Page 114 of Dancing with the Devil

We reached the bottom, and an awful stench hit my nose in a wave of warm air. He placed one hand on my shoulder and used the other to flick on a light switch.

My stomach dropped as fear seeped into every part of me.

In front of me, on display, a man appeared—chained to the wall by both wrists.

His entire body was limp. His knees barely touched the ground, and his head hung low. The top half of his body was bare, whereas his bottom half was only clothed with a pair of wet, bloody jeans. His feet were crushed and bloody. All ten fingers are broken, lying on the ground. There were six to eight-inch scars along both arms, shoulders, and his chest.

He lifted his head, and the right side of his face was completely burned off, showing everything underneath his skin.Every—thing.

“Oh my God,” I breathed, jolting back.

Nausea swirled in my stomach and my hands flew to my mouth as I fought back a gag. The man looked up at me with a lazy, weak grin.

“Hello,princess,” his voice was rough and croaky. Antonio eliminated the space between us from behind me.

My body tensed as he moved the hair off my shoulder, lowering his head to my ear. “Happy?”

My tremulous voice filled the deafening silence. “Did you do this to him?”

“Hm,” he hummed, nodding his head as he pressed his face into my hair, slowly inhaling. “For you. I did this for you,” he almost clarified, and I closed my eyes, feeling goosebumps spreading all over my skin.

He wrapped both his hands around my waist, and I fearfully gasped at the sudden contact. “Open your eyes,tesoro. Look at the man who hurt you—suffering.”

I bit down on my bottom lip as a tear slipped out, but I immediately wiped it, opening my eyes.

“God, you’re sick,” I murmured, and his arms around my waist tightened.

“Not the reaction you were expecting, huh?” the man huffed in satisfaction.That voice…

He lifted his head, and it all clicked.Sylvester.

My stomach dropped.

No.

I won’t believe it.

The man I met months ago wasn’t the man standing behind me right now. It can’t be. I was overflowing with denial, until realization hit me in an instant.

“Diavolo,” the word faintly left my lips, and my heart dropped. She was right.Silviawas right.

He sighed—almost disappointedly— and his breath tickled my neck. “I thought you’d like your little gift,baby,” he said, walking out from behind me and towards a table I hadn’t noticed had weapons on it.Bloodyweapons.

“You thought I’d fucking like this?” I asked, turning to him in disbelief. “You’re torturing a man half to death an—and I’m supposed tolikethis?” I choked out in frustration.

“Watch your tone,” he warned, lifting a knife as he cleaned it with a cloth.

“Watch my tone?” I sarcastically laughed. “This—this is—” I shook my head and the door behind me opened.

“Oh, stop whining you brat,” Sylvester groaned and I whipped around to face him—brows drawn together. He let out a groan in pain as a knife flew into his side. My eyes widened and I turned to Antonio.

“Youdo not get to talk tomygirl like that,” Antonio threatened, and walked over to Sylvester. My heart rate picked up as I watched him twist the knife—like it was nothing—deeper into Sylvester’s side.

Footsteps descended the stairs and I turned around, anxiously waiting for whoever it was to appear.Cesar?

“Ah,” Cesar softly said, his eyebrows shooting up. “I see you have decided to show her your secret,” he said and I looked at him in disbelief. He casually walked over to the table and placed a box down on it.

“She can be…persistent,” Antonio shrugged his shoulders and the two of them both shared a knowing smile.