Page 18 of Boyfriend From Hell

“Is she alright?” a voice whispered, uncertainty lacing their words.

“Yes, of course she is,” huffed a second voice, though it sounded more like an attempt at reassurance than certainty. A sharp jab in my side forced a groan from me.

“Well, what did you do that for?” The first voice questioned again, wavering between concern and accusation.

“I didn’t do anything! I was just making sure she wasn’t actually dead. It doesn’t seem like she handled his entrance well,” the second voice exclaimed, defensiveness creeping in.

“You ought to be more careful, Mal! Here, give her the elixir.”

A third voice laughed, seemingly amused by the situation, a stark contrast to the tension between the other two.

There was a scoff, followed by the sound of glass clinking against glass, before something cold pressed against my lips.

My eyes flew open as shock flooded through me.

Had I seriously fainted from fear? Fight, flight, and then there was me—fainting. I flung my arms out, knocking away whatever they were trying to make me drink. The light was bright and blinding, as if someone opened all the curtains. Three blurry shapes hovered in my vision.

The third voice laughed, then there was a shift in weight around me followed by a huff and some incoherent mumbling.

“Morning,” the voice hummed, a mix of amusement and curiosity played on their tongue. “That wasn’t exactly how I wanted to make you black out.”

My eyes finally focused on the people before me. Three men. Well, two men and one horned, whatever the hell—goat man? Monster?

Raios.

“Devil,” Raios said, as if reading my mind. “Though, goat man does have a nice ring to it.”

Okay, maybe he can read my mind. Great, so my hot neighbor not only turned out to be bat-shit crazy but is also a mind reading goat man devil.

His lips curled up into a kind smile, as I finally met his eyes.

Something about it—as unsettling as it all was—was enticing.

He leaned back casually onto his elbows, giving me a chance to notice his shirtless state.

Of course he would be shirtless, because why would he be wearing a shirt. That would just make too much sense!

Try as I might, I couldn’t stop my gaze from straying to his exposed torso. What kind of woman would I be if I didn’t? It’s right there, demanding my attention—perfectly sculpted muscle and all.

Despite the terror of quite literally all of this, he’s not not hot and I’m not above acknowledging it.

Snap out of it, Deer!

One, he’s clearly mentally unwell, considering he abducted me and literally dragged me to—wherever the hell this place is.

And two…well, yeah, he abducted me. But I’d be lying if I said that from the brief five seconds (I counted) I looked at him, he wasn’t heartbreakingly gorgeous—in a dangerous ‘get too close and I might spear you in the heart with a horn’ kind of way.

Something about seeing him like this did things to me, unwanted things.

He looked good last night—sure, but there was just something about him, now, that was different—and no, it was not because he had horns now.

Those horns—they had to be fake, same with the red eyes—no one had red eyes.

He even admitted they were contacts last night.

The horns must be prosthetics. Yep, that explanation makes the most sense.

So, why did doubt still linger and gnaw at the edges of my rationality?

He shifted on his elbows and jerked his chin slightly, as if signaling to someone. Two men in twinned tailored suits edged closer to where we sat on the bed.

“Mal and Cam will prepare and inform you of this evening's plans,” Raios said, his gaze so intense it was as if he was looking into the making of my being.

“N-no thanks,” I said, as if his statement were an offer. “I’d like to go home actually. This has been freaky and fun, best birthday ever. Woo-hoo and all, but I think I should get going.”

I didn’t know if there were five stages of shock, like there was with grief. But, if there was, I think I was entering the “bargaining” phase.

I made a move to slide off the bed, until shadows began to form beneath him, slowly encapsulating him in silk obsidian until he was nothing more than a shadow of himself.

The smoke lingered for a few breaths before one of the suited men came to take his spot on the bed, waving the smoke away with a hand, while the other one followed suit and sat down, mirroring the same movements.

Stunned, I sat there, half off the bed, blinking before glancing toward the two strangers I was left with. I wondered if they had seen the same thing.

Glancing between them, I realized they were identical in every manner of the definition. I huffed, twins.

“What—” I began to ask sharply, noticing their stares.

“Camroth,” the one on the left stated while offering a surprisingly charming smile.

“Mal,” the one on the right said, giving a small nod and a wink.

“What—” I began again, this time a bit louder, only to be cut off.

“You are set to dine with Raios in the dining hall in precisely fifty-seven minutes and twenty-six seconds.” They spoke in unison.

Well, that’s specific.

“Yeah, no. I’m not dining with him; I need to go home. That horned asshole—you can tell him to take one of those horns and shove it right up his—”

Mal and Cam looked at one another, eyes flicking back and forth as if they were in some sort of silent conversation.

“Raios,” Mal began.

“The prince—” Cam continued.

Prince?

“He’ll be awaiting you; it is in your best interest that we get you prepared,” Mal claimed.

“Tonight’s a big deal for him, for both of you really. He wants to make this a special night,” they said in unison.

“We now have fifty-four minutes and thirty-nine seconds to make sure you are ready,” Cam announced, rising from the bed with a determined stride toward where I had cornered myself.

I pressed myself harder against the headboard, wishing I could somehow meld with the wood and anchor myself there.

“I’m not doing anything with you two. And, I am not going to dine with anyone,” I growled, riding a humble wave of determination and defiance. “Let. Me. Leave.”

“Oh, I don’t think you want that.” They intoned together. Their odd synchronization sent a shiver down my spine—it was eerie, yes. But more so, the sound of their voices together grated against my brain, like nails along a chalkboard.

I shot a glare at the two men, tension coiling within me like a spring ready to snap. Just one more tandem utterance and I felt I might reach out and tear the tongues straight from their mouths.

Much to my not surprise, the more I looked at them the more it registered that, of course they too were hot—in a weird ‘hey this is fucked up’ kind of way.

Two perfect mirror images of one another, both in tailored navy suits, both with the same slicked back black hair that framed amber eyes.

They honestly looked a little bit like Raios.

“You can’t tell me what I want. How would you two assholes know?” I snarled, my fingers knotting the sheets. My palms were slick with sweat. “I want to go home. I don’t want to be here, wherever here is.”

“We now have forty-nine minutes and three seconds,” they said plainly, in maddening unison.

Aaaand pop! There went my sanity.

“Oh my God! Will you two stop that?” The words erupted from me as I pressed my fists deep into the mattress. “Stop with the ominous count down!”

Cam and Mal looked between one another, their eyes flicking back and forth, before nodding curtly.

Their movements were swift and caught me off guard as they hoisted me up off the bed like a toddler throwing a temper-tantrum.

They each had one hand underneath an armpit and the other clasped tightly around my forearm.

“Hey!” I wailed and thrashed wildly in their grip—legs flailing in a furious attempt to land a hit. But my efforts were utterly futile against their iron grip as they stalked to the door.