Page 72 of Villains and Vengeance
‘But want to know a secret? When Daemon brought you to us, we all wondered what he was thinking.’ He laughs. ‘We thought he’d brought you to us as an on-call girl for the clan. Do you know what that is?’
I nod.
‘Then you know they’re some of the most beautiful human girls. We figured he’d gone blind, bringinga girl who looked like youto us. Can you imagine?’ He sniggers. ‘When he finally explained what you were there for, we laughed about it forever.’
He laughs again in my ear. ‘It was a running joke while you were with us. Did you know that?’
I shake my head.
‘Whenever you were out of the room, we were laughing at how clingy and needy you were with us. You were hilarious. A little human groupie, wishing she was attractive enough for us to look at her twice and fuck her just once!’
I try not to let his words get to me. I already know I’m nothing special. I’m pretty enough to get by, but I knew none of them would be truly interested in me when I got to that house anyway.
‘It was actually kind of a blessing that Jayce finally showed you those codes and you left. We were trying to figure out how to let you down easy for days, you know? But you just keptappearingwhen we were hanging out like a third wheel. We felt bad for you. We were pretty relieved when you left. I mean I actually think maybe Jayce showed you those codes on purpose just so you’d finally leave.’
My cheeks heat and he scoffs. ‘You didn’t know we made fun of you all the time? I thought for sure you’d heard us talking about you. We literally did it every time we thought we were alone. We laughed at you, made jokes, betted on how many other supes a girl so obsessed with our world would probably have begged to fuck her.’
‘That’s not true,’ I whisper.
‘Isn’t it? I know girls like you. We all do. Thirsty and vulnerable and pathetic, wishing they were something special. Were you hoping it would rub off? That you’d somehow absorb our demon cum and become a supe yourself? I’ve heard that’s what dumb human girls like you think.’ He laughs loudly. ‘Or maybe you were hoping Axel or Jayce would get you pregnant. Do you think that tricking them into making you an incubus incubator would have induced us to take a pathetic whore like you with us? Give you more money than you stole from us?’
He leans down and tips my head back so he can look into my eyes.
I try to shake out of his grip, not wanting him to see that his words are hurting me, but the fingers pinching my chin turn punishing.
‘Being around us would never makeyouworth something,’ he sneers. ‘Why don’t you just tell us what we want to know? Hell, maybe wewilltake you with us just in case one of their seeds has taken root. Then you can have what you want. You can stay at the estate, be waited on and taken care of. Maybe a couple of us will give the needy pregnant bitch a few pity fucks, at least until you give birth. But, guess what? The females never get to keep demon babies. You’ll be out on the streets as soon as that kid is pulled out of you.’
My swimming eyes widen. ‘I’m not pregnant,’ I force out.
‘Too bad,’ he says with mock pity. ‘But probably for the best. You’d be a terrible mother, Jules. You wouldn’t know the first thing about caring for a baby. You have the maternal instincts of a snake, the emotional intelligence of a wet rag. I mean, no wonder your parents died and left you alone. Why would they have even bothered to fight to live for you? If they hadn’t died, they’d have abandoned a useless girl like you in a parking lot before long.’
His awful words echo a memory and I’m transported for a moment.
I’m standing in front of a roaring fire, crying and afraid. I’m ten or eleven, dressed in a white nightgown with pink trim. The room is dark and there’s a figure sitting in a nearby chair.
‘Your parents are dead, girl. They’ve abandoned you. It was pitiful really, but hardly unexpected. Humans are so vulnerable, so easily killed. But looking at you, it’s clear they had no real reason to fight anyway. Lucky for you, I’m a generous soul. You can stay here. You’ll work for your keep as the other humans do. Follow the rules, do as you’re bade, and be grateful I don’t throw you out into the ether.’
‘I know what you’re doing,’ I whisper to Iron, shaking myself out of it.
‘Trying to break you. Yeah.’
I nod, glad he’s admitted it so fast.
He looks down at me pityingly. ‘But the thing is, everything I’m saying is actually true. We all know it. You’re just a sad, human girl with no friends and no family.’
He scoffs a little. ‘I’m right. Mommy and Daddy dead, sweetheart?’
‘Shut up.’
‘Poor little orphan Julia,’ he taunts. ‘All alone in your own world and in ours. I mean, you don’t even have any friends. Even the lowest inmate in here probably has a buddy. But not you.’
He leans in closer. ‘Do you know why that is, Jules? Because you’re poison and everyone you love dies.’
I struggle out of his grip as tears flood my eyes. I can’t help it because he’s right. Everyone I loved is dead and Iamalone. I always will be.
‘Tell us what we want to know and I’ll stop. I’ll even let Jayce or Axel come in here and pretend to give a shit about you for a few minutes if you want.’
His words settle into me and my misery ignites, turning into a cold fury.
