Page 25 of The Devil's Dilemma

“It’s not just luck, though, is it?” He walked towards me and placed his hand on top of my head. “I can feel something in here.”

How was his hand so hot?

Before he’d led me away, I’d slipped on my jacket, and I was glad I had. The room had grown chilly, but his hand warmed me, sending a flush to my cheeks.

Despite the heat, I shivered at his touch. My shoulders dropped, and I rolled my neck, the tension leaving my body.

His hand slipped to the back of my neck. “Yes, I can feel you, Austin, sense you beneath your skin.”

I should care what that meant, but all logic disappeared at his gentle touch. Soft fingers caressed my skin, and when he took them away, my breath went with them.

“Don’t touch him like that.” Joel had no claim on me, and Dante seemed to think so too.

“I can touch whomever I wish. You have no right to dictate to me.”

“You’re just a jumped-up wannabe, pretending to be the devil with your fucking stupid horns and orange contact lenses. Who do you think you are?”

“More than you’ll ever be.”

Was it my imagination, or had the tension in the room thickened? It was definitely hotter, way hotter than before, and most of the heat emanated from Dante. I didn’t doubt he was more than all of us put together.

Why did I have the feeling something bad was going to happen? That Joel’s taunts had woken something.

“Boss?” Conrad shifted on the sofa, a warning in his voice.

“No one disrespects me. Would you like to continue?” Dante’s voice was calm and even but held an unspoken threat. I opened my mouth to warn Joel he might want to stop talking, but the words wouldn’t come, no matter how much I tried.

“You’ve no fucking right to keep us here. When I don’t go home, my uncle will come looking. He knows where we are.”

“Are you threatening me, little boy?”

“Yeah, I’m threatening you. You’re just some two-bit casino owner trying to be something he isn’t. My uncle was right. It’d be so easy to step in and take over this business. You’re shit on his shoes.”

I had never heard Joel talk like this, ever, but now I thought about it, he’d changed over the past few months. We’d always been content with our lot, the minor jobs we did that kept us ticking over. I did it more out of boredom than anything. I already had a job; it just didn’t bring in enough money. When Joel had suggested these stints, telling how easy it was going to be because of me, I’d agreed, when really I should have said no.

And now look where we were. I’d put both Grandpa’s and my life in danger.

Joel fidgeted in his chair, rocking it back and forth.

What the fuck was he trying to do?

“Go on, see if you can get free. I can assure you Conrad has had a lot of practice restraining people. You’ll not escape.”

Joel kept trying to get free and eventually toppled over. His head banged on the floor with a sickening thud.

“You bastard. Let us go,” he shouted.

Gone was Joel’s anger, replaced by fear. Even I could sense it.

“Joel, don’t fight, please.” Freddie spoke for the first time since he’d soiled himself.

“Let us go. Let us go.” Joel continued to struggle, but it was useless.

A cruel smile appeared on Dante’s face, and a sick feeling of foreboding filled me.

I didn’t know what was about to happen, but I knew it couldn’t be good.

“Conrad.” Dante’s voice had dropped an octave, sounding much deeper than it had been.

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