Sleeping With The Devil

Chapter Four

Underneath the Surface

Willow’s POV

After the fight, the house seems colder. The hush spreads, a tense blanket encompassing every inch of Adrian's territory. I'm barely able to catch my breath as I walk inside the marble foyer, closing the door behind me. The words we had in the car flew through my head, his coldness, the way he stared at me like I was a delicate piece he could readily handle, something little and unimportant.

Trying to release the strain, I slant against the wall, but it stays with me like a second skin. Why then did I consent to this? How could I have let myself easily become caught in his world? I feel as though my life is spiraling and I have no idea how I might halt it.

Heart pounding, footsteps follow me as I turn. Adrian is there, staring at me with that same cold, calculated stare from the entryway—his dark, unreadable eyes.

"I thought you would head straight to the bedroom," he adds, his voice silky but laced with something I cannot exactly identify. "Or are you still seeking solutions??"

I swallowed; my throat dries out right away. "I did not..." You followed me so soon surprised me.

He advances to close the distance separating us. "Didn't you?" he probes with a sharp look. "Because, Willow, from the minute we met, you seemed to have been seeking answers. You want to know what this is, why I selected you, and what our marriage means to me.

I exhale shakily. Definitely yes, I do. You continue to exclude me nevertheless.

He leans out, his fingers stroking a strand of hair behind my ear to send me shivers. "You find me shutting you out?" Perhaps it is you who finds the truth frightening.

I tense; his proximity makes me feel both attraction and equal portions of terror. Though every instinct screams at me to turn away, I will push myself to hold his eye. "What truth, Adrian??"

He doesn't reply immediately. Rather, he examines me as though he is attempting to uncover my true self from under her layers. "You want to know why I'm here, why I'm invested in this... relationship." He slants in and lowers his voice to a whisper. "It's because I know you're stronger than you let yourself believe."

I blinked, startled by his remarks. "St stronger?"

His lips are pulled toward a shadow of a smile. "You would find me missing it? The fire in you? The one you hide beneath this delicate facade?

I shook my head, irritation boiling under my skin. "You think you know me, Adrian? You know nothing about me.

"Don't I?," He leans his head and narrows his eyes. Tell me then, Willow. Explain to me why you are truly here. Was it not more than your father's arrangement, then?

I opened my lips to answer, but the words choked me. Part of me agreed to this marriage out of obligation, but another part... is correct. Adrian's passion, his power, and the way he could command a room without speaking a word drew to me a darker, darker side.

How could I tell him that, though? I personally hardly grasp it.

Rather, I turn away with a shaky voice. "I do not need to defend myself to you."

He lets out a low chuckle, sending even another thrill down my spine. "You're fooling yourself, Willow. Though you can strive to hide, the truth will eventually come out.

I turn back to meet him, fury blazing. "Stop Adrian, you from playing games. I deserve to find out why you have dragged me into this warped arrangement. Why have you kept me in the dark over everything?

He gets closer, his face darkening. "You seek integrity? Better still. The fact is, Willow: I wanted someone who wouldn't merely sit back and follow instructions. Someone who would challenge me and make me doubt things. You are part of this since you are stronger than you think. And if some are watching us, waiting for one of us to stumble.

At the intensity in his eyes, my pulse sped. "What do you mean, folks observing us?"

His jaw closes, and for the first time, I notice a flutter of sensitivity under the mask. "Our marriage is more than simply a calculated power move, Willow. That is a cover. Some will do anything to bring me down, and they would not hesitate to go through you to achieve it.

His comments weigh so much that I feel my stomach turn. "You are saying..." In some form of game, I am a pawn?

Not a pawn, not at all. He extends his hand and grips my arm with an almost soft touch. Still, you are included in the strategy. And you became either my friend or adversary the instant you embraced the ring.

I free my arm, fury raging. "How would you treat me without telling me? You had no right to drag me into something this risky!

His expression hardens as he looks at me. "William, it's not about rights here. It is about survival. You demanded the truth? In other words, you are safe as long as you are with me. Steer clear, and you expose yourself.

His comments keep coming back to me as though the floor is sinking under me. fragile. Healthy. He is with me. Though there's an odd thrill to it too, a dark attraction I cannot ignore, the consequences are horrific.

"Then, what? I simply go along and pretend this is normal. I inquire, sarcasm slanted in voice.

A smile pulls at his mouth. "You are not obliged to pretend. Just keep near and follow my lead. And rely on me as well.

Trust you, please. I smile cruelly. Having lied to me from the start, you are asking for trust?

He is not flinching or backing down. "Because I wanted you not to get afraid. You understand today the stakes involved.

Though a thousand questions whirl in my head, one stands out above the others. "What is happening right now, Adrian?"

His eyes become icy, cold, and calculated. You learn to play the game now. Because if you fail to... someone else might try to use you against me.

Turning and galloping away, his footsteps resound in the great solitude. Feeling both caught and oddly alive, I stand there trying to make sense of everything he has said. He seems to have dragged me into a world I hardly know, one full of secrets, power, and peril waiting around every side.

The phone in my hand buzzes as I stride on, resolved to trail him. I peek down and see an unidentified number.

Inquisitive, I respond. "Hi?"

There is silence; then, I cannot identify the low voice. "Be vigilant, Willow. You don't know the person you are working with.

The line breaks dead.

My heart accelerates, and a terrible anxiety settles in my gut. Looking at the vacant hall, I suddenly feel somewhat vulnerable.

That was that? And how would they have known my name?

My mind racing with thoughts, I discovered something horrifying: Adrian's world is darker and more dangerous than I could have ever dreamed. And somehow I have started to participate in it without even noticing it.

Realizing there may be more at stake than she first believed, Willow is left struggling with the terrifying phone call and unsure of whom she can rely on—not even her husband.