Page 4 of Flames of Ruin

Her eyes grow wide at the mention of her nickname before she settles. Looking down at her name tag, she laughs, “Good one, you almost had me. Of course, you’d figure out my nickname based on my tag.”

Growing irritated at the unexpected visitor who seamlessly just knocked the breath out of my lungs by merely appearing, I raise my voice over the sensual music billowing out of the speakers. “Are you done here? Did you win your little bet? Or do I need to escort you away from my table myself?”

Rising from the booth, she leans against the table. “Your hands will never touch me, asshole.”

Lunging over, I grab her hand firmly in mine. My hand easily swallows her much smaller fist. “Believe me, princess. If I wanted to touch you, I could.”

Pulling her hand away from my grasp, she turns on her heels, leaving me seething. A few onlookers stare in my direction as she walks off.

I curse to myself.

I try to stay away from unwanted attention, especially when I’m leading a double life.

Chapter two

CiCi

“Ishould strangle you, ya know?” I snap as I slam down the black tray against the bar top.

Sandy, the bartender, looks over at the sudden racket. “Hey, Miranda, get your orientee to chill!”

As I turn to Miranda, I see her giggling.

“I’m glad you thought that was comical.”

Grabbing more drinks than I should carry, I stack them onto the serving tray.

“I should never have let you talk me into working here. I have a degree, ya know!”

Miranda and I became friends thirteen years ago at the age of fifteen, when one tragic night brought us together at the hospital. I lost both of my parents that night, and Miranda lost her sister and brother. Her parents haven’t been the same since, so it’s been her and me against the world. Straight out of high school, we moved to Boston with what little money we had and somehow I obtained a computer engineering degree, which she loves to remind me I waste every single day. While she dropped out of college, walked down her mother’s path, and made her money as a waitress.

The only reason we came back to Edinburgh was for answers. We had heard of someone called the Dragon that seemed to target criminals in Edinburgh, the same types of criminals that were responsible for the deaths of my parents and her siblings, among so many others. We’re on a mission to find him.

Looking across the smokey, dimly lit bar, my eyes are greeted with menacing stares from dangerous men, the women they claim, and nervous serving staff tip-toeing around them, meticulously serving their drinks and praying for decent tips.

As dangerous as it is to work in this part of town, Raven’s is the only place where Edinburgh’s richest and most powerful criminals congregate.

Out on the streets, it’s war. But here in this trashy, smoky gentleman’s club, with tits in their faces and booze flowing, they all seem to get along.

Typical men.

As if they have come to a mutual understanding that the bar is common ground. Inside Raven’s, they are far from friends, but despite that, the notorious criminals respect each other, and some discuss the happenings on the streets.

Miranda had been working here since we returned to Boston. She came home one night determined that I join her here. As hesitant as I was, her winning argument was that this was the only place where we could find answers that may point us to The Dragon without putting us in a compromising situation.

“You don’t have to remind the peasant.” She rolls her eyes. “For being so proud of that degree, you sure don’t use it,” she says, as she pops a cherry from the fruit tray into her mouth.

“I have used it.”

“Okay, correction. You refuse to stay at one job for longer than a few months. What gives, CiCi?”

Shrugging my shoulders, I look at her. “I’m bored.”

“No shit. That’s the most animated I’ve seen you in years.” She grins as she points over to Dark and Pissy. “You have to admit, Mr. Gumpy Ass is fucking hot.”

I shove her hand down to her side. “Mare, hot or not…” I pause, looking at him sulking in the dark corner booth across the bar. “Look at him. He thinks he owns this place. Just like the rest of these smug ass bastards that walk in here.”

“Don’t lie. Your panties were incinerated by the time you walked over there.”

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