Page 414 of Dark Love

“Then why are you taking up drinking at seven in the morning?” Payne collapses on the couch rather than walking up to the bar in his living room.

“Because of her boss. I should just go kill him.” I pour way too much whiskey into a glass and join him.

“Do you want me to do it for you?”

And that’s the sign of a true best friend. “No, if he’s going to die, I’m going to be the one to do it. He’s got it bad for Dahlia.”

“Is he stalking her or something?” Payne sits up.

“No. He’s too smart for that. This Adonis guy—What a horrible name. His parents must have hated him—thought he would sweeten her up with soup. He brought her chicken noodle soup like it was some sort of prize.” I want to rip his head off of his smug—

“Didn’t you do the same thing—”

“Dahlia is mine. And I’ll kill anyone that tries to take her from me.”

Payne has the nerve to laugh.

“This isn’t funny.”

“It’s hilarious. My best friend is falling in love.”

Love?!? I can’t be falling in love with Dahlia. It’s one thing to want her. It’s another thing to need her… But falling in love. “Impossible.”

“Then explain to me why you’re jealous of an idiot with a bowl of soup.”

“I—I…”

“Exactly.” Payne folds his arms across his chest with a smug grin on his face. “This is going to be hilarious.”

“Love is a weakness. I can’t have any weaknesses.”

“You’re an idiot.”

“If you weren’t my best friend, I’d shoot you, too.”

“But I am.” Payne holds out a hand. “Give me a swig of that.”

“Go get your own.” I move my glass away and down it in one gulp. The fire burning its way down my throat does nothing to soothe the beast inside me.

“That was mine. You showed up at my house all grumpy.” He pushes himself up and takes my glass.

“I can’t be falling in love with her.”

“Then break up. Walk away now, before your heart gets involved.”

“Walk away?” Every fiber of my body cringes at those words, even as my mind knows I should. “I can’t.”

“Then you’re too far gone already.” Payne leaves the glass and just grabs the bottle.

“We haven’t gotten drunk in years.” I take the bottle from him and tip it up to my lips. “At least it’s the good stuff this time.”

Payne sits down across from me. “So how are you going to deal with Adonis without killing him, because, as far as I can tell, he’s a good guy?”

That’s right. Payne researched Dahlia. A thorough job involves all the people around her. “What do you know?”

“I thought you wanted to get to know her on your own?” Payne raises an eyebrow and steals the bottle from my hands.

There’s no way I want a clinical knowledge of Dahlia. I want her to trust me. But Adonis is another story. “Tell me about him without telling me about her.”

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