Prologue
I stole a glance at John, who was being held by his throat while that hulk-looking guy whose name was Jahanzeb snarled at me from the ground. I hesitantly stopped at a safe distance from the devil. I swallow hard when my gaze notices his giant palm that could easily smash my throat within seconds, fading the life of me. His domineering aura and tall frame towering against my smaller one made me feel tiny.
His chiseled jawline and sharp nose, a face adorned by a smirk, and blackest orbs made him look like a devil incarnate— handsome devil.
“Here,” he threw the gun at me, which I had to catch with my two hands. I looked at him with a question, what was I supposed to do holding his gun?
“Kill him.” The moment the words were out of his mouth, I dropped the gun in shock and took back steps.
“I will let you go if you kill him,” he was pointing towards John, who by now looked like he had seen the ghost on hearing his command.
John was about to open his mouth when the guy holding him covered his mouth.
“No,” I whispered and again took a back step.
“No?” The devil asked with disappointment. What was he disappointed about? That I couldn’t kill a living being?
“Tsk-tsk, and here I thought you wanted to leave,” he said with no remorse.
“I can’t,” I stuttered, earning the same devil smirk from him.
“Why?” he asked. Is he mad?
“It’s a sin,” I whispered. I was not in a place to be angry at his absurd command. I cringed when he let out a roar of laughter later joined by his men. I looked around and felt like a clown in a circus when they all were laughing at me.
I was still looking around and failed to notice him taking a step towards me. Before I could know in two strides, he stood before and grabbed my wrist to stop me from retreating. A gasp escaped my throat when he stood so close to me that I could smell him and feel his hot breath on my face. Reading my intent to pull away, he wound his free arm around my waist and drew me near. I ended up falling on his hard chest.
“You said you want to go home, right?” as he murmured in my ear, a full-fledge shudder passed through my body.
“Killing is....a..sin,” I sobbed, pushing at his chest with all my might.
I gasped when he turned me around abruptly, facing John. My heart palpitated when I felt his presence behind me, crossing all bounds of personal space. I cringed and tried moving away, feeling the fabric of his shirt against my backless top. My mind forced me to think his shirt was the only thing separating our bare skin.
I should have said no when Jasmine chose this pathetic excuse of attire. Instead of covering my skin, it only makes me look wanton.
“What will happen if you sin?” My chain of thoughts broke when I heard him ask, leaning close to my ear. A ripple of shock passed through me, stunning me in the spot as soon as his callous palm ran over my stomach, pulling me deeper into his chest.
I don’t know when John was able to uncover his mouth, “Sir, please don’t kill me. I have been serving Jaha-”
“Please,” I begged, John’s cries muffling my plea.
His touch was making me cringe. Except for him being a murderer, I was yet to know who or what he was.
“I will tell you what will happen if you sin,” he deliberately leaned closer.
“No, no, no,” John thrashed in his place.
A whimper left me when his hot breath hit my ear, “you burn in hell.”
Lost in my dread of his proximity or his touch, I failed to notice when he placed the gun in my hand, locked my fingers around it with his own, and raised it towards John.
“And this is hell.” Before I could stop him or pull my hand away, he pulled the trigger, followed by the gunshot.
I clutch my eyes shut with a scream locked in my mouth.
Life past 24 hours of mine flashed before my closed lid like a projector.
My engagement, my family’s beaming face, my father lying in the hospital, seeing the devil kill a man, and my mother’s relief on our last call.
I was trying to save my father then; how did I end up becoming a sinner?
I killed a man!
What will my parents think of me now? Wait! I should be alive to face my parent. I’m going to die here. Will my parents find my body? What if people get to know I was murdered working as a call girl? My parents, how will they take that blow? What about my sibling? How will they take the disgrace and humiliation I put them into because of my one mistake?
I know I was still caged in his arms; I could feel his hand stroking my bare belly, his nose nuzzling my hair, yet I could only stand like a statue clutching my eyes shut in despair. His hot breath hitting my skin caused it to tingle in disgust and fear.
But what I couldn’t notice was the eerie silence around me. It was so quiet that I heard his heart beating frantically or when I heard his murmur, what are you doing to me?
He made me kill and instead was asking me what I did to him? And what’s with his pounding heart? Was he as scared as I am?
If not for his arm around my waist, I would have already fallen onto the ground, and if I’m honest, I would have gladly welcomed that fall instead of his embrace.
He made me a murderer like him!
“Boss.”
“From now, she is mine.”
I don’t know who was talking to whom, but at that moment, my ear could only focus on the sound of a familiar voice grunting in pain.
I snapped my eyes open only to see John rolling on the ground holding his bleeding calf.
He is alive?!
I’m not a sinner, then?!
I turned towards him, my eyes pleading with him to assure me he showed mercy on John and would do the same for me.
My lips touching his with my abrupt turn was not my concern. His murderous stare when I accidentally kissed him was no longer a reason for dread.
All I wanted was to get out of this God-forsaken place alive and see my family again.
“Please, don’t kill me,” a whisper barely left my lips when my visibility started blurrily, and the last I could remember was dark, intense eyes staring deep into me.
Please let this all be a dream.
