Page 23 of Lady of Darkness
That’s what I am.
That’s what this is.
They don’t care that I’m their rival, because to them, I am no better than chattel. I am their slave, in every way. They know it, too.
Why didn’t I see it sooner?
I squeeze my eyes shut as Armin’s words come back to me.
“We sell girls like you–young, fuckable girls who make me rich.”
“That wasn’t a part of the deal,” I grind out, trying to keep myself from shaking. I could really use some of my medication right now. I haven’t taken it in days. Fuck the Lords for distracting me, and fuck Acadia for capturing me. “You said all I had to do was lure the Lords here and you would kill them. That Gemma would go free.”
“That’s correct. And what did I say about you? What will become of you, Harlow?”
My heart stutters. “I will be yours,” I tell him, my eyes pricking with tears.
“Exactly. You will be mine. I can cut off your fingers,” he adds, sneering. “I can dye your hair, make you do a thousand jumping jacks in the morning, and I can most certainly sell you to our biggest client,” he finishes, baring his teeth.
I couldn’t wait to see his corpse rot.
I hold my chin up high, and Luka nudges the man forward. “Say hello to Savo. Your newest client. If you’re nice to him, he won’t hurt you.”
My lips tremble as Luka saunters away and closes the door behind him, leaving me with Savo–with this man who looks like he eats puppies for breakfast. There are tattoos scattered along his neck, and I can tell by the shiny watch and shoes that he’s disgustingly rich.
“I’m not having sex with you,” I tell him defiantly. “I’m on my period.”
He grins, taking a step closer.
No.
I wouldnotlet this happen again. My hands shake as I move away from him, scooting to the back of the bed.
“I don’t think you have a choice, angel.” His voice is deep and grating, like metal scraping against cement. “You’re mine tonight, and right now, I want a taste of that sweet pussy.”
My face screws up at the thought. “No.”
“You think a little blood scares me? Most of them bleed, angel. You’re no different. I like the blood. It reminds me of innocence.”
What.
The.
Fuck.
I scurry out of the bedroom and into the bathroom. I hear him behind me, but I close and lock the door before he can get to me.
“Take your time,” Savo says, his voice cruel. “I’ll be out here. Waiting for that pussy. Don’t take too long, though, or I’ll have to break the door in. Savo gets mad when he has to wait.”
I rush over to the frosted window, trying to unlatch it, but it’s sealed shut. Looking around, I don’t see anything I can use to break it, so I look back at the window and clench my jaw.
Here goes nothing.
Rearing my arm back, I punch through the glass, screaming as some of it embeds into my knuckles.
“It’s a long way to fall, angel. I wouldn’t run if I were you, unless you want to be roadkill,” Savo growls from the other side of the bathroom door.
A sob breaks free from my chest when I hear him toying with the lock. I look out of the hole I made, holding my bloody hand close to my chest. My sobs get louder when I realize I’m several stories up, probably seven or eight. Too high to jump, and nothing to climb onto.Fuck.I get dizzy as I look down onto the empty street.
