Deal With a Devil Ch. 02

He shrugged, grinning. 'Call it your engagement ring if you like. Consider it a symbol of our arrangement. Or would you rather a blood signature seeing as you have just made a deal with the devil?'

She shivered at his words, knowing without a shadow of a doubt that they were the truth. She could only hope that the price she was going to pay wouldn't be too dire.

When they both climbed into the Limousine to go home, Antoine informed the driver of Jess's address. He settled back against the comfortable leather seat and closed the glass petition between them.

He regarded the woman sitting from him cross-legged. Her concentration fully given to her phone for what he could only conclude was an attempt to block him out. 'You have to let Russell know.'

She looked up at him from that curtain of hair he had just had the utmost pleasure of learning was as soft as silk. His eyes strayed to her mouth. He was still savouring the luscious taste of those swollen ruby lips. Her feminine scent had aroused and half driven him mad with lust.

'I know,' she replied in a subdued voice.

'As soon as tomorrow,' he tersely demanded.

She lifted her chin in defiance. 'I will let him know when I'm good and ready.'

He decided to let the matter drop for now. It wasn't long before the limousine pulled up in front of her Zone 1 flat. She forcefully shoved the door open in her haste to leave.

'You will be accompanying me to a charity ball tomorrow. I'll pick you up by eight. Make sure to be ready when I arrive.

'Whatever His Majesty wants,' she hissed sarcastically before getting out and slamming the door.

She took off his blasted ring and flung it on her couch as soon as she closed her front door. Her parents must be wondering what the outcome of her meeting with Antoine had been. It was her mother who picked up when she called their home phone.

'Jessica, how did things go with Antoine?'

'That's what I'm calling about.' She sat down on her sofa and tiredly leaned back against its plush cushions. 'Mother, I've agreed to be his wife. I don't see any other solution to our predicament.'

She could hear her mother's sigh of relief on the other end of the line. 'I know you've never had an amicable relationship with him so agreeing couldn't have been easy but you made the right decision. I will quickly relay the news to your father.'

'What's that saying about how time flies? One year will be over in no time. Have a good night, Mother. We'll talk more soon.' Jess's phone fell to her laps after she hanged-up.

Thoughts of Russell and how she was going to break the news of her impending marriage to Antoine filled her heart with unease. She suddenly came to the realisation that delaying the inevitable will serve her no good. She was going to break the heart of a good man who's been nothing but great with her. The sooner she got it over and done with, the better for both of them.

With a heavy heart, Jess forced herself out of the sofa. After changing into more comfortable clothes, she decided to do some painting before going to bed. There was no way she was going to sleep in the agitated state she was in. She ends up spending the entire night painting. The next Saturday morning, she wasted no time rushing over to Russell's knowing peace will elude her until she talked to him.

'I just finished making breakfast in case you haven't had any yet,' Russell said to her after letting her in. 'By the way, what brings you by so early in the morning?' he added casually, turning around to face her.

'Russell, I... I...' Jess trailed off, somehow the words she wanted to utter wouldn't move pass her throat. Hell, she didn't even know where to start. They were standing in the middle of the living room. Russell had an expectant look on his face as they stared at each other.

He smiled at her reassuringly. 'Jess, whatever it is, you know you can tell me.'

She nodded automatically, cursing Antoine for the thousandth time since he's re-entered her life. 'I'm getting married,' she blurted out before she lost her nerve.

'You're what!?' Russell's emerald eyes conveyed his confused shock. 'Okay, I don't think I heard you right.'

Jess wanted the ground to open up and swallow her whole, anything that would have spared her causing Russell pain would have been welcomed in that moment. 'That's Antoine's price for helping my father. He demands I marry him for at least one year.'

'Now that makes even less sense. I thought he hated you.'

'Yes...I mean it's what he's always led me to believe but I really don't know anymore. He refused to divulge his reasons and the only one I can think of is that he wants to punish me.' Jess walked over to where he stood and gently took hold of his arms and then said in a voice that resonated with heartache, 'I have to do this, Russell. If it hadn't been for me, my parents wouldn't be in this situation in the first place. I owe them this much. The last thing I ever wanted to do was to hurt you but I'm left with no other option.'

Jess watched him swallow hard, his eyes clouding with pain as he cradled her face in his warm hands. 'I can't believe this is the end for us. It can't be. You don't have to do this, Jess. I know you blame yourself but you couldn't have known what was going to happen to Kate. We can figure out another way to save your family.'

She shook her head as tears welled up in her throat. 'There is no other way. At least, none that would be as effective as this one.' She stood on her toes and kissed him briefly with lips that trembled. 'Goodbye, Russell,' she whispered against his mouth and gently pulled herself from his arms.

She walked out of his apartment with her head held high. She wasn't going to break down. She absolutely refused to. After all, she knew this was just the beginning of her suffering if Antoine had anything to say about it.