Page 26 of The Devil's Conflict

“Nice to meet you. And why would he be throwing out your heels?” I ask Eden curiously, unable to help myself.

The women share a look of wicked delight. “Are you sure you’re ready for it?” another one of the women asks. She’s the smallest of the women, and not wearing a cut, but she looks like she fits in. I put her at five-one, and her hair is a mixture of dark purple and pink that shouldn’t work, but on her definitely does. It gives her an edgy, fun look, and add in the multiple piercings in her earlobes, and stud in her nose, she’s like an edgy Barbie. Her blue eyes are shining with delight as she waits for my answer. “And I’m Sadie, by the way. I’m here for fun tonight, but I’m not with one of the MC guys if you’re wondering. I like to do the tying down, not the one being tied down,” she adds with a toss of her hair that almost should be pretentious, but from her, it’s more dramatic.

I grin. “You’re going to have to fill me in on that sometime, but yes, I want to hear this. The men seem to be afraid of you all and have warned me to steer clear. Something tells me this is what they mean.”

“Oh, no, they mean what happens when we all get together.” Rose laughs. “But yes, they’re also afraid of what we can do individually too.”

Interesting. Definitely want to hear all about this now.

Eden launches into her story, and by the time she gets to the part where she accidentally, but not so accidentally, literally put her heel up some wanna-be rapist’s asshole, I’m entranced, horrified, and also immensely impressed. Damn, I wish I could have been there for that whole encounter. “Yeah, so that all happened, and now the guys never turn their back to me if they can help it.” Eden laughs.

I just hold my hand up for a high-five, making them all laugh as Eden smacks her hand against mine. “You’re going to have toteach me that move.” I grin. “Or, maybe, I should just bring a pair of heels to work and leave them on my desk as a warning.”

“Do it!” Rose cries excitedly.

“High heels are not standard issue for your work attire, Sutton,” a voice behind me says in amusement. I turn to see Viper standing there, grinning with a beer in his hand. “And the only one who scares me with those is my woman.” He reaches out and hauls a laughing Eden into him, leaning down to press a hard kiss to her mouth. It’s clear the man is deeply in love with her.

“I bet she could change your mind.” Eden laughs when he pulls away. “According to you, she has Sniper and Shadow level skills. So I bet she could make it hurt a lot worse than I ever could.”

Viper glances at me and grins. “I’d offer Sniper to you as tribute if you’re going to attack anyone with a high heel.”

I smirk at him. “Something tells me he won’t be happy you offered him up. He can’t stand me, remember?”

His grin turns wicked. “Is that right?” he asks slyly.

“What is the story of you and Sniper?” Rose interrupts, giving me a curious look.

“Yeah,” Sage says, moving closer, eyes bright with excitement. “He’s been a bear the last week or so and the guys have been avoiding him as much as possible. And something tells me, you’re the reason. So what’s the deal?”

TWELVE

THEA

I’m not stupid or silly enough to think that I have the upper hand with this man. I’m just knocking him off-kilter a little.

The women are grinningat me when I finish a simplified version of my meeting Sniper a decade ago. I leave out the part where he insulted me and was a complete asshole, but they got the gist. However, I don’t hold back when I tell them about our first encounter in front of the security building.

“Oh, I wish I was there to see the look on his face,” Rose roars with laughter. “Holy shit, I bet he was shocked. No one talks to him like that. Ever.”

“Something tells me he needs it.” Sage snickers.

“Girl, you’re my hero,” Sadie exclaims, holding up her hand for a high-five. “We need to keep these assholes in their place.”

“And he’s the one who forced you to work with Viper and them, right?” Eden asks curiously.

I nod. “Well, not really,” I correct after a small twinge. “He did order me to show up, but I don’t answer to him. I showed up because I was bored, and this is a new challenge for me, and I wanted to try it.”

“Honestly I don’t know why you didn’t just kick his ass out,” Sage says with a shake of her head. “If King tried that shit, I’d definitely break his dick.” The other women giggle, but my eyes just widen. “Oh, right! You don’t know that story,” Sage cries. “Get ready because this one is going to be a bit wild.”

“Yeah, I got that.” Okay, the men being scared of them is starting to become a little clearer. We have the one who put a high heel up someone’s asshole, and now one that apparently may have broken a man’s dick. I don’t know whether to be impressed, amused, or worried. Then again, another part of me is screaming inside with utter delight and wanting to beg them to let me join their group.

I listen, shocked, and then a little horrified as Sage recounts her walking in on her ex cheating on her and his dick getting broken in the process. I might not be a man, but I still wince, appreciating that the very thought of the pain that goes with that would be debilitating. I glance over at Viper, and he’s wincing at the recounting but also grinning, clearly enjoying it all the same. When Sage finishes, I reply slowly, “I don’t know whether to high-five you or run the other way.”

“Well, the guys are scared of Izzy because we were target practicing and Sage’s best friend, and Stone’s Old Lady, Syn, set up a target with the tiniest dildo I’ve ever seen.” Rose laughs. “And she was the only one of us who was able to hit it and blew it up just as the men came out.”

“Is Syn the one with the K9s?” I ask, thinking back to a conversation I overheard Shadow and Viper having the other day.

“That’s her,” Sage says proudly. “We’ve been best friends for years, and she’s got the two of them. And she put Stone in a bite suit and had them attack him, so now the guys are worried that she’s going to launch them at their balls too one day if they piss her off.”

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