Page 115 of Degradation

I slip through the back door, expertly picking the lock. It’s so quiet I can hear the blood pounding in my ears. I can hear my breaths, heavy, weighted.

Behind me, Cooper, Mace, and seven others are jostling to get inside and get this show on the road.

Our dear friend here had enough men stationed around the perimeter to give us a nice little challenge, a nice little fight.

As I step inside, my heart races with a mixture of adrenaline and bloodlust. The house is eerily silent, save for the soft sounds of the night creeping through. There’s a grandfather clock that’s slowly ticking away.

The entrance hall is choked with shadows. Perhaps all the demons of Hell are here tonight. My lips pull into a grin at the thought. Now that would make this entertaining, wouldn’t it?

I move quickly, creeping through the dimly lit corridor. A floorboard creaks loud enough for me to pause. Oh, I know there are more guards up here, more people waiting to protect their precious quarry.

But nothing happens. No one comes.

To say I’m disappointed is an understatement.

I find the stairs, not bothering to mask my footsteps as I ascend. There’s no need for subterfuge now.

The door to the first room I approach is half-open, a sliver of light spilling into the hallway, illuminating the jagged edges of the world that’s about to become one of their nightmares.

A girl I know to be his daughter is curled up in the bed. Poor bitch, she might be technically innocent but that won’t spare her. I know my brother will have both her and her mother sent to Oblivion. They’ll both be turned into slaves. Both be turned into whores for the great Brethren to enjoy.

I wrinkle my nose, not that I care what her fate is.

But for a minute, for one fleeting second, it’s like my mind plays a trick on me. I blink, rubbing them with my fingers as her features morph, as they alter.

Suddenly she no longer looks like Titus’s daughter.

Her hair turns a shade lighter, her nose becomes slenderer, and her mouth, her lips become fuller.

She opens her eyes, blinks back at me, and I can see those devastatingly blue eyes.

Paitlyn.

My heart slams into my chest. Something in my head roars.

I rush forward, wrenching the covers off and the girl screams, waking in an instant.

“You traitorous bitch…” I snarl, grabbing at her, yanking her out by her hair.

It makes no sense that she’s here. Why the fuck would she be? Unless Magnus knew I was coming here, unless I’ve been double-crossed?

I glance at the men, my men, they’re looking back at me in confusion.

“We got her.” I spit. “We got her.”

Before I can get the words out, Titus’s guards come crashing into the room. Curtis and Lyndon are quick to eliminate them, but the sound of gunfire will be enough to wake everyone up. To alert every fucker in this place.

The girl in my arms jerks, screaming out and I wrap my hand around her mouth to silence the damned noise.

“Shut the fuck up, Paitlyn.” I spit.

“Devin, that’s not her.” Cooper says with such an uncertain tone. As if he thinks I’m mad, as if he thinks I’ve forgotten what she looks like. Like I wouldn’t be able to pick her out, with my eyes covered and the room packed full of people.

I glance down, seeing the way the splice of moonlight catches her face.

And I swear to god, she smirks at me.

“Grace…” A woman cries coming out of nowhere.