Page 42 of Cruel Devil

Andy’s eyes barely have time to widen before the two men are next to her. She goes rigid, gaze unfocused, and just stands there as they pat her down. They find her pistol and the money she’d tucked inside her bodice.

When they turn to me, I hold up a finger. “Think carefully, boys. Because if either of you ever want to have children someday…”

“I’m not taking you to Donny if you’re armed. People could get hurt.”

I turn to Patrick. “Donny’s here? What’s he doing—“ I cut off as a goon grabs my arm. I try to ignore them as they search me and take away the phone we’d been given to contact Savage.

Patrick tilts his head toward Andy. “Get rid of her.”

I’m lunging in front of Andy before a single word is even out of my mouth. “You touch a hair on her head, and I’ll gouge out your eyes.”

Patrick’s frown deepens. “You make it sound like we’re gonna kill her.”

“You’re…not?”

He rolls his eyes at me. “Christ, Nyx. What kind of place do you think this is?”

“You told them to get rid of her,” I mutter as I jerk myself free from Patrick’s assistants.

“This is a family affair, lass. She’s not family. They’re taking her outside.”

Andy turns to me, concern etching deep lines in her forehead as Patrick’s men take hold of her arms. “I’m not leaving.”

“Go. I’ll be fine.”

“This isn’t…” She trails off, throwing Patrick a wary look, but I know what she was going to say.

This isn’t the plan.

Fuck the plan.

If Donny’s still alive, he’ll know exactly where O’Brien is, since I’m pretty sure Sullivan is the one who ordered the hit on Bryan Domingo in the first place. Then Savage can rally his troops and descend on Sullivan like motherfucking Armageddon.

No more of this fucking around in high heels and shit.

Patrick could be lying. If Liam’s to be believed—a habit I’m finding hard to kick—then there’s a lot his father’s been dishonest about. So where else would Patrick be taking me, if not to see Donny?

Right to Sullivan fucking O’Brien.

All roads lead to Rome, right?

Andy is led away, and Patrick follows right behind, leaving me standing there like an idiot.

I could have bolted.

I should have.

But I’m not psychic, so how the hell would I know what’s going to happen?

Andy and her escorts head for the entrance, but Patrick uses a keycard to get us through a staff-only door. We pass a set of doorways marked ‘office’ and ‘storeroom’, and then head down a flight of concrete stairs.

“Where the hell are you taking me?”

Patrick stops in front of another door, this one with a numerical keypad. His mouth becomes a line as he studies me. “To Donny.”

I tuck my hair behind my ear as Patrick keys in the code. It worries me that he doesn’t try to shield the pin. How does he know I won’t come back here one day and use it?

Because I’ll be dead?

---