Page 1 of Stained In Sin (The Twisted Trilogy #1)
Four months ago
The room pulses with shadows and champagne-soaked laughter, but I have a burning feeling in my soul like a hand around my throat, restricting my air and lighting my lungs on fire.
It feels like someone is watching me. This isn’t the first time I have felt this unusual sensation. I’ve been feeling it for months.
Everyone thinks I’m soft. Sweet. The kind of girl who gets scared of thunderstorms— but there is a part of me that’s always been drawn to the monsters that live in the dark.
I don’t drink to loosen up. I drink to silence the part of me that likes being looked at as prey.
I didn’t come to the club to dance. I came to feel the burn of curiosity flickering behind my ribs.
That’s the part I don’t let people see. That’s the part that wonders what it would be like to be possessed by something wicked.
The moment I saw him, I knew I’d be asking for it.
I turn and lock eyes with what appears to be a looming, inescapable figure. I can’t see the face beneath the mask. He tilts his head to the side, and every instinct is screaming to run, but the tingling in my chest dares me to move closer.
My heels click loudly against the marble, in sync with the club music. As the space closes between us, I can’t help the feeling that the air has thickened around us. I keep my head low as I approach the intriguing stranger.
Why does the powerful figure captivate me so easily? I never act on the urges that lurk beneath the surface, so why now?
I stop inches before him, as if an imaginary shield surrounds him.
He takes two strides forward, eating the distance between us.
He has clouded my vision and my thoughts.
His mask is matte black, covering the entirety of his face, allowing me to see only his eyes through the narrow openings.
His voice, low and edged with something dangerous, crawls across my skin, and his words cut through the dense air, leaving me breathless.
“Careful, little princess, you don’t want to make a deal with the devil.”
An alarm blares in my mind, warning me that these are the kind of men who will beat you and bury you in a shallow grave. I ignore my survival instincts and slowly lift my eyes to meet his.
“Maybe I do…” The words escape my mouth before I can stop them. My tone is breathy and full of desire. The champagne is clouding my judgment.
He tilts his head to the side.
“You should have stayed home tonight, princess. You had every chance to run, yet here you are.” He tucks a stray hair behind my ear, and my breathing ceases.
His eyes are dark like a sea of black abyss. There is no bottom, just blackness. My mind panics, but I also don’t want this moment to end. He makes me feel something when all I’ve ever felt is nothing.