Page 48 of Dance with the Devil

Me? I know better.

That cold lashing voice? It was a sign of a frigid temper, worse because it’s not as heated and explosive as a man on the verge of losing control. This is a man incompletecontrol, and even more dangerous because of it.

So I’m not surprised at all that, the moment Vincent Libellula speeds away with my butterfly, Damien turns that whip on me.

“You will stay away from my sister,” he orders.

Excuse me? “All due respect,” because, after all, he is the head of the DragonfliesandGenevieve’s brother, “but I can’t do that. I love her.”

Damien’s face ices over. “It’s a trauma bond, nothing more. You don’t love her?—”

“I do?—”

“You can’t. If you loved my sister, you never would’ve put her in danger in the first place.”

My mouth clicks shut. I have nothing to say to that.

He moves into me, so close our chests are almost touching. “I blame myself, too. If it wasn’t for me, Gen never would’ve been targeted. I know that. I accept that. It’s part of the life, and I’ll make anyone who hurt her pay for it. But you… you don’t want to hurt her, right?”

The word is torn from my chest: “Never.”

“I thought as much. So, listen to me: you stay away from her. And I’m not being a dick.” Yes, he is. “Okay,” he allows, “maybe a little. But that’s because she’s precious. You’d agree.”

I jerk my head once. A nod.

“Exactly. And you have to know she’s special. Whatever happened in there… she didn’t deserve any of it. Don’t you realize what will happen if you try to cling to her now that you’re out? You’ll remind her of what happened.”

“I’m the only one who understands?—”

“Very true,” Damien says, interrupting me. “And that doesn’t change my point. Genevieve needs a clean break. No reminders. She needs to stay home where my Dragonflies can keep her from getting mixed up with Winter again.”

I swallow roughly. “I can keep her safe.”

He raises an eyebrow. “Do you honestly think so? Because, forgive me, but I think we just went through a lot of trouble to pull your ass out of there, too.”

Again, I shut up because, damn it, he’s right.

“Damien. For the sake of this Goddamn truce, I gave you the two minutes with my guy you bargained for. Time’s up. Cross. We’re taking you home.”

I want to refuse. I want to tell Damien to kiss my ass, that Genevieve ismine, and take her home with me. I want to lock her up in my apartment where I can keep her safe and sound in case Winter comes after her again, and lie with her in my bed as I finally get to explore her without cameras on us?—

Holy fucking shit.

Holyshit.

He’s right. The lead Dragonfly isright. All I wanted to do was set my butterfly free, and within minutes of us breaking out of that cell, I’m already planning to put her in another glass jar. Is it okay becauseIwant to keep her? Fuck, no. I stole her first time from her, and I think that I should have the right to touch her again?

What the hell is wrong with me?

He’s right. Damien told me to stay away from her because it would be the best thing for her. Seeing me would be a reminder of what she went through. My skin against hers… how could she ever let me touch her without remembering being forced to?

I will forever be a trigger for her own trauma. And Genevieve will always be flames to me.

There’s no way we can be together, and that means we have to stay apart.

Besides, this is the Devil of Springfield. You don’t refuse Lincoln ‘Devil’ Crewes, especially not when you wear the Sinners Syndicate’s trademark devil horns and tail on your flesh. Then again, I saw how he was with his wife shortly after they weremarried. I was the one who tatted his full Christian name on her ring finger to make sure everyone knew who she belonged to, and I was gathered with the rest of the syndicate when Devil went down on her after proclaiming her his queen—then setting an example by blowing Twig away when he dared to question Devil on his methods.

I’d do the same for Genevieve, I realize. Even before I knew she felt for me a sliver of what I felt for her, I admitted I was obsessed. Now I know that I can’t live without her… but I’m going to have to.

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