Page 47 of The Devil's Dilemma

“Not in the way you think. You won the money because of your luck, not because of that cheap chip. I’d like to test a theory, but continue, please.”

“I should throw it away for all the good it did me.” He flicked it in the air and caught it again.

“Here, let’s try something.”

I fished the coin Conrad and I always used out of my pocket. Austin had a fifty-fifty chance of getting this right, but we’d do the best of five. What were the odds?

He sat forward, and I flipped the coin high into the air. “Tails or horns?”

“Tails.”

Okay, that was one.

“Tails.”

Two for two.

“Horns.”

And again. No one could predict with such accuracy, but after five tosses of the coin, he’d guessed every one correctly. That was more than luck.

I wanted to test it further, but that would mean taking him down to the floor and watching him play. But there was more to him than just his luck, and I reckoned his grandpa would have the information we needed about his mother.

“So, what’s the chip for, then? The shop owner gave it to me for a reason, so what was it if it wasn’t to help with the job?”

“He said protection and assurance?”

He nodded.

I had another theory.

I took out my phone and texted Conrad, asking him to come upstairs. It was early, but I knew he’d be here.

Moments later, the door opened. Conrad looked no different from any other day.

“Give him the chip, Austin.”

“It’s mine.” He clutched it to his chest.

“I’m not saying it isn’t, but give him the chip. I want to test something else.”

He threw it at Conrad and watched with concern as he left the room.

Barely two minutes later, I felt so much animosity towards him I found it hard to stay on my side of the room. It hadn’t been this bad before, and I wagered it was the breaking of the angel mark that had caused this anger.

How dare he cheat me out of so much money? How dare he make me look stupid in front of everyone?

I should have killed him where he fell.

I clenched my fists, and the urge to wrap them around his slim neck grew with each moment.

How dare he sit onmysofa, sipmycoffee frommymug?

I curled my lip and bared my teeth, my horns tingling as they grew longer than they’d ever done.

I was going to fucking kill him.

I leapt across the room and pounced on him. The coffee mug went flying, hot coffee spilling.

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