Page 59 of The Devil of Hollywood

The words looped, grinding and twisting in my mind as each repeated. Each echo made me angrier than the last. Her rejection was just one more thing added to the list of shit that was meant to hurt me.

Anyone. But. Me.

Hell, she all but got down on one knee and proposed to Elec. Chosen him… over me. He used to fucking be my best friend. And she’d rather marry him than me?

Well, I had told her my plans. Could I blame her for not wanting to be hurt on top of already suffering at The Order? Marian wasn’t stupid. She knew the battle between us was inevitable. It was only a matter of time. She may have said she didn’t say those things on her own free will, but I wasn’t so quick to buy into it. Then again… Bram had seen proof that she was being honest, and he was pulling it up right now so that I could see the truth for myself. He meant to… convince me. I couldn’t believe it. I couldn’t believe her. If they were right… if… she hadn’t been responsible, and what she told Elec was the truth about the shot, what did that mean? What did I do?

“I can’t stomach the smell in here. I’m not eating this.” Elec glanced over, pushing his plate further away on the small table in the room we’d been given for Marian. Where she couldn’t eat fast enough, Bram and Elec hadn’t touched their plates. They’d been whispering as Bram went through his phone.

“It’s not bad.” I took another bite of roast, using my fork and knife to shred more from the thick slice of meat. “It’s actually really good. Tender. And there’s this flavor. I can’t place my finger on it. It’s⁠—”

Elec’s hand lifted, cutting me off as he shook his head.

“What? Am I missing something?”

“Maybe not. I don’t know. I’m not trying the food to find out.”

“Is it poisoned?”

Marian’s question had them looking over.

“No. I doubt it.” Bram’s tone was casual, but his eyes didn’t lift from the screen.

“Can I have your plate, then?”

She finished off her potatoes with gravy, placing the empty dish on the bed as her hands impatiently lifted for his. Elec grabbed his plate and stood, leaving Bram and walking it over.

“Here’s the proof you wanted to see.” “Bram’s voice was low as he handed me his phone. “And the reason we’re not eating is because they have a baby farm here. They breed slaves for the menu. Some like the taste. I doubt that’s what they served. us. Then again, it’s a delicacy. They’d want to give us… the best.”

“Babies? I just ate—I—Babies? I’m going to be sick.”

“Don’t you dare,” I snapped to Marian. “You haven’t eaten in days. Forget the… meat.” I glanced down at my own plate, and I had to swallow past my own sickness over the thought. “Eat everything else.”

Marian was fanning herself, paler than I’d seen her in the last few hours. “I’m not so hungry anymore. How much longer until we know something? I want to go home.”

Bram looked at his watch. “It shouldn’t be much longer.”

“You’re not going home, Marian. You’re coming to mine. Did you forget? I own you now.”

She rolled her eyes but stayed quiet as I put my attention to the video Bram had handed over. It was of a dark room, but the light from the hallway gave view of a path right to Marian’s bed as I pressed play. I knew her room. I’d snuck in there before.

Melissa headed through, glancing behind her as she quickly walked forward. Her hands were clenched down at her side, and for seconds she stood over Marian, staring down at her sleeping frame. Marian’s hands were pressed into each other in a prayer position, tucked under her chin as she slept on her side. Slowly, Melissa leaned forward, and I saw the syringe as she led it to Marian’s bicep. Heat blistered inside of me at Marian’s small whimper. Just as quickly as she’d given her the shot, she pulled her hand back. After what Elec had done to her earlier—what she’d said—Marian was a victim, just like me. To be faced with the truth. To stomach what I’d been so hesitant to believe⁠—

“Son of a bitch.” The threat in my words had nowhere to go. No one to be directed to. It had the anger intensifying as Marian’s younger self groggily called out.

“Ouch. Mom, what are you doing?”

“Get up, Marian. We’re going to The Pennington Estate.”

“I told you no. I love Drayton. I won’t⁠—”

Whack!

The impact was hard, causing me to close my eyes as I stopped the video and thrust it back to Bram.

“What was that? Was that—Is that the proof?”

Bram didn’t have time to answer before knocking sounded and the door opened. Two guards stood at the entrance.