet, there’s something alluring about his features. They’re… peaceful. Content. Like he doesn’t have a care in the world.

Warm fingers graze my neck as my hair is lifted, the touch impersonal and unsettling because of it. I don’t know anything about this guy except he’s a rich pervert. Why else would he have picked Nate and me up in the murky dusk with promises of food and showers?

Maybe he does this shit every day—brings street kids to his big-ass house for a night like he’s Mother Fucking Teresa. He said he’d give us new clothes and take us to a shelter in the morning… Or maybe there’s a freezer full of chopped-up bodies somewhere out back, where I glimpsed a bunch of trees and a wooden shack.

My money’s on door number two, and I already have our escape planned. We eat. Get new clothes. And never see this creepy fucker again. Everything will be fine.

A part of me knows… knows I should be more scared right now. That this could go wrong fast. But I’ve been hungry, dirty, and cold for too long. It’s dulled my survival instinct. I just want to be warm a little while longer.

Everything will be fine.

A warm sigh on my neck triggers goose bumps. My gaze lifts, meeting his in the mirror. His eyes are smiling, creased at the corners. It makes him a lot more attractive.

“Have you ever wondered, Deirdre, what you could accomplish with the right teacher?”

Yup. He’s a freak.

I might be dulled by spending too many nights shivering, but I’m not stupid. I keep my mouth shut. No doubt if I tell him to suck a fat dick like I want to, Nate and I will be out on our asses in ten.

So I’m playing nice. I really want good food and a warm bed tonight. Nate does, too. We deserve this.

He stops brushing my hair, waiting for my answer. I finally say, “What’s your name, anyway?”

“Marco. My brother’s name is Julep. He’s in the kitchen preparing dinner. You’ll meet him soon.”

I can’t help an eye roll. Brother-freaks.

“Great.”

He grins, squeezing my robe-clad shoulder before putting the brush on the vanity and standing.

“You have spirit, Deirdre. I like that.”

I wish he’d stop saying my name. He has a slight accent. Spanish. Romantic. My name sounds feminine and mysterious when he says it, which I don’t fucking like.

I glance across the room at Nate, who wears an identical robe to mine and sits slumped and relaxed in a chair near the bathroom. His eyes on mine, he shrugs minutely. He trusts me to make the right call.

Marco strolls to the door. I stand, my heart waking up with a surge of adrenaline. “So when’s dinner?” I ask, my voice betraying a thread of something… not fear, but the precursor. Urgency? Expectation? I feel unsteady—loose and warm from my shower, vulnerable in only a robe.

Marco pauses, glancing at his watch before giving me a soft, almost sad smile. “Pick whatever clothes you’d like from the dresser and closet. I’m sure you’ll both find something satisfactory.”

“You didn’t answer my question.” My voice thins, my instincts now screaming, my heart hammering.

“I’m sorry,” he says, eyes shining with regret. “I don’t have a choice.”

My lungs compress, forcing a burst of air from my mouth. I move, but too late. The heavy wood door swings closed behind him.

SNICK.

The lock slides home a second before my hand reaches the knob. I don’t bother testing it—in the narrow space between the door and frame, I can see the thick deadbolt.

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