Another Wrong Move

Tracey's POV

My head throbbed, and my mouth tasted like something had crawled up in and died. I groaned and tried to move, but realized I was stiff.

What the—?

I blinked, adjusting my eyes to the ray of light seeping through the window. The first thing I saw was, the demon, Damien sitting pretty in his chair beside the bed. His arms were crossed, watching me like I was some particularly irritating puzzle he’d just solved.

“You’ve got some nerve, little girl,” he said, his voice low and sharp, cutting through my grogginess.

My stomach dropped.

“The audacity to try and kill yourself,”

Kill myself?? Oh, snap! He knew already.

It all came rushing back—the guards talking about the poison, me sneaking into the medicine cabinet, and swallowing two pills before dragging myself into Damien's office.

I’d thought I was dying when he told me to kneel. Honestly, I didn't expect to wake up at all. Not that I wanted to.

But here I was, back to reality.

I stared at him, my brain didn't even to search for something to say. It was as good as hopeless saying anything.

He leaned forward, his dark eyes pinning me in place. “You’re wondering why you’re still breathing, aren’t you?”

I swallowed hard and nodded.

“The poison,” he said, his voice dripping with disdain, “isn’t poison at all. It’s a sedative. A code name for something far less dramatic than you thought. It won’t kill you, Mon Amor. It just numbs you for a while. Makes you useless."

"Did you really think I’d leave something so dangerous lying around for someone like you to find?”

My face burned. I felt stupid. No, not just stupid—humiliated. When I was going to his office, I decided to get water on my way. That was how I overheard his guards talking about a drug.

“Bro this drug is a killer one! Just one pill, and it’s lights out. No pain. No mess,” one of them had said, laughing like it was a joke.

I stood there, frozen, listening as they talked about how “the boss” kept it around for emergencies. I didn’t need them to spell it out. Damien had made it clear he wasn’t above killing people who annoyed him.

I panicked. If I was going to die, I wanted it to be on my own terms, not his. So, I tiptoed back, waiting for them to leave, before sneaking into the medicine cabinet, and grabbed a pill.

Just one pill they had said, but I knew that wouldn't do.

I thought it’d be faster to take an extra dose. I thought...well, I didn’t think much beyond “kill yourself before Damien does.”

But apparently, I couldn’t even do that right.

Damien’s eyes narrowed, dragging me back to the present. “What’s wrong, Tracey? Cat got your tongue?”

I opened my mouth, then closed it. What was I supposed to say? Sorry for trying to escape your nightmare? My bad for not letting you murder me first.

“Covering your face won’t change how foolish you’ve been,” he said, his voice colder now.

I flinched, my hands moving on instinct to shield my face. But before I could fully process what was happening, Damien reached into his jacket and pulled out a handcuff.

“Wait, what are you—?”

He didn’t let me finish. He grabbed my wrists, forcing them above my head, and a metallic click followed, and I realized that he’d locked me to the headboard with handcuffs.

“Damien!!” I struggled with the cuffs, trying to free myself. “What the hell are you doing?”

He leaned down, his face inches from mine, his voice calm. “Until you learn to behave, you’re staying exactly where I want you, Mon Cara.”

His words sent a chill down my spine, and I glared at him, refusing to let him see how afraid I was. But he didn’t care. He sat back up, adjusting his suit as if nothing had happened.

“You’re insane,” I spat.

“And you’re reckless,” he replied coolly. “Maybe this will teach you to stop acting like a brat..”

With that, he called out, and one of his men came in and rolled him toward the door. “Rest well, Tracey,”

I tugged at the cuffs angry and frustrated. Once again, I’d made a plan, and once again, it had failed woefully.

The guards I’d overheard probably knew I was behind the walls listening. They’d fed me that information on purpose, and I’d foolishly fallen for it.

Now I was trapped, literally, and in more trouble with Damien than ever.

I let out a shaky breath, my head falling back against the pillow.

“This sucks!” I muttered to myself, shutting my eyes as I tried to calm the anger I was feeling inside of me.

____

The sound of the door knob twisting snapped me back to attention. I opened my eyes, expecting Damien, or maybe that miserable maid Ann, but instead, a man I didn’t recognize stepped in.

He was tall, with dark hair that was neatly combed back, and he carried himself with a quiet aura that made him different from the other men I had seen around.

“Good afternoon, Miss Tracey,” he said politely, his tone warm and sweet.

I blinked at him, stunned. Politeness wasn’t something I was used to in this house.

“Who are you?” I asked, my voice cautious.

“My name is Ryan,” he said with a small nod. “Mr. Black assigned me to you.”

“Assigned?” I repeated, narrowing my eyes. “Why would he need to assign someone to me?”

“It means I’m here to assist you,” he explained, his tone professional.

I rolled my eyes. “Right. More like you’re here to babysit me.”

Ryan’s lips twitched like he was trying not to laugh.“You could say that.”

I narrowed my eyes at him. He was too polite, too calm. It put me on edge.

“Okay, Ryan,” I said, testing him. “If you’re here to help, how about you start by unlocking these cuffs?” I raised my locked hands for him to see.

He shook his head. “I’m afraid I do not have the permission to do that.”

“That makes your work over here pointless,” I muttered, slumping back against the pillow, disappointed. “So, what if I need to eat? Or use the bathroom? Am I supposed to starve or just hold it in”

“If you’re hungry, I’ll feed you,” he said simply. “As for the bathroom...well, that’s the only time I’m allowed to unlock you.”

I groaned, letting my head fall back. “This is ridiculous. This punishment is worse than death.”

To my surprise, Ryan chuckled.

“You’re laughing?” I asked, lifting my head to glare at him.

“Sorry,” he said, his expression softening. “It’s just...you’re not what I expected.”

“What... Were you expecting to see me cry or sulk? Well, I'm sorry to disappoint you, but, I have no tears left in me.”

"My bad. It’s just...most people in your situation wouldn’t be so... High spirited.”

“Spirited?” I repeated, raising an eyebrow. “You mean difficult.”

“I didn’t say that.”

“You didn’t have to.”

Ryan’s chuckle turned into a full smile, and for a moment, I forgot where I was. It was the first genuine, friendly smile I’d seen in this place, and it tugged warmly at my heart.

“I didn’t think anyone around here was capable of that.” I pointed at his face, unable to hide my surprise.

His smile widened slightly. “I suppose I’m the exception.”

“Lucky me,” I muttered sarcastically.

I studied him for a moment, His whole vibe was...weirdly normal. Too normal for someone working for Damien Black. I couldn't help but ask. “Why are you even here? Does Damien treat all his men like this? Sticking them with impossible tasks and impossible people?”

Ryan shook his head. “Mr. Black isn’t as bad as you think.”

I blinked at him, stunned. “Excuse me???”

“You heard me,” Ryan said, his tone even. “He’s strict, I must admit, but he’s also fair.... He rewards those who are loyal to him and takes care of those who work for him as long as you don't break his rules.”

I stared at him, baffled. “Are we talking about the same Damien? Damien Black? The guy who just handcuffed me to a bed for trying to kill myself because I was scared of his wrath?”

Ryan didn’t respond right away. Instead, he stepped closer, his expression serious. “You may not see it now, Miss Tracey, but Mr. Black," he paused. " "Well.... He has his reasons for everything he does. You just don’t understand him yet.”

I scoffed, shaking my head. “I don’t want to understand him.”

Ryan didn’t argue. Instead, he stepped back toward the door, his posture relaxed. “I’ll be right outside if you need anything.”

“Great,” I said sarcastically.

As the door clicked shut, I let out a frustrated sigh.

This whole place was insane. Everyone here was insane, and I had no fucking idea how I was going to survive another day here!