Page 79 of Passion and Payback

She looked toward the house and sighed. “Oh, if you were just chasing me off for the fun of it, my ass would be grass. But if youdofollow through on what you’re threatening...well, all I have to say is that I ran into the man who killed him, and my boss will leave me alone.”

“She won’t ask questions?”

“Honey...look at the work I do. None of what we do is legal, she’s not going to ask questions, and she’s not going to care that he’s dead. There’s way too many of these pricks in this city looking to get their dicks wet and get off to shit they shouldn’t.There’salwaysa paying customer somewhere in the world. His spot will get filled in no time, and it’ll be like he never existed.”

“Good, that’s exactly what he deserves.”

She adjusted the strap on her shoulder and then glanced toward the gate. “Am I going to have anything waiting for me on the other side of the gate?”

“No,” I told her honestly. “Nothing you didn’t already see on the way in.”

“Good,” she said, walking to it and opening it. “By the way, tell him the tulips were wilted, but daisies are beautiful this time of year.”

“Uh...okay?”

“You’ll understand.”

“Sure, and...I’m grateful.”

“Don’t be. It’s your life you’re ruining here. I’m just not going to be a part of the mess you make.”

That was good enough for me, and she slipped out the gate with only a little wave over her shoulder. I plucked out the prepaid phone Kai had given me and sent him the coded message that told him I was about to enter the house. The only phrases left were for when I had him vulnerable or I was in a lot of trouble. I seriously hoped the second one never came up as I approached the door.

I rang the doorbell before realizing I hadn’t prepared mentally for what would happen. My heart hammered as I fought to get my face under control. While Kai and I had been planning everything about tonight, I’d spent time quietly staring at videos of Damon’s face, watching it move in videos, and listening to his voice. Anything that might prevent me losing my mind when I was front and center with one of the three remaining monsters.

The door opened, and his expression dropped to a scowl. “What the shit is this? Is Beatrice playing with me?”

“Hi,” I said, my mouth moving automatically, considering my brain was gummed up. “She sent me along to spend the night with you.”

“Seriously?” he demanded, reaching into his pocket. “That bitch likes to play games too much.”

“The tulips were wilted, but daisies are beautiful this time of year,” I heard myself say.

The absurd statement made him pause, and he pulled his hand out of his pocket, leaving what was probably his phone in there. “Really? Business must be booming if she’s going to start flinging randoms at me...especially one as old as you.”

“I’m nottooold, I hope,” I said.

“You look twenty,” he said, looking me over. “Can you drink?”

“I’m capable of it,” I said with a grin.

He smirked. “Good enough. I guess you’ll have to do for the night. I hope you know what you’re up for.”

“I’ve had a few pointers. I’m a big boy.”

“Yeah,” he said with a slow smile, making me think of a shark ready to tear me apart. “We’ll see how you feel after I’m done with you.”

My stomach lurched as I remembered his words that night. He helped hold me down so Callum could have the first ‘honors.'

Let’s see how much fight you have left in you after we’re done with you.

It was made all the worse when he saw the expression on my face and grinned, reaching out to take me by the wrist and yank me into the house. “Get in here before someone sees us. And get that stupid coat off. I want to see what I’m working with.”

Numbness spread through me as I found myself doing what he said robotically. I pulled the light jacket off to reveal the thin tank top I used for clubbing. I tucked it over my arm, facing him so he wouldn’t see the knife in my waistband. The pressure of thehandle pushing into my lower back was comforting, reminding me I was here to play the victim for a little while, not be one again.

“Hmph,” he said, looking me over in the light of the short hallway, tilting his head. “I hope your ass isn’t as big as the rest of you. I like ’em smaller.”

Nausea swept through me again, as if being a rapist wasn’t bad enough, he had to pray on the young and innocent as well. All I wanted was to shove the bottle of ether up his nostril, pour it directly into his esophagus, and see what happened. Instead, I stamped it down, reminding myself I was here to get his guard down so I could incapacitate him before he could figure out who I was or that I wasn’t supposed to be here.

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