Page 50 of Dance of Deception

I blink, caught off guard. “What?”

His eyes snap back to mine.

“Your necklace, with the ballet slipper pendant,” he repeats. “You’ve been wearing it whenever I’ve seen you, and you’re not wearing it now. Usually people wear sentimental pieces like necklaces for luck during things like this.”

My stomach drops, heat rising to my cheeks. When thehellhas this man ever noticed me?

I shrug, trying to downplay it. “I…just didn’t wear it today.”

Carmine doesn’t look convinced. But after a beat, he lets it go, dragging his hand through his hair and sighing.

“All right, let’s cut the shit. This is over,” he says, pushing up from the couch. “Time for you to go.”

Anxiety flashes in my chest and I stand abruptly. “Wait?—”

“You’re obviously here because you need the money. But I’m not a charity. You’re done.”

Something inside me snaps.

No.

I can’t afford to walk out of here without this money.

Just as I'm starting to panic, Carmine reaches for a decanter, his other hand gripping a crystal tumbler as he splashes whiskey into it.

…Which is exactly when one of the lights in the room glints off a ring on his finger.

Simple. Gold.

With a gleaming black gem.

Instantly, my whole body goes still as my reality shifts.

Holy fuck.

I know that ring. I’vefeltthat ring between my legs.

Tasted it with my tongue.

No.

It’s not possible.

The man who chased me through the labyrinth, pinned me against the stone wall and touched me like he owned me…

He’s standing in front of me.

And his name isn’t The Hound.

It’s Carmine fucking Barone.

Carmine knocks back half his drink, rolling his neck before he lowers the glass and turns back to me.

“I said we’re done, Miss Nobody. Get the fuck?—”

“You’re going to pick me.”

Slowly, his brow furrows, his lips curling into a curious and thoroughly unamused smile.

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