Page 105 of Crimson Tears

“No, kill them andmove on. That’s the point after all, correct? Take their life so that yours can continue without fear of them coming back to hurt you.”

She’s right. Dammit, we’re lucky to have her. Cillian joked that a mafia with a shrink was unheard of, but maybe Dr. K is exactly what our world needs.

Chapter 30

While I am excited to watch Nessa get her revenge on these assholes, I’m not really ready for her to be out and about. Tonight is the grand opening of the club that Green and Gray are being held in, so it’s packed with people.

Call me overprotective, but I’m just not ready for Nessa to be around others I don’t know. It puts me on edge. And that should terrify people.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t. Especially since Nessa told me that I needed to put my big boy panties on and get over it because she’s doing this no matter my opinion. Which was rude.I don’twear panties, I wear boxers. Sometimes. Usually I prefer to go commando unless I’m wearing jeans. That fabric is not gentle.

Damien meets us at the back entrance, holding open the door for Nessa and pulling her in for a brief, gentle hug before turning to us.

“Hey there, Daddy B. How’s it going?” he greets Boris.

I have never been more happy to hear a nickname before in my life because I can guarantee I’ll be using that one in the future.

“Hello, Damien. I have requested you not call me that multiple times.”

Boris adjusts his suit as he walks in, refusing to make eye contact with my smug as feck face now that I’ve heard this wonderful new phrase. I trail behind with Nessa between us. Damien falls in step beside me once he closes the door.

Apparently, Nessa knows this building and helped Laney set up a lot of the vendors who are here tonight, so she’s already aware of where to go and steps in front of Boris to take the lead.

My nerves tense with her body exposed, but she’s holding herself well. If she feels confident here, I don’t want to ruin that. So instead of watching her like a hawk, I decide to eyeball every motherfecker here who dares to look her way. My girl is taken, and looking at her is a crime I will be the enforcer of.

“Dude,” Damien nudges my arm, and I try not to scoff as I eye a particularly creepy fecker.

I don’t know what it is about him, but he rubs me the wrong way. Damien, not catching the hint, throws an arm around my shoulder. I’m two seconds away from punching his teeth in when Nessa looks back at me and smiles. My nerves instantly calm. She trusts these people completely, so I trust them too.

“What do you think of the club? This is my baby.” Damien is so friendly it’s weird. Not many people who murder and torture for a living talk or act like him. It unnerves me.

“It’s ostentatious,” I say, earning me a glare from Nessa.

“This is my project too,” she says.

“Don’t worry, Nessie,” Damien coos at her, “ostentatious is good. It shows that we have money and are willing to pay anything to make sure others experience sexual liberation.”

I hear a snort come from behind or beside us. I have no idea if it came from Nessa or Boris, but it makes me laugh either way.

“Sexual liberation, eh?” I glance around as we walk past four black doors. “What kind?”

Damien gives me a look that makes me want to peek my head into every room here.

I guess being this guy’s friend wouldn’t be so bad. At the very least, I can fake it so that I can explore this club on another date. So, I slip on my crazy mask, metaphorically of course, and glance over at Damien.

“You got some good torture weapons down there?” I ask, making polite conversation as any good assassin would.

Damien turns near giddy. “You have got to check out my mini-sword collection.”

Okay, maybe he’s not so bad because that sounds awesome.I feckin’ love swords.

“How did you get miniature swords?”

He laughs and rubs his chin before winking at me.

“Let’s just say I know people.” He shrugs. “Besides, Alexi kept getting pissed that I was killing people with Arondight, so he helped find someone who could make miniature replicas of all of the most famous swords for me to use instead.”

I stop dead in my tracks. “Are you talking about Sir Lancelot's sword?”

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