Page 84 of The Devil We Know

Kaian freezes. I see him roll his eyes a bit, but I know it’s too late to play nice.

The man glares at me and replies, “You couldn’t be so lucky. And once we make you a widow, you can just get married again.”

Now I roll my eyes, the maniacal laughter building up inside of me as I say, “What the fuck is with you douchebags wanting to get in line for Mathias’ sloppy seconds?”

Antoinette chokes, and Kaian groans loudly. Enzo snarls but says nothing, reaching out and grabbing me by the arm, his fingers digging in painfully. A bunch of other men rushes into the hallway from the same direction he came in, and he looks at the one in the lead and says, “Secure all these fucking assholes. I’m going to take care of her.”

Kaian opens his mouth to protest, but Lilith reaches into her jacket again, and he immediately turns back to her, putting his arms out and forcing the three women backward as he says,“I got these ones under control. I’ll get them secured and then report back to see what else needs to be done.”

Enzo gives him a suspicious look, but then nods before turning his attention back to me. He leans his face close to mine, rubbing his nose on my cheek, and I shudder in disgust, turning my head so quickly that he doesn’t have time to step back before I gnash at his nose with my teeth.

He jerks back cursing, and I laugh. “Don’t fucking touch me.”

And there’s the maniacal laughter again.

I don’t bother pushing it down this time. I let it erupt, spewing all over them until they’re all standing there staring at me like the fucking lunatic I am.

Kaian doesn’t wait. He uses the distraction to shoo the other women back down the hallway, and I continue my maniacal antics until they’re out of sight, and then I stop.

I stop abruptly, standing at my full height, sticking my chin out obstinately as I say, “Are you just going to fucking stand there all day, or are you going to do something?”

Enzo raises his brows at me, but this time, his step toward me is a little hesitant and not nearly as aggressive. He grabs onto my arm and yanks me over, pulling me toward the door he pushes open roughly as he says, “Just for that, you get to watch.”

I struggle, attempting to pull myself from his grip, but it’s no use. So, I ask, “Watch what?”

He pauses halfway in the doorway, looking back at me as he replies, “You get to watch your husband die.”

36

Fuck Around Time

Matt

They’d just dropped Tonyon his ass on the floor and were in the process of opening my cage when the door bursts open.

No one pays it much mind, including myself, as they half-drag-half-carry me out into the open. Tony, long rid of his disguise, lies in a heap, and they kick him to the side so they can use the same hook to hang me up by my bound hands.

I’m too busy feigning being injured to bother looking up, but it’s Darius’ voice behind me that draws my attention.

I turn my head just enough so I can get a peek, and my blood runs cold to see Jessica standing there, being manhandled by none other than Matteo’s brother, Enzo.

I twitch, fully intent on going berserk, when something cool touches my bare foot, and I glance down to see Tony with one eye open, giving me a hard stare.

I immediately go back to my former exhausted position, doing my best to keep the tremor of rage out of my limbs.

I can’t even imagine why Jessica would enter this building after what she’d already been through, but I have a feeling I already know the reason.

Mainly me.

I take a few subtle calming breaths, Tony’s hand on my foot, one of his fingers tap, tap, tapping rhythmically.

If Jessica is here, that means the others can’t be too far behind, and most likely the reason that she’s made it into this room without them is because the circumstances didn’t allow for anything else.

I know this isn’t my first rodeo, but it is definitely my first rodeo where someone I’m intimately connected to is at risk, and I totally understand Darius and Tony’s previous inclinations towards chaos and psychotic behavior. Suddenly, my typical high functionality is moot, and I want to go berserker mode.

I chance another glance and see her staring at me intently. As soon as my eye meets hers, she shakes her head minutely.

I hang more heavily on the chain, intent on at least pretending well that I’m not operating on all cylinders.

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