Page 74 of Princes of Carnage

But when I think about what I want…

Nope. Not going down that path.

I focus on Zoey instead. She’s still touching my arm, and the warmth of her hand bleeds through my clothes. It feels good, mingling with the pleasant burn from the whiskey.

“It’s still a good idea,” I finally tell her.

“Good.” She makes a face, her delicate nose wrinkling. “Everything else aside, it would be nice to not have to worry about some faceless threat trying to take us down. Handling our business has never been safe, exactly, but it was safer than this.”

“Yeah, we want to go back to that,” I tell her. “I’ve been working my ass off, trying to hunt down any clues about who’s been targeting us. It’s… slow going, but I’m putting some pieces together.”

“Whoever it is, they’ve got balls.”

“Fucking tell me about it. We don’t know much about them at all. Only that they’re trouble. I’ve been making lists of anyone in surrounding gangs who might have decided they want to expand their territory by taking ours, but I can’t go around making accusations.”

“I’ve been thinking about it a bit…” Zoey hesitates, like she’s not sure if I want to hear her opinion.

“Yeah?” I prompt.

“It’s just… it seems weird for someone to suddenly be interested in us and Enigma. Why didn’t they strike when Enigma was weaker, you know? After Quinn’s dad died. They could have taken over Enigma territory before moving into ours. Instead, they’re going for two groups at once, which has to be harder. It makes me think they don’t understand the whole power structure of Detroit very well.”

I nod, turning that over in my head. When I’m less drunk, it’ll be easier to process. “Yeah, there’s maybe something to that. I’ll have to see what Nico thinks.”

She smiles, clearly pleased at being taken seriously. “Hopefully you’ll get a breakthrough soon. I know you’ve been working really hard.”

I shrug. “That’s my job. And the sooner we find out who’s behind all this and take them out, the sooner shit can get back to normal.”

“Normal would be good. Like I said, we miss seeing you around here. It would be nice to have more of your attention.” She flushes. “For the gang to have it, I mean.”

Her eyes linger on my face, and she steps a bit closer.

The song that was on ends, switching to another one. It’s one of those songs with a deep, sensuous beat, blaring through the speakers and thrumming through the floor.

“Fuck, I love this song.” Zoey sways her hips to the music, her eyes falling half closed. Then she looks up at me through her lashes. “Dance with me?”

I hesitate, but rather than waiting for me to answer, she just grabs my arm and tugs me toward the middle of the room where a makeshift dance floor has sprung up.

“Zoey, you know I don’t do this shit,” I grumble, pulling halfheartedly out of her hold.

She gives me a sad look, pouting a little. “Come on, Atlas. Please? For old time’s sake?”

I should say no. I really fucking should. This shit is a slippery slope, and I’ve been putting distance between me and Zoey for a reason. But at the same time, I’m still riding the warm buzz from being drunk, and I’m still all fucked up in the head about Quinn. I have a thought of how she’d look on the dance floor, using all of that strength and grace to twist and grind her body to the song that’s currently playing, her teal hair flashing in the light.

I don’t want to think about that though. I don’t want to think about her.

I came here to stop thinking about her, and dancing with Zoey is as good a way as any to get Quinn out of my goddamned head.

“Yeah, okay,” I mutter, giving in.

Zoey grins and grabs me again, leading me into the crowd of people who are dancing already.

She takes my hands in hers and puts them on her waist, letting me feel as she moves her hips to the beat of the song. Her arms go around my neck after a while, and I find the rhythm of her body, moving with her.

It’s easy, in a way. To follow her lead, to let the song guide us, getting more and more into it. Zoey moves effortlessly, tossing her dark blonde hair back, grinding her hips. She turns in my arms after a while and starts working herself against me, undulating her hips sensually.

It feels good to have a woman in my arms. Zoey is familiar, and it’s easy. She’s uncomplicated in a way that I need right now.

When she turns back around to face me, her green eyes have darkened a little, and I pull her back in, moving with her as the song goes on. Time passes in a blur of lights and sounds and the feel of her body against mine. I know where to put my hands from memory, and we move together as one song plays, then another, and another.

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