Page 36 of Dance with the Devil

If Winter doesn’t kill me, Damien definitely will. There are cameras here. Center stage, right? No doubt it’ll get back to her brother. I’m dead, and the Sinners will have to retaliate.

Same outcome, right? At the very least, the truce between the Sinners and the Dragonflies will go up in smoke. Only Devil and Damien will still be alive, too busy fighting each other to notice that Winter is moving in.

And just like he wants, his enemies are destroyed without him having to assassinate them and make martyrs of them to their men.

It’s brilliant. Sadistic, and brilliant.

And never going to happen.

“I won’t do it,” I grit out. “I won’t rape her.”

Genevieve’s voice is soft as she whispers my name.

I fist my hands. “So forget it, Winter. Okay?”

Winter’s sigh comes over the loudspeaker. “Why must everyone always do things the hard way? You think I haven’t been watching you on the camera? Haven’t seen how you look at her while she’s sleeping? That kiss? I’m giving you what you want. Take it.”

“The only one who can give me that is Genevieve,” I spit back.

“Very well. It seems as if I need to be a little more persuasive.”

“Nothing will make me?—”

“Baker. You have impressive aim. Shoot him in the hand. The right one preferably since his file indicates he’s a righty.”

Genevieve finally finds her voice. “What? You’re going to shoot Cross’s hand? He’s an artist!”

“Yes. See. That’s also in the files,” Winter says, a touch bored. “And maybe when he’ll never work again, he’ll realize he should’ve done what he was told.”

“He’s saying no because of me. Because you’re a sick fuck, and you want to make me have sex for the first time on camera!”

“Well, yes. But, to be fair, if he hadn’t been such a gentleman these last two weeks and already fucked you when I gave him ample time to do so, it wouldn’t have come to this. Now, Baker. If you would.”

I move away from Genevieve so that she doesn’t get hit if his aim isn’t as impressive as Winter thinks.

She dashes in front of me. “Fine. I’ll do it. Okay? I’ll do it. Just don’t shoot!”

I grab her hand, tucking her behind me again. “Genevieve, no…”

She juts out her chin, though she’s shaking where she stands. “I mean it. You… you know how I feel about you. I never thought it would be like this, but if it saves your hands…” Her eyes dart over to Noah and Baker. She bites her bottom lip, then nods. “I’ll do it, Cross. I want to.”

Consent under duress. Fucking great.

“I can’t,” I tell her. “Let them blow off my hands. I don’t care. I’d rather have no hands that ever touch a woman who doesn’t want me to.”

Especially notthiswoman.

“Again with the making everything so difficult. Noah,” calls out Winter. “Shoot the girl in her knees instead. Maybe when she won’t be able to dance again, he’ll realize just what his insolence has really cost him.”

What?

“No,” I bellow. “You can’t?—”

“Then start to undress, Mr. da Silva. The girl’s agreed. You said she was the only one who could give you permission, and she did. Now time’s ticking. If you’re not stripped by the time I count to five, Noah will shoot her in the knees. I don’t bluff. One?—”

I yank off my shirt, trying to figure out a way to save Genevieve’s career and her innocence.

“That’s more like it. I want the tattoos caught on camera, just so you can’t deny later on that it’s you. Two.”

---