Page 43 of The Devil We Know

Disgruntled.

And also not at all surprised, given the reputation of the Irish.

Of course, Carolina thought it was hilarious and even started joking around about how easy it would be for her to get away without me even knowing she’s gone.

And Antoinette just fueled this with her own laughter and teasing.

With Camilla’s point being made, she went on to explain exactly how she was going to get us in under the enemy’s nose, and then it was decided that we would attend the upcoming wedding as guests of Seamus Killeen.

Since we know how we’re going to get in, we just have to decide what we’re going to do once we’re there. Are we going to allow this wedding to take place? Do we sit back and wait for a sign from Matt that it’s our turn to step in and fuck around? Or do we just do what we always do: wing it and see what happens?

We decide that Darius, Antoinette, and I will go under Camilla’s magic and that we’ll take point on the extraction mission. Mostly because we need someone on the outside who can take charge if things go to shit.

Being near the end of his US tour, Declan had to return to LA to keep his shows on track. So, Anton and Agatha came to assist Lilith and Carolina with managing the behind-the-scenes maneuvering. They’ll wait on the outskirts of the property, out of sight, so if things go well, they can just pick us up, and if things go shit, they can come in and light the place on fire.

After hours of sitting in the chair, the reflection that blinks back at me is unrecognizable. It’s amazing but also disconcerting, and then two strangers pop up in the mirror behind me, and I jump, staring in shock at who must be Darius and Antoinette.

“Isn’t it amazing?” Antoinette asks. “Like, I could get used to this.”

Darius laughs, turning his head from side to side, getting all of the angles of his new face as he replies, “It is amazing. Also disturbing.”

She smiles brightly. “Disturbing how? We can be anyone we want to be.”

He raises his brows, his eyes meeting hers in the mirror as he says, “Yes, and so can anyone else.”

The smile drops from her face, and she frowns as his words sink in, and then she replies quietly, “Oh, shit. You’re right.”

Carolina appears behind me, one of her hands coming up over my shoulder, sliding across my chest. She whispers into my ear, “Well, do you think you might have some time for your wife before you go?”

I shake her off, sputtering, “You stop that.”

She laughs, and Darius and Antoinette join her. Antoinette eyes Darius in the mirror again as she says, “I totally get it.”

He gives her a decidedly smug look as he replies, “Likewise. We can literally be two strangers in a bar right now.”

Carolina straightens, her hand moving to my shoulder as she says excitedly, “You could be three strangers in a bar right now.”

I bristle, narrowing my eyes as I grit out, “All of you fucking cut it out.”

“Oh, this could be fun,” Antoinette exclaims.

Carolina steps closer to Antoinette, her hand coming up, her fingers tangling in Antoinette’s now-blonde hair, the smile on her face coy as she leans in and whispers, “Fancy meeting you here.”

I jump up from my chair, whirling around on them as I say, “Really? Do you really think this is the time for joking?”

Darius turns and leans against the desk in front of the mirror as he says nonchalantly, “Like you’re one to talk about when it’s appropriate to joke.”

I cross my arms over my chest, grinding my teeth together, and then Carolina says, “Of all the bars in all the world, you had to walk into this one.”

Antoinette throws her head back, laughs, and then steps closer to Carolina. She wraps an arm around her shoulder, leaning in so she can whisper words into her ear that I can’t make out. Carolina giggles in response, and Darius chuckles beside me, throwing his elbow into my side. “You really need to lighten up, Tony.”

I turn and glare at him. “If you ever get into the baby-making stage of your relationship, maybe you would understand.”

Antoinette gasps beside me and then asks, “Really? Baby making?”

Carolina rolls her eyes at me, then gives me a middle finger and explains, “Well, we’re notnottrying to avoid pregnancy. But we’re not necessarily actively trying to make a baby, either.”

Antoinette cocks her head at her as she says slowly, “That sounds to me an awful lot like trying to make a baby.”

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