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Chapter Twenty-One

Sutton

I hadn’t heard from Jagger since he left the night before and a small, messed-up part of me was relieved.

The voice inside me could talk all the shit it wanted.

See? You were right. What you did last night didn’t mean anything to him.

He just wanted to get off and you’re an easy mark.

The fates are laughing their asses off at how pathetic you are!

Except, I knew the truth. Those thoughts were coming from past Sutton—the scared and heartbroken young girl who’d been abandoned and betrayed by the people she should trust the most.

I scrubbed my hands over my face, exhausted. I’d ended up getting out of bed when Jagger left and got a head start on Tarrant’s next delivery. I only stopped because I had a shift at the clinic this morning, and now I was home and back at it.

My phone chimed, and I quickly checked it.

Poe: Be ready in twenty minutes. I’ll swing by to pick you up.

Shit.

I didn’t want to do this, not tonight. My poker face was nowhere to be found. But what choice did I have? Also, the fact that Poe obviously knew where I lived sent icy fingers down my spine. Had he been watching me? Did he know Jagger had been here? Was this some kind of trap?

I quickly texted Jagger, telling him what was happening, then rushed to get ready.

If it was a setup, Jagger would be there.

Nothing bad would happen to me, because he wouldn’t let it.

I hadn’t had time to buy a dress for tonight, but I did own something that could work—it’d have to.

I did my hair, quickly applied makeup, then chopped up some fruit for Boo and put it out.

I was just sliding on the only pair of heels I owned when I heard his knock downstairs.

Snatching up my bag, I checked my phone as I rushed down to meet Poe. No reply from Jagger yet. Shit. Shit. Shit. I had no idea where we were going, and if Jagger wasn’t there to follow, no one would know where I was.

He’s a hound. He can find you anywhere.

At that thought, I was able to breathe a little easier. Hounds were the best trackers around. He just needed my scent and he’d find me. It was going to be okay. Everything was going to be okay—unless, of course, Poe killed me before Jagger could get to me.

I opened the door, and Poe stood there in a dark suit. His gaze slid over me from head to toe, and I wanted to shrivel in on myself.

“You look good enough to eat,” he said and licked his lips.

I forced a smile. “You look good as well.” The compliment was like ash on my tongue.

He plucked my phone from my hand, slid my bag from my shoulder, and placed them on the floor inside the door.

“No phones allowed, and you don’t need anything else.”

Icy fear prickled all over me. “How very cloak and dagger.”

He grinned and took my hand, pulling me forward and closing the door after me. I subtly searched the street, the shadowy alleys, and storefronts for any sign of Jagger. Nothing, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t there.

Poe led me to his car and opened the door for me to get in. I was trapped, with no way to contact anyone, and wasn’t sure if Jagger had even gotten my message. Poe could be driving me to my death and no one would know until it was too late.

It was hard, but I shoved all those fears down as deep as I could. I was good at that. Pretending I was okay when I was far from it was my specialty, and tonight I needed it more than ever. “Can you tell me where we’re going now?”

Poe glanced my way as he turned a corner. “It’s pretty ingenious, actually, I can’t wait to show you.”

“Oh?”

“There’s these old tunnels under the city, part of the old sewer system that was closed off when they replaced it thirty years back.

Tarrant’s made use of them. It’s a bit of a maze, and the interesting part is, there are different ways to get in, depending on which quadrant we’re utilizing.

Having multiple access and exit points is another way to keep the location secure. ”

“I’m wearing heels to a sewer?” I made a silly face while my mind spun.

He actually chuckled. “I promise, no sewage.”

Poe pulled over on a nondescript street, not one I was familiar with, and before I could get out, he handed me something. “Put this on.”

A mask, and he had one as well. I took it. Knowing no one there would see my face was a serious relief.

“Does everyone wear them?”

“Anonymity is of the highest importance. If everyone’s faces are covered, no one can be implicated of anything.”

My brief feeling of relief slid down my body and out through the soles of my feet.

We exited the car and Poe led me down an alleyway.

It appeared to be a dead end, but as we neared the end, a small alcove revealed a steel door with a digital key pad.

He punched in a code, and the sound of steel sliding against steel sent chills through my veins as the lock disengaged.

We walked through, and when he closed the door behind us, we were plunged into a darkness so complete that I couldn’t see my hands in front of my face.

I heard and felt Poe do something beside me and a red light came on.

We were at the top of a staircase. We descended at least five flights, then he punched another code into a second panel, different from the first one, letting us through a steel door.

This tunnel was much larger, grander, and I felt as if I’d walked into some fancy cellar and not an old sewer. There was even Victorian-style, black iron streetlamps lighting the way. It was almost—charming.

At least until we reached the end and walked into an open area.

There was a small stage in the middle of the space, surrounded by chairs, and I could see two other tunnels on opposite sides, one wide open, leading somewhere else, and another with a heavy curtain drawn across it.

It was partially open, and beyond it, though mostly obscured, I saw cages.

They appeared empty from where I was standing.

My mouth went dry and dread churned in my stomach. “Are there others coming?”

“In an hour, everyone will start to arrive. I wanted to bring you here early and show you around.”

I swallowed thickly. “Then why the masks, if we’re here alone?”

“Cameras,” he said. “We’re also here early for the deliveries.”

Poe didn’t want Tarrant to know I was with him. “Of what?”

He tapped the side of his nose. “All will be revealed. You’re one of the reasons tonight could happen, and your skills have ensured these events will continue.”

“Me?” I felt sick to my stomach.

“When Luke fucked up, we found ourselves in serious trouble,” he said, surprising me by sharing. “We have clients that rely on these evenings. Things could have gotten dangerous if you hadn’t stepped up.”

Stepped up? They were holding Luke captive and blackmailing me. Poe was utterly delusional. “What should I expect tonight?”

His chest puffed up. “A very special, exclusive auction that I’m tasked with overseeing.”

An auction. Oh fuck . “That’s a…a big deal,” I said, trying to stroke his ego and keep him calm. He seemed to be getting more excited by the minute—his eyes were bright and he kept clenching and unclenching his fingers.

He nodded, his nostrils flaring. “It is.” His hand shot out, and he grabbed one of my breasts, startling me. The move was odd, awkward, confusing. He breathed in deep, squeezing me almost painfully as he released a shuddering breath.

I didn’t know what to do. I was all alone with this crazed demon. If I pushed him away, I could end up dead, but he was hurting me, his hold bruising. His eyes opened, his excitement increasing as he stared down at me.

“After tonight, I can have you,” he said, and he actually shuddered. “I can keep you.”

What the fuck was he talking about? “Keep me?”

He backed me up until I hit the wall. “Tarrant is…controlling. He likes our undivided attention.” He glanced up at the camera, and I realized he’d turned me so his body hid what he was doing to me.

“He has ways of knowing if we’ve…strayed from our path.

After tonight, he’ll know that you’re on our side, and things can be different. ”

Holy shit. He wasn’t allowed to be with me. Tarrant was a fucking twisted weirdo who controlled everything his people did, down to who they fucked, and thank the goddess for that. Poe had risked a lot kissing me at the fights, and Lars was obviously keeping Poe’s secret.

He squeezed my breast again, like some inexperienced, grabby weirdo, and I barely held back my flinch.

“You’re excited about that, too, aren’t you, Sutton?”

I nodded, swallowing thickly, trying to hide the pain he was causing. “Yes, of course.”

He smiled, looking relieved, then his gaze darkened. “Fuck, I want to sink my teeth into you…” He squeezed me again and sucked in a rough breath. “Right…here.”

His phone rang and he startled, then finally let go of me and held a finger to his lips.

It was hard not to sag in relief.

As Poe listened, his excitement slowly gave way to fury, even as he kept his tone even and controlled. He had to be talking to Tarrant.

Poe ended the call, shoved his phone in his pocket, grabbed my hand, and yanked me along with him back the way we came.

I jogged to keep up. “What’s going on?”

“The auction’s been cancelled.”

“What? Why?”

“Our biggest clients can’t make it, so we’ve had to reschedule for tomorrow night.”

Poe seemed to be regaining his control as we quickly took the stairs and walked out into the alley, but as soon as the door closed, he spun and slammed his fist into the brick wall, over and over again.

I scrambled back while he lost control completely, roaring as he beat the shit out of the wall.

Finally, he spun back to me, eyes wild, his usually slicked-back hair messy.

I wanted to turn and run; instead, I forced myself to walk up to him, approaching the unstable demon like I would a wild animal.