A DEAL WITH THE DEVIL : CHAPTER 31 – 40
IN THE DEVIL’S GRASP 2
Lucifer remain quiet.
I watched her closely, every small tremor of fear, every flicker of confusion that danced across her face. Humans were fascinating creatures—so fragile, yet so full of defiance. This one, Selene, was no different. She was scared, trying to hide it behind a poorly crafted lie about her innocence.
The moment she said she’d been with ten men, I almost laughed. She was clearly not accustomed to lying, not with the way her voice wavered, her gaze darting away from mine as if she couldn’t hold the weight of her own words. I had seen through her from the moment she stepped into this mansion, her vulnerability as clear as day.
*Innocence.* It was an amusing concept, one that humans clung to, thinking it gave them strength or protection. As if innocence mattered in my world.
I unbuttoned my shirt slowly, savoring her discomfort. She tried to act brave, but her body betrayed her—her cheeks flushed, her hands trembled as she gripped the thin fabric covering her. Her eyes flicked to my chest, and for a moment, I saw something other than fear. Curiosity, maybe. Desire? No matter. Whatever she was feeling now, it would soon be irrelevant.
I stepped closer, watching as she tried to retreat, but there was nowhere for her to go. The room had become her cage, and I was the predator stalking my prey.
“You said you’ve been with ten men,” I said softly, my voice laced with mock disappointment. “That’s unfortunate.”
Her breath hitched. She wasn’t expecting that. Good. Let her squirm.
She blinked rapidly, trying to regain her composure. “What’s… what’s unfortunate about it?” she asked, her voice shaky.
I tilted my head, pretending to consider her question. “It means there’s no need for me to wait, does it?”
Her eyes widened in panic as she realized what I was suggesting. The lie had backfired, just as I knew it would. She thought she could lie her way out of this, but lies only complicate things. Humans always make it so much more difficult for themselves.
As I began to unbutton my shirt fully, I watched her reaction. Fear was written all over her face, but beneath it, there was something else—something darker, something even she didn’t fully understand. She was drawn to me, whether she wanted to admit it or not. They always were.
I stopped unbuttoning my shirt, catching sight of Selene’s trembling hands. Her entire frame shook, betraying the fear she couldn’t hide. The sight of her, so fragile, stirred something in me. I wasn’t here to scare her—at least, not yet.
With a soft sigh, I stepped closer and gently patted her head, my fingers brushing through her damp red hair. “Relax,” I said, my voice low and calm. “I was only joking.”
Her wide blue eyes shot up to meet mine, confusion swimming in their depths. I could see her mind racing, trying to make sense of what had just happened. It was amusing, in a way—how quickly humans jumped to conclusions, how little they understood the world around them.
“Are you alright?” I asked, keeping my tone light, almost playful.
Selene blinked, clearly still trying to process everything. Her lips parted, but no sound came out at first. When she finally spoke, her voice was soft, hesitant. “You…you’re not going to kill me, are you?”
I couldn’t help the smile that tugged at the corners of my mouth. “Kill you?” I echoed, raising an eyebrow. “Now, why would I want to do that?”
Her gaze darted to the door, then back to me. I could see the wheels turning in her head as she tried to come up with some form of protection, some threat that might keep her safe. “The police would come after you,” she said, stepping back instinctively.
I chuckled, a deep, rumbling sound that filled the room. “The police?” I repeated, amused by the thought. “And how exactly would they know you’re with me?”
“Liam would notice,” she said quickly. “He’d notice I’m missing, and he’d go to the police.”
Ah, Liam. The human boy she trusted so easily. I had seen him through her eyes, watched as she clung to the hope that he could somehow save her from this fate. Such naïveté.
I tilted my head, studying her. “You mean that friend of yours?” I asked, watching as she nodded, a sliver of hope flickering in her eyes.
Humans. So quick to trust, so desperate to believe in one another. It was endearing, really, how they clung to these fragile bonds of trust—bonds that could so easily be broken with just a whisper, a lie, a touch of manipulation.
I let my eyes travel over her, taking in every detail. The damp strands of her fiery red hair clung to her shoulders, still glistening from the bath. Her skin was pale, almost luminescent in the soft candlelight. And then there was the dress—if it could even be called that. It was little more than a whisper of fabric, clinging to her body in all the right places, leaving almost nothing to the imagination. The thin, transparent gown shimmered slightly as she moved, the white material molding to her curves, teasing the eye with the promise of what lay beneath.
She was beautiful, no doubt about it. Even in her fear, she had a kind of allure that was hard to ignore. And that dress—whether by design or accident—was seductive in the most innocent way possible. The contrast between her timid nature and the sensuality of her appearance was almost intoxicating.
“How old are you?” I asked, taking a step closer, intrigued by this human girl who had so unwittingly stumbled into my world.
She hesitated, just for a fraction of a second, before mumbling, “Sixteen.”
Liar.
I could feel the lie as soon as it left her lips. It was like a dark cloud, hovering in the space between us, staining the air. My smile widened, though I kept my voice gentle. “Sweet girl,” I murmured, my tone soft but laced with a warning. “If you’re going to stay with me, there’s something you need to understand.”
Her eyes flicked up to meet mine, and I could see the unease creeping back into them. “What?” she asked quietly.
“I hate lies,” I said, stepping closer again. Her breath hitched as I moved, but she didn’t back away this time. “They make me want to kill the being who speaks them.”
She swallowed hard, her hands trembling slightly as she clutched the fabric of her gown. “Why does it bother you so much?” she asked, her voice barely more than a whisper.
I smiled again, though this time there was no humor in it. “My father hates lies,” I said simply. “And even though I hate him, I’ve always thought lying was…ridiculous.”
I moved closer still, closing the distance between us until I was standing directly in front of her. I could feel her body heat radiating from her, her fear palpable in the air between us. For a moment, I just watched her, letting the silence stretch out.
A DEAL WITH THE DEVIL : CHAPTER 31 – 40
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