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“Ifeveryone else gets a deal in exchange for their soul, thenIwant one, too.”

Thedevil tilts his head. “WhyshouldImake a deal with you when you already owe me?”

Sittingupright and licking my lips, the thought is there front and center, but ifIdo this… there’s no coming back.

Somethingmoves behind the darkest shadow in the night.Tyappears, rubbing his arms and grimacing as he watches what he’s done.

Mybody shakes so hard from trying to hold it all together, to speak with all the strengthIcan muster.Suckingin a deep, unsure breath,Isay, “Ithink there’s somethingIhave that you can’t refuse.”

Thenight is silent, devoid of the chirping of crickets or cicadas, the crunch of grass from cattle or coyotes or hogs moving in the dark.Evennature knows to stay the fuck away for their own sake—yetI’mwillingly throwing myself into the fire.

Thedevil drops to a crouch that startles me.Hegrabs my hands and clips the zip tie around my wrists—with what, who knows—and leans back on his heels to watch me carefully.

Irub my wrists, anxious to gaze back into the true abyss and forcing myself to look, anyway.

“Alright,StephaniWade.”Thedevil’s black eyes glint. “Makeme a dealIcan’t refuse.”

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