Page 21 of Blissful Devotion

I wait, expecting the usual elevator sounds, but it’s silent; even when it stops and the doors roll open, there’s nothing.

I stand frozen, sure that I’m meant to move forward but unable to make myself do so.

The man behind me has no such issues, though, and with a hard shove to my back, I stumble forward, nearly slamming into the back wall. Everything in me tells me to leave, even if I have nowhere else to go. I know whatever is waiting for me upstairs won’t be better; it can’t.

The doors are already closing behind me before I can do anything, but I get a glimpse of the man who’d shoved me in here and can’t stop my gasp of surprise when I see it’s the same man who’d yanked me into the car back at the crash, his face unforgettable, the same knife tattoo on his face as Lorenzo’s.

Something tells me this is more than just a simple rivalry between brothers and a lot more dangerous.

The elevator ride feels like it takes forever, even if it’s probably less than thirty seconds, and with each one that passes, I swear it gets harder to breathe.

Why even bother taking me out of the room? He said I could sit there until I felt like talking, but I haven’t, so why the sudden change of heart?

Did he decide I’m more trouble than I’m worth, and I’m walking to my death?

The doors slide open as silently as they closed, and while I’d pictured some kind of evil lair or place to die, I’m met instead with a house.

A very large, very expensive house, if the small bit I can see is any indication.

The elevator dings, the door rolls closed again, and I remain frozen.

“Unless you want to go back down to the dungeon, I suggest you step out of the elevator.” Lorenzo’s voice startles me as it bounces around the metal box, and his foot slips into the door's path, making it slide open again.

The dungeon.

I’m tempted to take my chances, if I’m being honest.

At least I know what’s down there, or mostly.

It doesn’t make sense, not even to myself, but something about Lorenzo is wrong. One would think the guy downstairs with the face tattoos would be giving off the worst vibes, but somehow Lorenzo has him beat.

Unfortunately, I don’t think I really have a choice here.

His gaze bores into me, and I force myself to move forward one step, then another. When I finally reach the door, a smile curls his lips, and he moves aside to allow me to leave, sweeping a hand out before him as if in some grand gesture.

As if I’m meant to care.

“Let’s go up to your room. Why don’t we, love?”

His pet name for me catches me off guard, and I have to hold back the urge to physically move away from him. Unlike when the guys call me nicknames, Lorenzo’s makes me feel like I need to shower.

He turns and starts walking away, leaving me to follow, and I do, albeit at a slower pace. I can’t help but look around—not only because it’s nice (holy shit, is it; it might even be nicer than the guy's house) but because it’s much, much colder. I also feel like knowing my surroundings might not be such a bad idea in this situation.

Anything that might help me is worth it.

The tour, if you can call it that, is mostly me following him from one side of the house to the other as he points out rooms or things he thinks I should find appealing.

I can’t remember one thing he showed me by the time we get to the room he says is ‘mine’; my feet ache from all the walking, and my head is pounding.

I didn’t even realize he was leaving until I hear the lock click into place.

The second the door clicks, I know I’ve simply traded one dungeon for another. My heart pounds in my chest as I turn around and try the handle, even though I know it won’t budge. With a huff of frustration, I turn and race across the room to the window, but it doesn’t give an inch, and neither does the one on the opposite side of the bed.

I slam my fists against the glass, then let my head drop against it with a groan. This window isn’t normal glass; hell, I’m not even sure it’s glass at all with how thick it is, but whatever it is, there’s no way I’ll get through it.

Taking a deep breath, I try to calm myself enough to at least finish looking around for something… anything.

I move from the window to the bathroom that is huge and luxurious but oh so very plain. There’s only the most basic of things: toilet paper, a toothbrush, a hairbrush, and some shower essentials.