A Deal with the Devil
1067 Words
Chapter 11.
The weight of Damian’s words pressed against Serena’s chest like a vice.
"Kill him."
Two words.
Two simple, chilling words.
Spoken with the ease of a man who had ordered death before.
Serena stood frozen in the darkness, barely breathing. If Damian turned around, if he caught her listening…
She didn’t know what would happen.
Would he lie?
Or would he tell her the truth—that he was as dangerous as the men he claimed to protect her from?
Her heartbeat pounded in her ears.
Then—
He spoke again.
“Make it clean. No loose ends.”
A pause.
“Good.”
Serena took a shaky step back, her foot barely making a sound against the carpet.
But Damian was a predator.
And predators felt when they were being watched.
His shoulders tensed.
Serena turned to slip away—
Too late.
His voice sliced through the silence.
“You shouldn’t be awake.”
A shiver ran down her spine.
Slowly, she turned to face him.
Damian stood in the dim glow of the hallway light, his sharp eyes locked onto hers. The phone was no longer in his hand—when had he put it away?
He was calm.
Too calm.
The kind of calm that made her stomach twist with unease.
“I heard your phone ringing,” she lied, forcing herself to meet his gaze.
Damian studied her. “And you decided to eavesdrop?”
Serena swallowed. “I—”
His eyes darkened. “What did you hear?”
The air grew thick.
Serena’s heart pounded. She wasn’t stupid—admitting she’d overheard a hit order could put her in real danger.
So she shook her head. “Nothing.”
A muscle ticked in Damian’s jaw.
Then, to her surprise—
He smirked.
Low. Dark. Amused.
“You’re lying.”
Serena’s hands curled into fists. “And what if I am?”
He stepped closer. Slow. Controlled. A lion circling its prey.
“Then I have a problem.”
Her breath hitched.
His voice was quiet. Too quiet.
And that terrified her more than if he had yelled.
A shiver ran down her spine. “Are you going to hurt me, Damian?”
His expression shifted. The smirk faded, replaced by something unreadable.
Something dangerous.
“No,” he said.
Then, softer—more dangerous—
“Not unless you give me a reason to.”
Trapped in the Lion’s Den
Damian turned away first, heading toward the study without another word.
But Serena knew she couldn’t just walk away.
Not after what she’d heard.
Not after the storm brewing between them.
She followed.
The study was as intimidating as the man who owned it—dark mahogany, walls lined with books and expensive artifacts.
Damian poured himself a glass of whiskey and took a slow sip, watching her over the rim.
“Sit.”
It wasn’t a request.
Serena hesitated, then sat across from him.
The silence stretched.
Then—
“Are you afraid of me?”
Her breath caught.
Yes.
But not just for the reasons he thought.
Serena lifted her chin. “Should I be?”
Damian’s lips curved into something cold. “Smart answer.”
Her fingers curled around the armrest of the chair. “Who was the call about?”
He raised an eyebrow. “Curiosity is dangerous.”
“So is keeping secrets from me.”
Something flickered in his expression. Approval? Amusement?
“You don’t want to know.”
“I do,” she insisted. “Who did you just order to be killed?”
Damian leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. The firelight cast sharp shadows on his face, making him look even more lethal.
“It was a warning.”
Serena swallowed. “For who?”
His voice dropped. “For the people who came after you last night.”
Her stomach twisted. “You mean—”
“They’ll never get close to you again,” he said simply.
A chill ran down her spine. “You’re serious.”
His eyes met hers. “I don’t make empty threats.”
Serena’s pulse pounded.
She should have been horrified.
She should have been disgusted.
Instead, a dangerous thought whispered in her mind.
He did it for me.
Damian Blackwood wasn’t a good man.
But he was her monster now.
The Devil’s Bargain
Serena exhaled shakily. “So that’s how you solve your problems? With blood?”
Damian took another sip of whiskey. “When necessary.”
“And if I told you to stop?”
He tilted his head, considering her. “Would you?”
Serena hesitated. “I don’t know.”
He smirked. “Honest. I like that.”
She leaned forward. “I don’t want people to die because of me, Damian.”
His expression didn’t change. “Then don’t give them a reason to come after you.”
Her stomach knotted. “That’s not fair.”
Damian set his glass down and stood. In a second, he was in front of her, towering over her.
“You think fairness exists in my world?” he murmured.
Serena’s breath hitched.
His world.
A world where rules didn’t matter.
Where lives were bought and sold like stock.
Where men like Damian decided who lived and who died.
And she was part of it now.
She licked her lips. “What happens now?”
Damian brushed a stray curl from her cheek, his touch both gentle and possessive.
“Now?” His voice was soft. Dangerous.
“Now, you learn how to survive.”
A War Brewing in the Dark
Hours later, when Serena was alone in her room, her mind wouldn’t stop racing.
She had wanted to hate Damian for what he did.
For what he was.
But the truth?
She wasn’t sure she could.
Because even though she knew he was dangerous—
Even though she knew he was a man capable of terrible things—
She had never felt safer than when she was in his arms.
And that?
That was more terrifying than anything else.
What scared her more was the nagging feeling in her gut.
This wasn’t over.
Not by a long shot.
Because if Damian was willing to kill to keep her safe—
Then someone else was willing to kill to take her away.
And the war had only just begun.
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- Writer
