Page 25 of Demons and Debts
Glancing at the door that I left open, I listen for a minute. There are no sounds in the house. I’d bet good money that everyone’s asleep … the same as she is. I look back at her slumbering there like she doesn’t have a care in the world.
Could I?
I shouldn’t, but could I? Without waking her?
The challenge is almost irresistible, and I edge closer. She hardly moves, but I can tell by her eyes that she’s in REM.
From this angle, I can see that her wrist is cuffed to the bed, and I roll my eyes in amusement. Theo loves tying up the on-call girls too. I admit I've done it a time or two. It makes me feel more in control when I’m feeding. But, unlike me, he gets off on making them even weaker than they already are to us. I grin. He probably gave her some bullshit about not wanting her to escape. As if she could.
Oh, Theo, you perverted bastard.
Standing over her, I’m struck by how innocent she looksand how I’d love to corrupt her.
She's blissfully unaware of how much danger she's in or she’d never sleep in this house.
The way I didn’t sleep. For months.
Memories of expensive perfume, breathy moans, and the feel of chains around me make my body tense. I force them back and realize I’ve taken out my butterfly knife and I’ve opened it. The razor-sharp blade is already resting lightly against her cheek. Slowly, I trace it down to her throat.
I could slit it right now. From ear to ear. It would be so fucking easy. Vic would be pissed because he thinks that she'll be useful, but I won't get any flak from the others. Sie’ll probably give me a high five. It'll just be a case of cleaning up the blood, getting Theo a new mattress, and burying the body on the grounds somewhere.
But as the twisted images recede to the back of my mind, I don't really want to do it. There was a time not long ago that I wouldn’t have even hesitated. Maybe I’m getting better.
I put the knife away with a hard swallow, my hands shaking a little.
She moves onto her back suddenly and I freeze, but she’s not awake. In fact, she’s just made what I came over here to do that much easier.
My eyes take her in again and, now that I’m so near, I see that her cuffed wrist is raw and bruised. She’s hurt herself trying to get free. Dumb bitch must have been pulling with all her strength for hours, I think as I watch her face for signs of waking, but she doesn’t stir again.
I take hold of the jacket zipper and very slowly pull it from her neck all the way down to her thighs. Another quick glance up to her face and I gently pull the jacket apart. The first thing I see is a thin, gold chain around her neck with a matching infinity symbol looped through it. My eyes move down and I’m surprised by the sight of her tits, cupped in a grey bra. Why isn’t she wearing a … I belatedly notice a blue, button-up shirt with a nametag that says ‘Jane’ on it, but most of the buttons have been torn off, making it gape to her waist. I make out faint bruises on her chest and ribs and trace one of them lightly.Fingermarks.
I don’t know the particulars of why Paris and Sie brought her here tonight. I’d assumed it was just because of Drey, but it looks like something else happened too.
Was it Sie? I discount that idea as soon as I think it. Sie isn’t far enough gone to attack a humanyetand Paris would have said something as soon as they got back if he had.
Whoever it was ripped her shirt apart and grabbed her hard, maybe started giving her a beating too. The force of my anger shocks me. I’ll lull the on-call girls when I need to and I’ll fuck them when necessary, but they all know what they’re getting into when they show up here for their interview. Vic makes sure of it. He makes ‘em watch informative videos on incubi and everything. They consent when they sign-up and they can leave after their time here is done. This girl didn’t have a choice.
Like I didn’t.
I let out a breath and turn away, annoyed that I now feel some sort of kinship with thishuman,and I don't know anything more about why the fuck I’m interested in her than I did before.
I leave the room, not bothering to lock it. Theo will know I’ve been there anyway. I chuckle a little when I imagine his reaction when he finds the door open in a couple hours. Knowing my penchants, he’ll think the worst. Then he’ll watch the video and see what I did.
I go down the hall to my own room and I sink into my bed. Closing my eyes, I see her face in my mind again. Now, thanks to my dumb escapades tonight, I see her tits too. Again, my dick starts getting hard and I grit my teeth.
She needs to go.
6
JANE
The next morning, I'm woken by the door banging open and Theo barging into the room. I try to sit up, startled, but get pulled back by my wrist that hurts like a bitch now since I spent a good hour and a half trying to get out of it last night.
His gaze lands on me as he lurches forward, his eyes moving over me frantically. His hands come up to rub at his temples as he closes his eyes and lets out a breath.
‘Fuck,’ he mutters. ‘That asshole.’
He walks across the room towards me, and I notice his eyes lingering on my chest.
