Page 34 of Dance with the Devil

Good. Even if it takes him a minute to break us out of here, that’s fine. But hopefully he can pass the message on.

The Devil of Springfield needs to know he has a snake working for him.

I only hope that Luca St. James isn’t one of them.

TWELVE

NEGOTIATION

CROSS

Ilet down my guard too soon.

Ever since Winter said that he had plans for Genevieve and me, I couldn’t get the thought out of my head. He was very clear: none of his guys was allowed to touch her. I was so relieved that I didn’t have to worry about the remaining guards attempting to sexually assault her again, I allowed myself to relax a fraction.

Then Luca appeared yesterday. I know him. For the second chance that the Devil of Springfield gave him, he wouldneverbetray the Sinners Syndicate. So long as there is a Sinners tat on my arm, we’re basically family. If he’s here, Devil found us and sent him in.

I don’t believe in coincidences. I believe in Devil’s ability to control his man, Rolls’s skills as a fixer, and the genius that is Tanner Maguire. Between the three of them, they would’ve found us eventually. Throw in Genevieve’s overprotective older brother, and I figured we just had to survive long enough to be broken out of this place.

Now that Luca’s here, he must know that it’s another Winter who’s running the show. Whether he goes by Johnny or Jimmy, it doesn’t matter. He’s a fucking Snowflake, and he’s the enemy. He’s also a very formidable enemy, and the fact that my fellow Sinners haven’t come down here, guns blazing, just yet tells me that they understand just how dangerous Winter is.

Getting a man on the inside is super smart. He can relay the layout and the amount of both weapons and enemies that Winter keeps wherever we are. Because it’s Luca, I feel like it’s Hamilton, but that’s at least three hours away from Springfield; though that would explain why it took them as long as it did to find us.

Luca’s not at the facility today. He’s playing his part, and whether he’s really going out and grabbing another prison for Winter, he’s not with Noah when he comes down to bring our breakfast. He’s not with Noah when he serves us some cold pizza for dinner. Both times it’s Baker, and I hope that means the next time someone comes down, it’s Luca, followed by members of the Sinners Syndicate.

So, yeah. I let down my guard because, after the second visit to our cell, I didn’t expect another one until the morning—but right around the time that Genevieve usually starts to curl up in the bed, and I get the opportunity to hold her as we both sleep, we both here footsteps.

Her pretty blue eyes go impossibly wide. I know exactly what she’s thinking. The last two times we had unexpected visitors, Mickey wanted her to blow him, then Johnny Winter made it clear he plans to keep us down here for his ‘plans’ until he decides to blow us away.

Whoever’s coming down, that can’t be good.

Unless… unless itisLuca.

It’s not Luca.

It’s Noah and Baker, and while both men are armed, neither is carrying a plate. Any hope that Winter decided to add dessert tonight especially as one of his ‘accomadations’ dies a quick death when, unlike usual, both men step into the cage as soon as the door opens.

“Oh good,” sneers Noah. “We made it on time. It’s not past the princess’s bedtime yet.”

Genevieve climbed out of the cot as soon as we realized the footsteps were getting closer. Wearing the same sundress she’s had on for weeks, it seems so much thinner, so muchlooserthan it did when we first arrived.

With Noah leering at her, and Baker standing there as silent as the grave as always, she crosses her arms over her chest, a flash of temper crossing her face at the derisive nickname.

She hates being called ‘princess’. I hate the way these two men are looking at her right now.

Winter said not to assault them. He didn’t say not to mouth them off.

“What do you want? You brought dinner. Your fucking pets already at the food. Happy? It’s my bedtime, too. So why don’t you go and leave us the hell alone.”

Baker snorts. Noah grins.

And I know I made a mistake.

“What do we want? Hear that, Baker? Pretty boy here wants to know what we want.” Slowly, making it obvious that it’s what he’s doing, Noah looks Genevieve up and down, lingering on her crotch and her chest. She gulps, and he gives me another crooked grin. “We want to watch you fuck.”

Genevieve sucks in a breath.

My body comes alive in the worst way.

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