Page 47 of Dance with the Devil

Then Damien met with Devil and said that Johnny Winter was dead, and the Snowflakes were history.

Well. At least one positive thing came out of being captured and used as a pawn in a sick game masterminded by JohnnyWinter: we know that the Snowflakes might just be a bigger problem than we thought.

Luca agrees. “When we get back to Springfield, stay alert, Cross. I only talked to Winter three times. When they pushed me in front of him as an interview and after, like, five questions, he smirked and told me I was hired. Then when I offered to get a prisoner for him to show him I was legit. He’s not all there. There’s no way of knowing how he’ll retaliate.”

I nod, trying not to say anything that might further agitate Genevieve. She hasn’t spoken another word since she asked for me, and as I keep my free arm tucked around her, holding her close, I can’t help but feel like a part of her… she’s slipping away from me.

Winter won’t not be a problem until he’s dead. Too bad he’s nowhere near the facility.

Luca confirms that Winter is rarely on-sight. He didn’t even come to this side of Hamilton to meet with Luca. They did that in the back of a dive bar, at least ten miles away. Now that Noah’s taken out, the facility is clear, and we have no trouble as Savannah leads us up and out.

Luca is still muttering to me, pissed that the escape plan got as fuck-up as it did.

“This was the only shot we had. It was just supposed to be me at the compound until dinner. Winter said he had other shit for the guys to do, and I figured it might be a test, but we couldn’t wait. I guess Noah was the test. Winter must’ve sent him to make sure I was on the up and up.”

Because Noah wasn’t supposed to be here, but he was, and my butterfly was forced to kill him to save us all.

Genevieve stiffened at the mention of Noah’s name. I rub her upper arm, trying not to notice how cold she is, then shoot a look behind me at Luca.

He gets the hint and shuts the hell up.

Less than three minutes after we hit the stairs, we’re exiting a side door that leads right to a parking lot.

There are four cars out here. Three of them look too pricy to belong to Noah; the last one is a beater at least fifteen years older than the others. I recognize the long black car as Devil’s. When Luca hurries over, opening the back door—back to his driver duties—and Lincoln Crewes steps out in all his glory, I’m not surprised.

There’s a nondescript black car parked two spaces away. Through the windshield, I see a large man with closely cropped dark hair and a pair of Libellula blue eyes a few shades darker than Genevieve’s.

He lets himself out, and when he marches around his car, going for the driver side of the red Maserati next to him, I know he’s wasting his time. I’m right. Damien Libellula doesn’t wait for his cousin to open the door for him like Luca did for Devil. He shoves the door open, stalks out, and murmurs something in another language under his breath before he swoops Genevieve up into a tight hug.

I didn’t want to let her go. Knowing that this is her family, I had no choice. Right before he grabbed her, I took my arm back and stepped away.

That’s her brother. Herbrother, Cross. She disappeared and he spent at least two weeks having no idea if she was safe or not. You have no fucking reason to be jealous of her brother.

And maybe if I keep telling myself that, I won’t want to rip Damien away from my butterfly…

It’s not Damien who releases Genevieve first. After a few more seconds, she wiggles out of his grip, immediately turning to find me. She ducks under my side, clutching my dirty shirt, and I feel peace for the first time since she was forced to fire that gun.

Damien Libellula has a fierce reputation. Not as bad as the Devil of Springfield, but when his pale blue eyes land on me and I see nothing but ice, my stomach goes cold.

It’s a split second of him scrutinizing me before his elegant features soften once he sets eyes on his wife. He holds open his arms, and Savannah walks right into them.

I squeeze Genevieve close as the married couple have their reunion.

“Ragna mia, you are a miracle.” Damien presses a kiss to the top of her hair. “Now, please, help my sister into the car. Vin will drive you home. I’ll be right behind you.”

Savannah moves over to Genevieve. “Come on, Gen. I’m dying for a good meal and a shower. And Orion. You missed him, too, didn’t you? Let’s go home and see Orion.”

She blinks, still clinging to me. “Cross? Are you coming with me?”

Her question is a plea.

Damien’s voice lashes out like a whip. “I’d like to take to him first, sorellina.”

“Dame, I?—”

He gentles his hard tone. “Genevieve, please. I’ll see you at the manor. Let me talk to your man here.”

As though needing him to recognize that I have some claim to her, hearing him call me ‘her man’ has Genevieve reluctantly letting go of my chest. She pats it once, then walking as though in a daze, allows Savannah to guide her to the black car and help her into the back seat.

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