Devil’s Sinner
Fallen Dynasty Book 3
Isabella Starling
Kelli Callahan
Contents
About the book
1. Devlin
2. Violet
3. Devlin
4. Violet
5. Devlin
6. Violet
7. Devlin
8. Violet
9. Devlin
10. Violet
11. Devlin
12. Violet
13. Devlin
14. Violet
15. Devlin
Also by Kelli Callahan
Also by Isabella Starling
About Kelli Callahan
About Isabella Starling
About the book
Bestselling authors Kelli Callahan and Isabella Starling present a forbidden dark romance series following the twisted, luxurious lives of the elite.
My princess has been stolen.
Taken away from me, ripped from my arms by a man she was supposed to trust.
I won’t leave a stone unturned in my search for Violet Cabot. I’ll use every connection I have. Every cent I’ve made. I’ll kill if I have to. I’m getting her back.
But the road to getting Violet back is paved with secrets… I’m about to uncover the real reason why we can’t be together.
And it might just be the thing that breaks us, forever.
Devil’s Sinner is the third book following Devlin Windsor and Violet Cabot.
Their story begins in Devil’s Captive and continues in Devil's Plaything.
One
Devlin
Two days without her, and my mind was fucked.
I could not think of anything other than her. Violet Cabot, my princess, stolen from right under my nose. I couldn't believe she was gone. I swore I'd get her back, and I'd put Jasper on the job, too, trying to make sure my princess was returned home safe and sound.
That night was a bad one. I'd downed Negroni after Negroni, a drink I usually saved for tough times when I didn't know how to deal with shit. The numbing taste of alcohol had made my thoughts frantic and frayed my patience. I was waiting for Jasper, strong fingers tapping against the solid wood of my desk, eyes trained on the door. Come on, man. Give me some fucking good news for once.
I watched the entrance to the room for what seemed like an eternity until finally, there was a knock, and I gruffly ordered the intruder to come in.
Jasper appeared in the doorframe, and from his body language alone I knew whatever he had to tell me wasn't going to be good news. I grit my teeth together, motioning for him to come inside the room. He hesitated before softly closing the door behind him.
"What is it?" I barked, barely able to hold back my anger, even though Jasper wasn't to blame for it. "What did you find out?"
"I'm afraid there's nothing, Sir. We've turned every stone, asked everyone what they knew. But she's gone, and there's no trace left of her." Jasper shifted his weight from one foot to another. He'd rarely seen me this angry, and I knew he was worried about my reaction - and for good reason.
I stood up calmly, buttoning the jacket of my suit. "Leave. Now."
"But Sir, let's..."
"No," I gritted out. "Get the fuck out right now."
He looked like he was about to say something else, but my eyes must have said it all. Jasper gave me a curt nod before leaving the room, and I took a deep breath before sweeping off everything on my desk with a swift motion of my right hand. Calmly, I regarded the mess on the floor. Important papers soaked in whiskey. Glass shards cutting into my carpet. None of it mattered, and I struggled to care about any of it.
Finally, I was starting to realize Violet was like a light in my life, and without her, I couldn't find a purpose. She was the reason I kept going all those years. Owning her, keeping her - those were my goals, and having her as my possession made me more fulfilled than anything else before her. And now, I was fucking lost. Roaming the house by myself, racking my brains with where she was... It was a fucking nightmare come to life.
I felt rage running through my veins, and for once, I wanted to give in. I'd spent a lifetime holding back my anger, swallowing the bitter truth, but now I was fucking done.
Walking over to the wall, I grabbed the bookshelf. It rattled, the accounting books starting to fall out and fanning out on the floor. I slammed it against the floor. The sound was deafening, the books falling all over the fucking place. I wanted to fucking kill someone, but until I found out who had taken Violet, I'd have to make do with destroying objects.
But once I found the bastard that did this... they were going to fucking pay for it.
In blood.
* * *
When I arrived home the day Violet disappeared, Belle was waiting in the front hall, deathly pale and shaking with fear.
"Who was that in the driveway?" I demanded, locking my eyes with the maid. "We were not expecting guests, were we?"
"I-I d-don't know, Sir," she cried out, already panicking. "But Violet, she's... she threw up. Please, come with me. Let me show you what happened."
Worry tore at me as I followed the maid through the house, up the stairs and into Violet's room. There was nothing there, save for the whisper of her perfume in the air.
"Where is she?" I turned to face Belle. "Where is Violet?"
"I d-don't know," she managed.
"What do you mean you don't know? Aren't you in charge of her when I'm away? What the fuck do I pay you for, Belle?"
"I just looked a-away for a second." She palms her apron, worried eyes afraid to look back into mine and instead flitting across the room. "She just disappeared."
"Call Jasper." My voice was calm and collected, though it was the opposite of what I felt. "Tell him to bring five others, to help me search for her. And alert the staff. Tell them to fucking tear the house apart if they have to. I want you to check every goddamn nook and cranny until you find her, Belle. Is that clear?"
"Yes, Sir." Her panic seemed to have subsided, replaced with steely determination not to disappoint me again. "I'm on it."
I watched her leave, taking a deep breath to steady myself before I took off.
I spent the next few hours with my staff searching for Violet. We didn't find her.
As minutes passed and turned into hours, my rage and worry grew until they overwhelmed me. Violet was well and truly gone. My men, the maids, Jasper, and even I had left no stone unturned in our efforts to find her. But Violet had vanished, not leaving a single trace behind.
I called Belle to my study again, and she fidgeted with her apron sitting on the armchair in front of my desk while I paced the room.
"There's nothing else you remember?" I demanded. "She didn't say she wanted to go somewhere?"
"No, Sir," she shook her head firmly. "Nothing like that. Oh, but..." She flushed, looking away. "Oh, it's nothing."
"What is it?" I glared at her, and she fearfully looked away. I knelt down next to her, taking her hands in mine. "Belle, you have to tell me everything you know. I need to find her. Do you understand how important this is to me? She could be in danger."
"Danger?" she repeated, nipping at her bottom lip with her teeth. "Well, Miss Violet did have a visitor today..."
"Who?" Despite trying to reign in my feelings, I barked the question out loud. "Who was the visitor, Belle?"
"Your secretary, Sir. Sally-Mae."
It took me twenty-minutes to arrive to my father's office, and fifteen seconds to pin Sally-Mae against the wall and threaten her.
"My dear boy!" My father raised his arms, chuckling in an effort to calm me down. "Wh
at on earth is this about?"
"Why don't you ask your precious little plaything," I hissed, grabbing Sally-Mae by the shoulders. I wasn't rough, but it still made her whimper in fear. "Tell me why you were visiting Violet. Now."
"I-I..." She's struggling to speak, choking on her own words, and I don't give a shit. If she had anything to do with Violet's disappearance she's as good as fucking done in this city. I'll make sure she's unemployable. Undateable. I'll make sure her life is fucking over.
"Answer me!" I demanded, making her cry out in fear.
"Devlin!" My father had turned on his strict fatherly voice, and he approached me, laying a firm hand on my shoulder. Big fucking mistake, old man. "You need to calm down, son."
"I don't need to do anything," I told him. "My property is missing. Either you both answer my questions or I'm calling the fucking cops."
"You know that won't do you any good," my father smirked. He's fucking right. Half the police force in the city worked for my father. There's no way they were going to get him in trouble. Not when his money was paying their bills. "Now, calmly tell us what happened. Sally-Mae, you can go."
"You're not going anywhere," I snarled at her as she tried to sneak past me, and she stood frozen to the spot, bottom lip wobbling. "Not until you tell me why you were at my house earlier."
"I'd appreciate it if you didn't talk to my employees that way," my father said calmly.
"Your employees?" I let out a bitter laugh. "Got a new name for your little sluts, huh?"
"You're quick to judge," he bit back. "Aren't you doing the same thing?"
"Just... shut the fuck up." I massaged my temples, glaring from one of them to the other. "Where's Violet?"
"I don't know where your newest plaything is," father sighed. "But you were always so careless with your toys, Devlin... I do wonder if she wandered off herself. Probably lack of attention."
"Watch your mouth," I told him.
"No, son," he said firmly. "I suggest you watch yours. Now, I'd recommend leaving my office right. The. Fuck. Now. Before I call security."
I glared at him, hating him with every fibre of my being. I saw him press the panic button under his desk earlier, and I knew guards were on their way. But I still had enough time to take a step forward, jamming my pointer finger into his chest.
"If I find out you had anything to do with this, so help me God, I will fucking destroy you," I told him in a low growl.
"I'd like to see you try." My father clicked his fingers and the room filled with guards. "Please escort my son off the premises, gentlemen."
I shrugged off one of the thugs who grabbed my shoulder, snarling an insult at the bastard. "Get the fuck off me, you fool."
"It's best not to fight this," father said calmly. "Just go and they won't rough you up."
"You've messed up royally this time, father," I told him coolly.
"Oh, you're threatening me now?" He chuckled, rubbing his cufflinks. "Finally grown a pair of balls, have you?"
"The moment I tie you to her disappearance, you're done. So just sit on your ass and count the minutes you have left, old man. Vengeance is fucking coming." One of the guards made a grab for me again, but I slapped his hand away. "Don't you dare fucking touch me. And if any of you got your filthy fucking hands on my girl, consider yourselves dead."
* * *
The memory left my mind, and I was no longer in my father's office. Instead, I was kneeling on the ground with the carnage of my anger surrounding me.
The accounting books were all over the floor. Two bookshelves, overturned. Spilled booze seeped into my rug while I sat on the hardwood floor with my head in my hands. I realized somebody was knocking on the door a couple seconds later, making me wonder how long the visitor had been at it. I'd been lost in my own mind for too damn long.
"What?" I demanded, and the door opened. Once again, Jasper was standing there, but this time, his posture was straighter. He did not comment on the state of the room, just allowed his eyes to wander the mess I'd made before going back to me. "Fuck, tell me you have good news."
"I might." It was barely anything, yet it still sparked hope that I'd find Violet.
"Tell me." I picked myself up, smoothing my blazer and awaiting Jasper's news.
"She made a call before she left," Jasper went on. "I checked her phone records."
"Who did she call?"
"Her sister."
"Her sister?" I repeated, and instantly, the puzzle pieces clicked into place.
Fuck. That bastard Connor stole her from me. I refused to sell my most prized possession to him, and this is how the old jackass decided to enact his revenge.
My hands formed fists at my sides and I had to stop myself from snarling out loud. I'm going to fucking kill Connor for this, and nobody can fucking stop me. I'd like to see the person who tries.
Connor Peterson is a dead man fucking walking.
Two
Violet
I thought Devlin introduced me to pain.
I was wrong.
Connor hit me so hard he knocked me out. Time passed. I had no idea how long. It felt like days. I woke up with a blindfold over my eyes and suspended by what I assumed were ropes based on the way they burned my wrists. When I came to terms with the agony, I realized I was completely naked--exposed in every way.
Pain. Mental and physical pain.
My mind broke down in Devlin’s cage. I accepted the bottom of that despair, because I believed it was as low as I could possibly go.
I was wrong. True despair was absolute darkness with no way to know what was going to happen to me. The only thing I knew for sure was that Connor hadn’t taken what he truly wanted--not yet. I assumed he would, and waiting for that damnation was worse than the pain I was forced to endure.
Connor lured me into a trap. Did my sister know what he planned to do? Was she complacent in his plan? Did she help him? I didn’t want to believe she would betray me like that, but she didn’t believe me when I told her the truth about what he tried to do to me when I was sixteen. She took his side and pushed me away. Was I a fool to believe that she was my savior?
Was I wrong about Devlin? I ran because of what Georgia told me about him. Did I believe a lie? Everything she said sounded so real. I overheard Devlin talking to someone about a deal to sell me to the highest bidder. That’s exactly what Georgia said he was trying to do. How would she know if it wasn’t true? What about my father? Did Devlin really set him up?
All I can do is ask myself questions I can’t answer and assume the worst, because the worst may be yet to come…
* * *
It was impossible for my body to rest, but the darkness consumed my mind until I passed out several times. I didn’t know if it was minutes--hours--days. I just knew that my body ached more every time my eyes tried to open against the blindfold and I regained what resembled consciousness.
Something was different. There was a breeze and I hadn’t felt that since I woke up suspended from the ropes. The musty smell that had festered in my nostrils since I took my first conscious breath had a hint of freshness in it. There was a shimmer of light around the edge of my blindfold.
“Is…” My throat was so dry that it was almost impossible to speak, but I forced the raspy words out. “Is someone there?”
“Yes, dear Violet.” It was Connor’s voice, and it made every hair stand on end. “I’m here.”
I pulled on my ropes. I had done that so many times that my wrists had scabs where they had bled. It was no use. I didn’t have that much strength when I had all of it.
“Please…” I hated to beg him. I had no choice. “Please let me go.”
“Is that what you want?” I could hear him take a step closer, and then he put a hand on my hip. “Do you want me to cut these ropes off your wrists?”
“Y-yes…” I try to nod, but my neck and shoulders are so sore my head barely moves.
“Will you fall on your knees and open that sweet mouth for me?” He l
eaned closer. “And keep it open until I give you permission to close it?”
My sundered thoughts tried to say yes, because it would mean my torment had come to an end, but it was so revolting that I couldn’t.
“No…” My lips practically betrayed me when they denied his request.
“Then you must not want to be free…” Connor removed his hand from my hip and took a step back. “You must not want water, food--clothes. Just think how nice a warm blanket would feel right now. All you would have to do is give me a warm place to put my cock.”
“Never!” I snapped my words against my teeth, and it felt like that simple action saps most of the strength that was left inside me.
“Then you’ll stay here.” He ground out with disdain in his voice. “You’ve only been here two days. How will you feel after four? Five? A week?”
“Your plan…” I attempted to spit, but there was no saliva in my mouth. “Your plan is to leave me here until I die?”
“If it comes to that.” His footsteps echoed and I could tell he was walking towards the door. “Giving your body to me is how you’ll show gratitude--your suffering will end when you sign your name on another contract--one that voids the one you made with Devlin. One that makes you mine.”
“How would I even do that?” I asked.
“Call it a breach. He promised to get your father out of prison. He’s not going to fulfil his end of the bargain--but I will.” The door creaked as he pulled on it.
“I’ll never sign another contract.” I tried to shake my head again with the same futile result. “I’ll never be owned by anyone again.”
Devil’s Sinner: Fallen Dynasty Book 3 Page 1
