Page 69 of Magic of Sins

It’s not as bad as he implies. Choi chuckles, but Rey looks seriously offended.

“How about next time you don’t get involved with petty thugs like Jared,” she suggests. “I can think of better things to do than saving your ass. I’ve got a hot bath and a bottle of red wine waiting for me back home.”

“Well, you will definitely need that bath later,” Caden comments dryly. “Which way, you guys?”

We follow Choi and Rey to a corridor that I didn’t notice when I was first led through here.

“A wine cellar,” Caden notes, grabbing one of the green bottles as he passes. He wipes away the layer of dust that has formed on it and eyes the label. “Did anyone remember to bring an opener?”

“Give me that!”

Rey works the cork with one of her knives, while Choi pushes aside a few wine crates to reveal a small passage.

“Can we please hurry before Jared or any of the other idiots notice us?” he says. “I know you wouldn’t mind a fight, Rey, but I don’t want to ruin my suit.”

“Spoilsport!” Caden grumbles.

Rey makes a triumphant sound and raises her knife into the air, with the cork pierced on the tip. Caden reaches for the bottle and takes a big swig.

“Do you want some?”

He wants to hand me the bottle, but I shake my head. This is the weirdest escape I’ve ever seen. Not that I have much experience with this sort of thing.

We all freeze as a squeaking sound comes from above. It must be the steel door that leads to the cellar.

“Stop being such a grouch,” I hear Jared’s voice say. “Someone needed to teach that pompous jerk a lesson. Who does he think he is? The king of the East End?”

“Pompous jerk,” Rey whispers. “I think he’s talking about you, Caden.”

Choi pushes us all into the low passage behind the wine crates. He seems to be the only one out of the three of us who’s taking the situation seriously. If Jared finds us here, he’ll call for backup. And I’d rather not find out if we’re up to another fight.

Jared’s footsteps are getting closer. He’s stopped talking. Presumably the person he was talking to is still upstairs in the club. My heart skips a beat as he enters the wine cellar. We’re standing not three steps away from him in the narrow hallway. The wine crates only half cover us. It would have made too much noise to push them back into place.

Jared hums to himself as he strides along the racks. His finger slides over the bottles. When he gets to the empty spot where the bottle Caden grabbed is missing, he pauses and falls silent. With a furrowed brow, he examines the empty spot.

Damn!

My heart is beating so loud now, I’m surprised he can’t hear it. Caden’s hand closes reassuringly around mine. Rey braces herself. Her blue and green eyes flash dangerously, and the way she holds her knives tells me she’s ready to pounce on Jared should he spot us.

“Has that son of a bitch been helping himself to my Burgundy again?” Jared mumbles.

He turns away and leaves the basement with quick steps.

“Syrus!” I hear him bellow. “Syrus, how many times have I told you…”

“Go!” Choi hisses.

He pushes us deeper into the corridor before pulling on the wine crates to cover our escape route. The path is narrow, and sand and gravel crunch under my shoes. Water drips down from the stone ceiling. At least, I hope it’s water.

We follow the passage down for a while until we come to a larger, vault-like one. It’s mostly taken up by a murky brown river, but there are narrow ledges to the left and right of it on which one can walk dry-footed.

Choi leads our small group, with Caden and me in the middle and Rey bringing up the rear.

“Nasty!” Caden comments on the biting stench of the sewers. “I should have taken the time to drink the whole bottle, then at least I wouldn’t have to walk through here sober.”

I stifle a squeak as a rat crosses my path.

Don’t look. Just don’t look.

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