Chapter THREE.

MAEVE HAWTHORN.

My legs shook, standing before the devil wasn’t only threatening to break me, I felt like all of my insides were getting pulled out. The air felt thinner and I felt my stomach churn.

Work for it? Under him?

“W— What do you mean?” I stuttered, my gaze lifting but I was too weak to maintain eye contact with him because even though I hated to admit it, I couldn’t deny it.

The more I stared into his dark, green eyes, the weaker I felt and the more I wanted him.

The sound of Enzo’s heavy footsteps filled the air and I swallowed. I could feel the heat coming from him when he finally stopped in front of me, making it difficult for me to concentrate on anything other than his smell.

He had a masculine smell of moss and pine and all of my thoughts came to an abrupt halt when he fingered a loose tendril of hair on my cheek, his fingers slightly grazing me.

His fingers then trailed down my temple and my breath hitched, my heart was racing like crazy no matter how hard I tried to get it under control and it wasn’t until I felt his under go right into the cloth I was wearing that I jolted back to my senses.

I withdrew myself as quickly as I could and tried to turn away but I failed at that point because I was stopped by the iron grip on my wrist.

“You’re not trying to run away, are you?” He questioned, his green eyes peering into mine. How do I answer that question without sounding like a total coward?

Because, yes, I was trying to run away from him. From the effect he was starting to have on me.

His hand around my wrist was firm, strong and protective and I hated that I wanted him to keep holding me but he let go as he raised his hand and snapped his fingers.

One of the men that had followed him into the room handed him a brown paper that Enzo opened, revealing a white one before handing it over to me.

“Your father signed that and I’ll spare you the trouble of reading it but it states that if he doesn’t pay back because of any unforeseen circumstances, then I’m allowed to use his daughter, Maeve Hawthorn, however I want.” He finished.

It was almost as though he knew what hearing my name roll out his tongue does to me but I had no time to concentrate on my pulsating pussy or the wetness between my legs.

I couldn’t believe my father would sign something like this without telling me about it. My eyes were wide, hatred for my father filling the pit of my stomach as my eyes landed on his signatures.

My father had always been rotten, he was the worst father ever and sometimes, while he was still alive, I stayed up all night thinking about what I could’ve done to God for him to give me a father like him.

I still ponder on that even after his death because unlike every other father, he left me with no inheritance and mountain heap of debt to pay and another thing I’m just knowing, he had sold me off to the devil himself, Enzo De-Luca, without as little as telling me about it.

“I don’t care what’s in that paper,” I said through gritted teeth as I slammed it on his face. His men began to move but a raise of his finger stopped them.

My heart was in my throat but I couldn't possibly let him see that I was scared.

No one has ever defied Enzo De-Luca and lived to tell the tale.

“And I also don’t care who you are but I AM NOT staying here with you!” I affirmed firmly while his lips curved in a smile as his eyes trailed paths along my body.

“I’d rather die than reduce myself to a slut for money, especially a slut for someone like you!” I finished, my chest heaving with each breath I took and instead of a response, all I got was a laugh.

His eyes were closed as he leaned closer into me, I tried to move but with his huge body towering over my small one, there was nowhere for me to go.

Leaning closer, Enzo pulled my flimsy dress down, causing it to fall to my legs and I was standing naked in front of the man I’d told that I’d rather die than be with.

Two loud blasts of gunshots made me jump and my heart thumped, I looked around and my jaw dropped when I saw his men lying on the floor in their own pool of blood.

“WHAT ARE—"

“They were staring at you,” he responded before I could ask my question, icy fear gripped me and I felt the tip of my ear getting cold as sweat broke out my forehead.

“You don’t have a choice, Maeve,” he continued and instead of his fingers now, his gun was what was trailing down my body, the cold metal pressing into my body.

“Unless you want to end up like your father.” He finished before pressing the gun between my legs, grazing my cunt with it and I hated myself for enjoying how good it felt.

“I— I would prefer that!” I forced out and Enzo immediately stopped the assault between my legs, causing me to heave out a sigh of relief.

Examining the gun he was holding, Enzo laughed as he placed one finger under my chin so that I would keep eye contact and while my gaze was fixed on him, he licked off the liquid.

He’s sick! He’s really a sick bastard!

“You say that but your body is saying something entirely different from what’s coming out of your mouth.” He pointed out as if I didn’t know that already.

I couldn’t deny the fact that I felt an unusual pull to him, I tried to suck it up on the fact that he’s an attractive man but it was beyond that.

Shaking the thought out of my head, I tried to focus but doing that was more difficult than anything I’ve had to do in my entire life.

I wanted to touch the scar on his neck, I wanted to run my fingers through his long hair and I also wanted to explore every inch of his body while listening to him talk to me about how he got all of his scars and tattoos.

‘Focus, Maeve! Focus!’ I tried to do that but his appearance, the fact that he was this close to me was disturbing to me in every way.

He radiated a vitality that drew me in like a magnet and my body ached for more and more of his touch that I couldn’t help but dream of being crushed within his embrace.

His breath was hot against my cheek and ear, his stubble tickling my cheek as he breathed into my ear before saying with conviction.

“I don’t know why you fight it, Maeve, when we both know that you’re eventually going to submit to me.” His voice was low and there was a maddening hint of arrogance about him that only made me weak against him.

I was supposed to get mad, I wanted to get mad and pull away from him but all I could do was let out a breathy moan that made him feel as though he’s won this game we were playing.

Pulling an inch away from me, Enzo whistled and the door opened almost immediately. Revealing a woman probably four to five years older than I am.

“Scarlett Wells, you’ve been best friends since you both were six years old, attended the same elementary school and now going to the same college you had to drop out of because you had no means of paying the tuition.”

“Dark shoulder-length hair, brown eyes, a birthmark on her left shoulder,” I listened with wide eyes as the woman read my best friend’s file while Enzo only stared in amazement.

“Since your death won’t pay the Capo and you’re probably suicidal enough to be waiting for your own death, then maybe Scarlett Wells will do, we won’t kill her, just some limbs here and there and—"

“HOW DARE YOU!” I barked, not caring about the fact that I was naked as I tried to pounce on the woman who was swifter than I was.

She moved like there was spring in her legs and the next thing I knew, I was on the floor with my chest pressed into the ground as she sat on my back.

The sound of Enzo’s laughter reverberated through the room and my stomach tightened, anger and hatred knotted deep within me as I looked up to see him enjoy himself.

I know now why they call him a devil.

“What are you going to do now, Maeve? Because trust me, Yvette here is going to pluck out everything on your best friend’s body until there’s nothing left.” Enzo explained and I felt my skin crawl.

“You can either be my pet slut or you lose the only person you probably care about now because your boyfriend is a total jerk,” he continued like he had the right to call anyone a jerk.

“What is it going to be, Maeve Hawthorn?” He finished, throwing the question at me as if putting me in a situation where I have to choose between having no control over what to do with my own body and my best friend was like a walk in a park.

My chest tightened as the memories of Scarlett and I filled my mind, we did everything together and even right now, she has no idea I’m here.

I know Scarlett enough to know that I could check my phone right now and see a million missed calls, she’s had to deal with my dad with me, she’s helped me through some tough times and if I don’t agree to this right now, the devil himself would go for her.

“I’ll—" I swallowed, I couldn’t believe I was agreeing to something as ridiculous and condescending as this.

“I’ll do it!” I rushed out, making up my mind, “I’ll be your pet slut!”