Jenna Black - The Devil Inside

Adam stood blocking the doorway while he and Shae tried to stare each other down. I peeked through the window and tried to keep my expression as neutral as humanly possible.

The setup was much less elaborate than the schoolroom. Then again, it was also much more blatant.

A padded, adjustable-height table, like an examining table at a doctor’s office, sat in the middle of the room. Only this table had legs with thick leather restraints attached to them.

Along one wall hung an assortment of whips and paddles. It was reminiscent of Adam’s black room, only more revolting due to its public nature. I eyed the restraints on that table, and it was obvious just what position the victim would be restrained in.

“Thank you for offering us free use,” Adam said to Shae, still wearing his neutral face.

“Oh, the pleasure’s all mine.” Her grin was feral and unpleasant.

They stared at each other, neither one backing down, neither one speaking. I glanced at Dominic and saw his jaws working as he ground his teeth. I suspected he would have enjoyed the prospect of “playing” in that room with Adam in private. But not like this.

It was Adam who backed down from the staring contest first, which kind of surprised me.

“I’ll be drawing the curtain,” he said. “If you’d like to rescind your offer of a freebie, that’s fine, but-”

Shae smiled up at him. “Let’s talk inside, shall we?” she said, gesturing toward the room.

“ Shae — ”

“Inside, Adam. I know why you’re really here, and I don’t think we should discuss it in the hall, do you?”

It was all I could do to suppress my gasp.

For the first time I could remember, Adam looked unsure of himself. I’d have enjoyed the spectacle, if I wasn’t sick to my stomach. Shae put her hands on her hips and raised an eyebrow.

“Let’s hear what she has to say,” Dominic suggested. He looked scared shitless, and I wished like hell I’d never dragged him into this mess.

“All right,” Adam agreed, but I could tell he didn’t like it.

He stepped through the doorway, followed closely by Shae. Dominic started to follow, but I planted my feet and tugged on his arm.

“Dominic-” I started, but he wouldn’t let me finish.

“Anything that happens to me will be something I’ve consented to. The same can’t be said of your Brian.”

My eyes teared up at the thought he was willing to sacrifice himself to save a man he’d never met. Of course, he’d been willing to sacrifice himself to host a demon and save lots of people he’d never met. It must be in his nature somehow. Once upon a time, I would have scorned him for it. Now I saw him for the hero he truly was and wished I could take back all the nasty things I’d said to him.

I settled for squeezing his hand and saying, “You’re a really good man, Dominic.”

His smile was grim. “Wait until I’ve actually consented to something before you get too grateful.”

I had to admit, he had a point.

Taking a last deep breath, trying not to hear the sickening noises that still echoed through the hall, I stepped into Shae’s playroom. Dominic followed and closed the door behind himself. The three of us stood facing Shae, whose smile looked supremely smug.

“How lovely to have the tables turned for once in my life,” she said, her attention fixed on Adam. “Year after year, you’ve bullied and threatened me into doing what you wanted. Now it’s my turn.”

“ Shae — ”

“Shut up, Adam.” Her smile was sweet as a shark’s. “It’s only because I’m so fond of you that I didn’t pick up the phone the moment I heard you were here. You are the world’s worst fool for walking straight into a trap like this.”

I’d thought my pulse was racing before. Now I found out what racing really was. If this was a trap, I was dead. Adam didn’t need a gun to kill me, and I knew he’d do it without hesitation if he thought Lugh was at risk. I was grateful he hadn’t already broken my neck. But he didn’t even glance in my direction.

“ I’m a fool?” Adam asked, sounding incredulous. “You’re allowing a human to be held prisoner and tortured here, and you think I’m a fool?”

She shrugged. “It’s a risk, I’ll admit. But a risk for which I’ve been well paid. You know me-anything for a buck.”

I’d been doing a pretty decent job of keeping my temper under control, but it struggled to the surface.

Adam must have known me too well by now, for he turned to me before I managed to say anything and quelled me with one fierce look.

“What are your terms?” he asked Shae.

“Twenty-five thousand dollars, and you put on a lovely show for me.”

I practically choked, but Adam didn’t even blink.

“And in return, I get…”

“The key to the rack room. The key to the back exit. And a ten-minute head start before I make my phone call.”

He glared at her. “ Thirty minutes! We need to be long gone before they start looking. And no show.”

“Ten,” she countered. “I want to live through this, you know. It can’t be too obvious that I’ve helped you. And no way you’re getting out of here without giving me that show.” Her eyes flicked to Dominic. “I’ve been waiting a long time for this.”

“Your beef’s with Saul, not Dominic,” Adam reminded her.

She laughed. “No, my beef’s with you. You’re going to enjoy this despite yourself, and you’ll hate yourself for it afterward.”

Adam looked like he was one heartbeat away from killing her, but somehow he restrained himself as she turned to look at Dominic.

“Who knows?” she taunted. “Maybe you’ll enjoy it, too.”

Adam’s lip peeled away from his teeth in a feral snarl, and he took a step toward Shae. Obviously, she was insane, because she didn’t back down.

“Those are my terms,” she said. “Take ’em or leave ’em.”

Why would this bitch be willing to help us anyway? She was an illegal demon, after all, and Lugh wanted to make her kind as illegal in his world as they were in ours. Then again, she was a mercenary. She didn’t give a damn what she was fighting for, so long as she got paid.

Adam visibly controlled his rage, then he turned to Dom and asked a question with his eyes. I was still holding Dom’s hand, so I could feel how clammy it was. He didn’t want to do this, though he might consent.

Looking up at his pale, scared face, I knew what I had to do. This wasn’t his battle. It was mine. And for the second time in two days, I was going to have to let Adam hurt me.

“Leave Dom out of it,” I said. My voice came out froggy with fear and disgust, but I soldiered on. “Whatever has to happen should happen to me, not him.”

To my surprise, Dominic barked out a definitive “No!”

I blinked up at him.

Color rose to his cheeks. “I may not want to do this, but it would hurt far worse to be forced to watch Adam fuck someone else.”

Now my own cheeks blazed. I hadn’t really thought about what I was offering. I’d focused on the whole pain thing, had allowed myself to forget what this place was really all about.

Would I have let Adam fuck me to save Brian? And would Brian ever have forgiven me if I had? I’d never know-thank God.

“It’s a deal,” Dominic said, directing his words to Shae.

She smiled that unwholesome smile of hers. And I vowed to myself that if I lived through the night, I’d find a way to pay Shae back for this.

Shae left the three of us alone, slipping outside to sit on the bench and look in the window. I’d have liked to get the hell out of there, too, but that didn’t appear to be among my options. Dominic looked miserable, but determined, his hands clenched into fists at his sides. When Shae beckoned the crowd of perverts over to our window, I seriously considered storming out of the room and punching that malicious little grin off her face.