Page 51 of The Devil Can Be Kind

I slammed my palm against the buttons on the elevator panel, the metal thudding dully as the light flickered on for the floor I wanted.

You wouldn’t be anything special.

Anger bubbled under my skin and, unable to stem the tide of rage burning within me, I threw my fist straight into the mirror at my side. The shards fractured and bowed under the force of my knuckles, microscopic pieces quickly embedding themselves into my skin.Good. The stinging helped clear my head.

I gripped the handrail, glaring at my crooked reflection as the lift slowly ascended the floors.

I couldn’t unhear the disgust in Ada’s words or unsee the hatred in her eyes as she had said them.

I had more power and money than 99.9% of the fucking planet—it wasn’t often I feltunwanted.

And yet, she had kissed that blonde fucker—a fucking nobody.

My teeth snapped together as my muscles clenched, anger once again churning beneath the surface.

How could she do that?

I could have sworn that something had shifted between us at dinner. We had found common ground, talked about difficult andpersonalthings…things I didn’t freely discuss with just anyone.

Then she ran off and made out with some randomer at my bar, like it all meant nothing.

The doors slid open, and I promptly crossed the hall toward the main room. It was hot and heavy as I entered. Alcohol tinging the air with a stale, sweet smell that mingled inelegantly with tacky perfume. The bass of the speakers were cranked as high as they could go, almost cancelling out the squelching of spilled beverages underfoot.

I really need to raise the entry fee,I thought disdainfully. This type of clientele was not to my usual standard.

The private seating area was still littered with people as I retook my seat. Integrating myself back into their drunken discussions and deftly batting away an insolent woman that tried to mount me the second my ass hit the cushion.

I grabbed my drink and downed the double shot of bourbon in one, gesturing for a refill.

“That bloody Mannino is more hassle than she is worth, Cousin.” Roberto slapped me on the shoulder, taking the now vacant seat beside me. “You should just kill her already,” he said, finishing off the remainder of his beer.

“If I wanted your advice, I would have asked for it,” I muttered, sipping my own drink.

“Evenyoumust see that she is bad for business.”

I swiped my hand across my face, trying to quell my temper as it slowly began building once again.

“We could say it was an accident,” he offered, grinning like it was his greatest idea yet, and perhaps it was. Roberto had always been as thick as shit. “If you don’t want to pull the trigger, Cuz, I can always do it for you. I’ll even do it for free if you let me fuck her first.”

I didn’t even try to control my response.

I grabbed him by the back of his neck and slammed his face against the edge of the table with a sickening crack. Bloodsprayed up my leg and screams from the women dotted amongst us rang out, but I hardly even noticed.

I bent over him. My head inches away from Roberto’s ear, as his face leaked all over the floor and onto my leather Tom Ford’s.Goddamn it, these were new.His pleas and apologies quickly cut off the moment my hand tightened against his scalp.

“You’redone.” I spat. “Get the fuck out of my club and disappear or I will kill you myself.”

I released the miserable excuse of a man and shoved him away. I had been trying to get rid of him for years anyway.

He quickly scrambled to his feet and without so much as a glance back, ran for the exit.

“Let that be a lesson to you all.”

CHAPTER

ELEVEN

ADALYN

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