Page 9 of Tortured Souls
“Like what you see?” I yell. He cups his ear at me like he can’t hear me, so I repeat myself. Again, he turns his head, cupping his ear, exaggerating the motion. This fucking man. I lean over the bar, getting closer to yell my question for a third time, when he snakes his hand around my neck, grabbing me by my nape. His face is so close to me I can smell his scent as it invades my nose. Bergamot and musk, which are fast becoming my new favorite scents. I fucking hate how my body betrays me whenever he’s around. She rapidly turns into a Disney princess, summoning her suitor for her happily ever after. It’s repulsive.
“Watch your mouth, Sky. I’m starting to think you like me.” Letting me go, he gives my neck a slight push, his touch a hot iron pressing against my sensitive skin. He then grabs his order and turns his back on me, heading towards his crew.This fucking egotistical prick.
“Might want to close your mouth, girl. You’re starting to drool!” Chastity yells at me from my side. I quickly close my mouth, not realizing I had it open, and turn to look at her. See what I’m saying? My body is a full on traitor, and I hate when she takes over. “Don’t make it too obvious!” She elbows me, giving me her gorgeous smile, and goes back to taking orders. I snap myself out of the fuck storm of a cloud Saxon put me in and do the same. I’m starting to brew inside, thinking about his comment.
I’m starting to think you like me.
The fucking nerve of this man, seriously. I do my best not to look in his direction, but it’s hard when I can feel a pair of blackeyes burning into the side of my face as I continue working my way down the bar.
An hour later, the bar is starting to dissipate. Not entirely but definitely not as busy as before. I’m able to grab my glass of water and chug half the contents. Grabbing my hair tie off my wrist, I start twisting my hair into a messy bun, getting it off the back of my neck. Finishing my water, I place the glass in the sink and turn back to the bar, ready to take more orders.
“What can I—” I stop mid-sentence when none other than the bane of my existence stares back at me with his signature scowl. I go to ignore him but think better of it.
“Yes, Saxon?” I say to him, sarcasm dripping past my lips. Pulling out a bar stool, he settles in and places his forearms on the bar top, making a fist with his hands. I wait for his response. I refuse to let him see how much his scowl intimidates me. He’s unflinching and never is the first to break eye contact. It’s unsettling at times. I put my hand on my hip, pushing it out to the side and giving him my best bored face as I continue to wait.We can play this game all night, big boy.
“I found your boy.” He continues to stare at me as he pulls his beer to his lips and takes a long swig. Is he referring to Damien? Last time I spoke with Saxon was when he asked me if I knew who Damien was. It has to be who he’s talking about.
“My boy?” I try to keep my voice even and steady, but the heat that erupts beneath my skin is probably showing him just how much that man affects me, and not in a good way. Red. Damien makes me see nothing but red. Raising an eyebrow, he glances to his side as Saint takes up the chair beside him, spreading his legs out and pinning me with a glare of his own.
“Yeah, you know. Mr. Devonte?” I swallow the lump in my throat and stand to my full height.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” I go to turn around, but a strong hand wraps around my bicep, yanking me towards the bar once again.
“Oh, I think you do, Sky.” I look down at my bicep, expecting it to be Saxon squeezing me, but it’s Saint. His silvery, animalistic eyes pin me where I stand.There’s nothing I hate more than a man who thinks he can use his strength and size against me. My father did it all my life, and I’ll be damned if I let another animal bend me until I break.
“Make this easy on yourself, tesoro. Tell me how you know him, or we do this my way.” Saxon’s voice drops deeper than usual. His expression is wiped of any sarcasm, replaced with pure rage and determination. I yank my arm from Saint’s lethal grip, and glare at Saxon with my own signature scowl. If he thinks I’m scared of him, he clearly doesn’t know I’ve already faced the devil and laughed in his face many times. This man is no different from the devil’s goblins that have plagued me my whole life—the devil being my father.
“Fuck off, Saxon, and take your dog with you.” My eyes catch the gleam of a man’s watch, the light bouncing off the face and shining in my eyes for a split second. My eyes instinctively go to the interruption, and if I didn’t have the bar to hold me up, I would have surely collapsed. Dirt-brown eyes narrow on me, while the man clutches his phone between his hands. Ever so slowly, a grin begins to pull across his lips, and I have to force myself to swallow the bile that’s rapidly rising up my throat. Although I’ve been looking for this man, this is not how I planned on seeing him.
“Sky?” I can hear someone calling my name, but the hold his eyes have on me keeps me frozen in place. My throat constricts, not allowing me to speak. I hold his glare, too afraid if I look away, he’ll disappear. I continue watching him as he leans down, whispers something to his friend, then leaves. Just like that. Iwatch his back until he disappears down the spiral staircase. Air surges back into my lungs the moment I lose sight of him, as if I was holding my breath.
“Sky!” I hear my name yelled again, but I ignore it. My legs move on their own as I head into the back supply closest, shutting the door behind me. I can’t catch my breath. He saw me here. He’s going to tell my father where I am, if he hasn’t already. He’ll come for me; I know it. This is not what I had planned. I was supposed to findhim, torturehim, and fucking killhim. The only thing left would be his name on my list with a thick, bold red line across his name.
The sound of the door bursting open has me spinning around in shock as Saxon enters the small closet with me. I exhale a deep breath. I’m on edge, and I’m pissed at myself for allowing that man to get this reaction from me. When Saxon looks at me, I can’t help rolling my eyes.
“Saxon, go away. You shouldn’t be in here.” He doesn’t move, not that I actually thought he would. Instead, he closes the space between us, his body vibrating with energy I can feel almost immediately.
“Saxon, what are you doing?”
“What the fuck was that, Sky?”
“W-what do you?—”
“Don’t fuck with me. You know what I’m talking about.” I look away from him, not able to hold his stare any longer.
“Look at me, Sky.” His large hand wraps around my throat, not squeezing or suffocating, rather he’s forcing me to look at him. I squeeze my eyes shut, unable to control the sting building behind my eyes.
Don’t you fucking cry, Sky, I berate myself, as I focus on something other than the man who shattered me all those years ago.
“Open your eyes, tesoro.” Saxon speaks in a low, soothing tone. A tone I’ve never heard him use before, and what is that name he just called me? Opening my eyes slowly, I’m met with his stupidly handsome face mere centimeters from mine. Why do the assholes have to be so handsome? It’s not fair, actually. No man should be this painfully beautiful, especially this one. I focus on the scar above his left eyebrow—anything other than those eyes.I wonder how he got that scar?
“What happened out there? Who did you see?” It quickly dawns on me. He didn’t see Damien. I need to play this off as something other than me seeing the man Saxon is currently looking for. I need to calm down if I’m going to be the one to get to him first. I will not let Saxon win this battle. Yes, Damien hurt his family, but he took so much more from me. We both have our own agendas—only they both happen to include one man. Saxon will not get to Damien first. That’s not going to happen. Damien will meet his fate by my own hands. Damien Devonte has destroyed my life far worse than he’s destroyed Saxon’s, and I’ll be damned if he takes this kill from me.
“You have three seconds to answer me, Sky. I’m not a patient man.” I don’t know how to get out of this. I don’t know what I need to tell him to get him off my back.
Fuck.
Think, Sky.