Page 12 of Devil's Sinner

“Devlin Winsor.” I glared at the cab driver. “Look me up, and then take me where I need to go. I’ll make it worth your while.”

“Sir, I’m…” The taxi driver gives me a confused stare.

“Ten thousand dollars. That’s your tip.” I said flatly. “Now do what I said, and fucking look me up!”

The driver probably thought I was a raving lunatic. I certainly looked like one. It took him a few minutes to tap away on his phone, compare the pictures, and come to the sudden realization that I was telling the truth.

“Um, sorry for the delay, Mr. Windsor.” He put the car in drive. “I’ll take you to your destination in no time at all.”

He could smell the money. He’d get it too. I didn’t care about that. I just needed to get back to my house so I could take care of my wounds and find out if Jasper had any new leads on Violet. I didn’t think he would. I was pretty sure she was in Peterson’s house, or not far from it. I just needed to get inside without getting my head kicked in.

The taxi driver took me to my manor, as Jasper was the first one to greet me.

“Mr. Windsor!” The alarm was evident on his face. “What happened? You’ve been missing for days!”

“Connor Peterson,” I spat out. “Help me inside. Oh, and give the taxi driver ten thousand dollars.”

“Um, yes sir.” He looked alarmed, but didn’t question me.

Jasper helped me inside and ran off to retrieve the taxi driver’s promised fare. Belle immediately came to tend to me, but after she saw how bad I was, she called a doctor.

“Belle, what the fuck?” I asked. “I don’t need a damn doctor.”

“Sir, your feet are in awful shape.” She looked down and grimaced. “I don’t think I can do anything for you without causing more damage.”

I relented. Not because I felt like I needed treatment, but because I needed to be in the best shape possible if I was going to save Violet. That was all I cared about. I had to find her.

Jasper caught me up on the latest developments. Or rather, the lack thereof. I told him what Connor and Georgia said about the bus station. He left to check out that lead while the doctor tended to me.

My feet were in bad shape, but I convinced him to treat them, prescribe antibiotics, and give me something for the pain. I sure as fuck wasn’t going to the hospital for skin grafts, like he suggested. The doctor gave me a few pills, and I downed them, then a few minutes later, I realized I was getting kind of sleepy.

“Hey…” I blinked a couple of times. “I thought this was just to help if there was an infection and take care of some of the pain.”

“You need some rest, Mr. Windsor.” He smiled. “Don’t worry. Doctor’s orders.”

My last thought before drifting off to sleep was how I wished I had enough energy to rip the doctor’s head off his shoulders. But I wasn’t angry at him. Not really. It was Connor Peterson who was front and center for the wrath I needed to unleash.

Drugged again, this time by my own doctor.

When I came to, it was the next day. Everything hurt like crazy. The adrenaline had been worn off long before. I groaned and grimaced as I got out of bed and walked to the bathroom.

I took a shower, but it was agony. I had to remove my bandages, and I got to see how bad my feet really were. I would have scars for the rest of my life. The path of torment I walked to get back to Violet.

And it wasn’t over.

But in that mixture of cleansing and pain, I realized what I had to do. My body was wrecked, but it didn’t hurt nearly as much as my pride for letting Peterson’s goon get the drop on me.

After my shower and a fresh set of bandages, I got dressed. I forced my aching feet into a new pair of shoes. I covered almost everything else with a suit. Then I did the best to clean up my face, but I wasn’t very successful. If anyone looked close, they’d be able to tell I was on the receiving end of something fairly violent.

A steel-toed boot, to be specific.

“Jasper!” I bellowed as I walked into my office, keeping my composure as much as I could since every step was painful. “I have a plan!”

Peterson may have won a battle, but the war was far from over. The pain reminded me that I had another ace up my sleeve, and even though the poor fuck was behind bars, I knew he could be useful to me.

Hugo Cabot. Violet’s dad. If there was anything invested in making sure she was safe, it was him. Not to mention what was going on with Georgia.

“Take me to the prison where Hugo Cabot is being kept,” I told Jasper. “I’ll make the arrangements on the way so that they know to expect us.”