The year is 1879. When thirteen-year-old Ruth Merritt Holbrook emerges from her family's burning estate, bloody and charred, but entirely numb--She makes headlines. Reporters believe she is deranged. They accuse her of having set the fire. All the h...
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I write this because I fear for my life.
I have heard the rumors of what he has done to other girls, the way he has tormented them, killed them in their very beds. And that was with the human girls. I know that he will do worse to me.
We were reintroduced tonight, Lucius Abaddon and myself. He is a handsome man, with fair features and vivid green eyes. Like Levi, he has features that are too pretty, too appealing. He is a poisonous flower that is dangerous to look at, much less touch. I remembered him too well, remembered his hands and his eyes and his mouth.
There I was, finished for the night and preparing to head to my bedroom when I was stopped, not by Levi but by his assistant, Chester.
He said, "There's another gentleman here be want'n to see ya."
"I have finished my shift. Levi gave me three and I just finished with the last—"
"Well, ye got a fourth now." He nodded his head in the direction of my lounge. "Best get back in there and straighten up. He'll be here in a minute." Chester's fingers tightened on my arm slightly and he leaned in so that he could speak soft to me. His breath smelt of cigars and cheap whisky. "Tread carefully, Rosalie. It is Luc—"
On instinct I reeled away from him, my back hitting the wall behind me.
The devil himself had come knocking on my door. My body went cold and, as hard as I tried, no words would come. Calm. You are calm. You are only ever afraid if you let yourself show it. My resolve must have slipped slightly because Chester spoke up in assurance.
"You needn't worry yourself, lass. He has no reason to harm ya."
The second try succeeded and I managed a winning smile. "I'm not worried, I merely have an urgent request. Where is Levi?"
Chester stepped towards me. "Lucius isn't a tolerant man. Neither of us can be afford'n to keep him wait'n. Why don't ya tell me what it is ye need and I can relay it to Desmott when I see him?"
I fluttered my eyelashes at him and adjusted my posture so that he had a nice view of my cleavage. If words didn't work, body language usually did the trick. "It's urgent. Please, just let me speak with Desmott and I'll get right to Lucius. I would not dally if it were not incredibly important."
"I'm not even sure he's in—"
"Go and find out if he is. I need him." I pressed my open palm against his chest and shot him a suggestive look. I would like to call myself a lady but in that moment I was more than willing to do whatever it might take to get within earshot of Leviathan Desmott. "Please, Chester. For me?" I made sure he got a decent view of my breasts as I said, "It will only take a second."
"Don't touch me." Chester moved away, adjusting his vest and shrugging off my hand, as if I were soiled, and my very hand could taint him.
My self-control slipped and I frowned. "Relax, Astaroth, whore does not catch."
