Page 27 of Vicious Sentiments

I’m caught off guard by the question and stumble in the sand. An amused dimple appears on his cheek as I straighten myself out.

“I agree with Marney,” I say, “Do unto others as you would like done to you.” Even though I’ve never been rewarded for such a belief. I can count endless times when I’ve been disappointed in the results, but in this scenario, I’m sure that ballerinas spinning back and forth into each other would be dangerous.

Marney gives me a conspiratorial look like;See? Girls rule and boys drool.

I smile to myself at the small battle line she’s drawn. I’ve never had another girl to stand tall with against men and their ‘fight fire with fire’ way of thinking.

Marney spins around, satisfied. When she does, she spots three white poodles running around at the water’s edge. She quickly dashes forward after them.

“Great,” Dillon sighs, stopping in his tracks.

“What?” I ask, doing the same.

“That’s Dante.” He nods toward the owner of the dogs.

It’s an older man with graying chest hair on display. Dillon turns around and dips his head as if avoiding him.

“Him and his wife live around the bend of Padaro Lane,” he says.

“So?” I look over his shoulder to make sure Marney is okay with this so-called Dante. Is he a pervert?

“Normally, Eloise walks the dogs.” He cringes. “Guess that’s not gonna happen anymore,” he says the last bit mostly to himself.

“Why not?” I still haven’t taken an eye off Marney, who is now on her knees in the sand, scratching behind the ears of the slender poodle.

“Long story, but short version is I’m not Dante’s favorite person right now.”

I snort at his tone. “What did you do, sleep with his wife?”

I take my eyes off Marney when Dillon gets quiet. His lips are pursed and he’s rubbing the back of his neck like he has a sudden bad kink.

“You didn’t, right? I mean that guy’s wife has to be like fifty years old.”

“She’s forty-eight and you’re one to talk,” he snaps back quickly.

My mouth falls open. What in the rich suburb?

I give Dillon another once over. He’s not my type but he’s good looking all the same. Fit and tanned, blonde hair with blue eyes tomatch, and only twenty-one. What would possibly possess him to sleep with a married woman? He could probably get any girl he wanted. And younger too. Not that there is anything wrong with older women but I just didn’t expect it from Dillon.

“You’re not even legal.” He sneers. “Julian and Cape are twisted. You think Margo is going to protect you? She lets them do whatever the fuck they want. Do you even know what they do?” The question seems rhetorical because he doesn’t give me a second to answer before he’s towering over me, his face so close to mine that I can smell the remnants of a smoothie on his breath. “Cape’s fiance ended up dead because of it, but let’s bring another girl around to get killed. Oh, and make her a fucking child.”

I shrink back, my eyes darting past him to see if Marney has noticed the way her brother has advanced on me, but she’s still playing with the dogs. I don’t know what I expect from her, she’s only thirteen, but maybe if she came back he would calm down.

“Are you…?” He narrows his eyes at my trembling hands. “Are you fucking scared of me?” He steps back casually and laughs.

I take the opportunity to breathe and back away from him.

“Me?” He motions to himself and laughs some more, but it’s a bitter sound that makes my skin crawl. “You’re sleeping in the lion’s den but you’re afraid of me? You have no idea—”

“Hailey! Come see!” Marney hollers, cutting him off.

Everything in me wants to bolt straight to her but I’m afraid that Dillon will reach out and try to stop me. I can’t even process what he’s said, only that he invaded my space and snarled, his face twisting into a familiar aggression that always leads to one thing. Pain.

Yet I can’t move—like a petrified lamb. Any resistance I show could tip him over, feel the need to knock me down and prove I can’t get away. I’m waiting for it. That or the look that tells me I’m free to go.

“Wow,” he says and shakes his head. “I’m out of here. WatchMarney.”

I breathe in relief as he walks back the way we came, leaving me clutching my stomach.

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