The words rattled in my head, and I struggled to make sense of them. But I wanted to.
I needed to.
If he had the power to spare me or take me away from here, then I would do whatever he asked.
My jaw went slack.
He smiled.
“Wider, pretty boy.” His thumbs pressed into my cheeks. “Show me what you look like when you’re hungry for a cock.”
And I did. I parted my lips, rested my tongue on my teeth, and waited for him—until a line of spit slid from the corner of my mouth.
Then he released me.
“How much?”
The question passed overhead, part of a conversation about me that didn’t include me.
I swallowed and shook, dividing my gaze between the man still standing over me and the demons who flanked him.
They talked figures, not money, and an agreement was made.
“Look here, pretty.”
The man snapped near my face, demanding my attention. I gave it.
“You want to come with me?” he asked. “I’ve got a city full of people who’d just love to meet you.”
My knees ached from kneeling, but my heart hurt more. It surged with longing so painfully deep it escaped me in a sob.
“Smart boy,” the man praised, and I realized I was nodding. “Good boy. Now, let’s get the papers drawn up.”
CHAPTER
ONE
Zephyr
“Cherry, baby,” a low voice crooned. “Tell me, how long has it been?”
Maslow gave my arm a squeeze, snapping me out of my mental fog. I blinked and looked up, seeing more than the narrow tunnel of the hallway ahead. I sawhim.
A powerful, ancient being wearing the visage of a pale, portly human. He was balding. Graying. Pockmarks dented his cheeks, and a gold-capped tooth flashed in his smile.
This was my savior. The man who’d dragged me out of Hell and returned me to the world.
He walked beside me with his hand on my shoulder, guiding me through the halls of the Devil’s Dollhouse. His business, my home.
I’d missed most of what he’d said, but that last question rang out clearly.
“How long has it been?”
I thought on it, counting the days, before I answered. “Six weeks.”
“Already?” Maslow scoffed. “Damn contractors. Took twice as long as promised for half again the money. Should’ve been done before you got here. Didn’t mean to keep you waiting.”
I hadn’t minded. It was a relief to have time to orient myself with a world that felt markedly different from how I’d left it. This was a new city, with new sights and sounds, all revolving around the club where Maslow showcased his hell-born treasures. It would have been nice to be treated with care, like fine china in a cabinet, but we weren’t fragile enough for that. This display was more like a zoo, with tickets bought and sold, and six captive performers just as caged and paraded around… nightly.
