Page 16 of Vengeful Lies

“And they say chivalry is dead,” I remark snidely. “Now, let go of me, asshole.”

“Not until you agree to meet me tomorrow night at Lucy’s.” His grip tightens, an unmovable force trying to dominate me. I wonder if he’d be so handsy if I still had that steak knife or one of my guns handy. As if following my line of thought, his lips curve a wicked grin. “That wasn’t a request, by the way.”

“Why?” I ask him. I know what Lucy’s is; it’s one of his family’s clubs. One that he established the moment he turned twenty-one.

“Because I said so.”

This time, I smile. “You really expect the whole world to stop and grovel at your feet, don’t you?”

“I do quite like a woman on her knees, crawling to me, yes.”

A flush runs over my body, noting our close proximity for an entirely different reason.

I’ve seen how he fucks. No remorse and no care.

I’ve photographed it.

Dreamed of it.

And that kind of hard fuck might knock some screws into the right place in my head because I seriously have to stop getting my nose out of joint around this guy.

“Are you two going to fuck or fight?” Hawke’s voice breaks the tension.

“Both,” Eli answers.

At the same time, I say, “Neither.”

“Jewel, I need you in the back,” Sage calls out. I stare at Eli with a raised brow, and surprisingly, he lets me go. I don’t givehim so much as another glance as I flip my hair over my shoulder and walk away.

This is fucking ridiculous.

I want to kill the man.

Not fuck him.

Right?

“I’ll see you tomorrow night. Dress appropriately,” he calls to me. I flip him off. Fucking asshole.

No man has ever told me I don’t look good; I know I do. I spend a lot of money on my looks. I invest in myself—maybe not so much the clothes, but beauty treatments, hair treatments, I get massages, you name it. I love to do it, so I take that personally.

I wonder if I dropped another rat in his shoe if he might treat a girl differently.

“Thanks for the save,” I say to Sage, who follows me into the kitchen.

“That guy’s intense,” she says, then adds, “I thought you said you weren’t dating anyone.”

“You’re a fool if you’re dating Eli Monti,” my boss, Kelly, cuts in as she wipes down one of the counters.

I whip my head in her direction, surprised she knows who he is.

“Yes, we all know who he is. You would either have to be new in town or a fool not to know who he is. Never thought I’d see his type pass through here, but let me give you a word of warning, kid.” My eye twitches at her calling mekid. “You’ve just had one of the most powerful men in this city declare his love for you. Don’t be surprised if you have a target on your back.”

I pick up the next plate of food, ignoring her and the concerned expression Sage regards me with. If only they fucking knew I was the reaper everyone should be scared of. And I’m the one used to putting the targets on someone else’s back.

My phone buzzes in my apron pocket, and I pull it out to check the text message from my untraceable client.

Anonymous Number: I want you to get close to the target. Before the final blow, tell me about his and his family’s weakness.

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