Page 74 of The Devil We Know

Of course, there’s the problem where not everyone is just going to take my word for it, and I’ll have to come up with some kind of proof. But frankly, my decision to kill every motherfucking one of them eliminates that problem.

It’s not like that wasn’t my endgame in the first place, so having to move the timeline up isn’t that big of a hardship.

What I wasn’t counting on is having Darius and Tony be there, so well made up that I have no fucking idea who they are.

My first instinct when I heard Jess screaming that someone was behind me was to defend myself. But then I hesitated because there has to be some way for me to figure out who’s who.

If I ended up killing one of them by accident, it would be quite upsetting.

Never mind the fact Carolina and or Antoinette would string me up quicker than shit.

But it turns out that my moment of hesitation was the correct choice. No sooner did I pull back from stabbing that man in the chest did the knife he had been wielding go flying by me. I followed its path to see it embedded in another man creeping up on me from just outside my peripheral vision.

I turn back to the man I almost stabbed, taking a step closer and squinting at him as I say, “What’s the password?”

The man smirks at me, a bit of a swagger in the step he takes toward me as he whispers, “Get your shit together, Fucklicker.”

Motherfucking Tony Andersen.

I breathe a sigh of relief and then say, “You almost got yourself fucking killed, man.”

He shrugs and replies, “You wouldn’t kill me. You might try, but you won’t succeed.”

I roll my eyes, turning my body so our backs are pressed together. I take out a couple more people.

It’s complete pandemonium in the hall, with most people attempting to escape, but several groups are coming together, most likely planning an attack. I wipe my knife off on my pants, craning my head over to Tony as I say, “Where’s Dare?”

“Oh, he’s here somewhere disguised as an Irish.”

“Irish?”

Tony nods, pulling a new knife from inside his jacket as he says, “Oh, yes. He looks quite dashing, as well. Light hair and light eyes.”

Tony remains at my back as I scan the room for Darius. I can’t make him out in the crowd, but I see Kaian running through the doorway, where he stops.

He meets my eyes across the room and gives me a nod, and I’m flooded with relief at the knowledge Jessica escaped safely.

This also means that Antoinette and Marieka have escaped, so at least I can move forward with my plan without being concerned about their welfare.

I’m sure Jessica is quite unhappy leaving me behind, and I’m just hoping eventually she’ll understand why it was necessary.

It’s not that I don’t feel she can hold her own; however, I don’t want to put her in a position where she has to defend herself in a way that she may be forced to kill people again.

Antoinette is most likely annoyed she doesn’t get to take part in it. Fortunately, she also takes it seriously when charged with keeping people safe.

Kaian moves, so he’s blending in with a group of people who are obviously contemplating their next move. He melds right in, nodding his head, and I laugh. My moment of humor is cut off by someone shouting at me, “You seem awful amused for a dead man.”

I turn to my right to see Franco standing there, an ugly snarl on his face, and I raise a brow at him and smirk, knowing it will infuriate him further. Then I reply, rather sarcastically, “You’re awful bossy for a dead man.”

He glares at me, and I laugh again, and his face reddens. He takes a step toward me only to have his friend hold him back with his arm. He turns back to his friend, muttering something incoherent, and after a quiet exchange, Franco turns back to me and says, “You may as well give up. You’re significantly outnumbered.”

I shrug, making sure my expression is as nonchalant as possible as I reply, “Maybe I am, maybe I’m not. Only one way to find out.”

Obviously, I am seriously outnumbered. Even with having Tony, Darius, and Kaian on my side, there are a lot of men in this room. And likely, a lot of men who will help try to finish me off.

I see the groups of men shifting and flowing. Some leave the room entirely, but that doesn’t mean they won’t come back if they feel like the odds are turning in their favor.

I turn to Tony and ask, “What do you think?”

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