Page 18 of Dormeo
Bile rises up in the back of my throat, and white-hot rage burns through my veins. A friend of mine was brutally murdered when we were teenagers. I have no sympathy for anyone who had committed such a heinous act.
“He should suffer,” I whisper, gritting my teeth.
Ash nods, looking impressed that I didn’t plead for leniency.
“Somebody has to exact such punishments, and it's not going to be you, so don't look at me like I'm the one who's done something wrong here.” Ash holds his arms out and gestures to the building around us. “We provide a deterrent and carry out the punishment. That's all we are here.”
Ash eases closer, and I swallow hard, still anxious knowing he’s literally covered in another man’s blood from head to toe.
“Granted, there are those who enjoy it a little more than is healthy, but it's not exactly the kind of work that attracts people with a weak stomach and impeccable morals.”
He points at where my hands clutch my stomach, implying that I'm weak, and that I can't handle the idea of him brutally torturing someone as revenge for those they’ve hurt.
I don't know what to say, because truth be told, it gives me a little thrill to know that person got what they deserved, at his strong, lethal hands.
He's about to turn away when I reach out and run my finger along his abs, catching a drip of blood that he's missed slowly making its way over the dips and ridges of his rock-hard stomach.
Ash’s eyes blaze as he watches me touch him, but he doesn't tell me to stop. So, I continue to trail my fingertips lower until they rest gently on the waistband of his leather trousers.
I raise my eyes to his, the room so silent now, that you could hear a pin drop.
“Thank you.”
Stunned, he blinks hard. His nostrils flare and his jaw clenches, every tendon standing out, as he glares down at me, expression intense and unfathomable.
I'm about to pull my hand away when he snags my arm, yanking it back, so forcefully, that I have to take a tiny step forward to keep my balance.
“Little human, do you understand why your father drugged you to bring you here?”
I nod. “So, I wouldn't see any of the horrors that go on down here. Or remember if they were done to me.”
Ash tilts his head, like that’s only part of the reason. “Do you also know what effect being so close to hell can have on the human mind? Or inhibitions.”
I shake my head, taking in every line and surface of his strong, handsome face.
“Lust, little one. Your daddy dearest wants to protect his investment.” Ash looks me up and down slowly, and I bristle, knowing it’s the truth, but still not liking it said out loud.
“It can make human women doall kinds ofthings that their innocent little minds would never even dare wish for in the human realm.”
Immediately, I know what he’s talking about. Every morning, I’ve awoken frustrated, and damp between the thighs.
“What makes you think I have an innocent mind?” I mutter, trying to regain an equal footing with my jailor once more.
Ash leans in and sniffs, smiling broadly as he leans back.
“Okay, I'll concede. You might not have an innocent mind, but you have an innocent body. If you're not careful, it won’t remain untouched for much longer.”
8
ASH
Iam only a man, and not even a good one at that.
What demon could be expected to share quarters with a woman designed so perfectly to tempt him as she is? I’m an incubus, and she’s a stunning beauty who sleeps 23 hours a day. We’d be a match made in heaven.
Pacing back and forth across the dark stone floor of my living room, I frown, suspicious of this gift that’s been dropped into my lap.
Is this a trap?
