Page 71 of The Devils' Darling

“If it keeps them away from me, I don’t care. Besides, they also didn’t get the reaction they wanted, so in the end, they left me alone.”

“What reaction do they want?” I ask.

“Fear,” Tino says. “They drink it up like vampires drink blood.”

I shiver a little at his words, but they make me think back. I turn to him. “I don’t think they’re that different from you guys, then.”

“What?” His eyes widen. “Seriously?”

“Oh, yeah. You liked to scare me half to death when we first met.”

He grins, all sexy and boyish. For a moment, it makes him look a few years younger than he is.

“Nah,” he says. “That was just a bit of mild teasing.”

I raise my brows, but he shrugs. “Just fucking with you, Duchess.” Then he leans in close and whispers in my ear. “I’m fucking with you because I can’t be fucking you right now, and this is like foreplay for me.”

The nip to my ear has a tiny squeak escaping me, and Camile shoots Tino a disgruntled glance.

“I’m going to get something to eat and drink. Do you ladies want anything?” Tino asks.

“Just a Coke, please.” I grin.

“Dr Pepper for me, please,” Camile says.

Tino nods at us and jogs down the hill.

Camile gives me her full attention. “So … you look happy.”

I can’t help it; a grin splits my face. “I am. For today, at least. Things aren’t easy.”

“In what way? If those Devils are hurting you, I swear, babe, I’ll deal with them.”

I giggle. “Thanks for offering, but no, it’s not. It’s … there’s so much to say. Can I tell you another time?”

She nods. “Sure.”

“Well, if it isn’t Camile and her little friend.”

I jump at the voice and look up to see one of the twins sneering down at us. His brother is not with him, but the new arrival, Zane, is right by his side.

“Piss off, Lex,” Camile snaps.

Lex must be a nickname for Louis. I have no idea how she knows which is which. They seem identical to me, with their thick black hair and blue eyes. He has a small mole on his neck, and I wonder if that’s the difference between him and his brother.

I’m shocked to hear Camile speak to him in this way, and my eyes widen, but she gives him the finger and turns to face me. Deliberately ignoring him, she starts to talk to me about our plans for the evening. I struggle to concentrate on what she’s saying because my peripheral vision catches Zane hunkering down next to us.

His huge form seems to block out the sun, and he removes his sunglasses to reveal strange colored eyes—green with a hint of amber around the edges. He stares right at us both, and I shift uncomfortably.

Camile turns to him, but this time her feistiness seems to have deserted her. “What do you want?”

The huge man says nothing but continues to stare. I don’t understand what’s happening here.

“Zane,” the twin says, “stop being freaky. You’ll scare the new girl.” Louis laughs, and it’s deep and depraved.

Zane cocks his head to one side and observes me like a bird of prey watching a field mouse. Then, without turning around, he signs something to Louis.

A deep voice from my right startles me.

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