Chapter Seven – The Devil’s Bargain

**Charisse**

The first thing that hit me was the silence. Not the regular kind I was used to, the kind in my crummy apartment. This was a heavy, rich person silence. Even the city noise couldn’t get to this place.

For a second, before I remembered where I was, it almost felt…calm. Then I moved, felt the sheets on my bare skin, and it all crashed down on me.

Lucian.

My chest got tight as I sat up. The silk sheet slipped down. I pulled it back up ...