Page 128 of Inside the Wicked

“There will be nowhere to fly once I clip those wings,little bird.”

“I’ll never want you,” I hiss.

“You will,” he says, and it’s chilling how quickly his expression eases back to doting on me for the crowd. He tucks a strand of red hair behind my ear.

I swallow hard.Keep it together.

Be brave, little bird.

I breathe consciously. They’re just words. He won’t win this.

My steps are hollow as I let Jacob resume our walk around the venue. We greet more men, and I don’t really hear what they say.

The next time I risk a look over at Rhett I don’t know what the fuck is happening. He, Rix, and Adam have their attention on a young server holding a tray of champagne. But something is wrong. Terribly wrong. Rhett meets my eye then, and even across the room I can feel the creeping chill of terror in them. He doesn’t give a lot away. Anyone else would look over and think they were just unsatisfied with the waiter’s hospitality. He has his back to me and he wears a cap, but something looks familiar.

“We were just heading out now, in fact.” Jacob’s announcement snaps my attention back to the gathered men.

They look at me enviously, hungrily. I’m used to these looks, yet something is different this time.

“Where are we going?” I dare to ask.

Jacob gives me a convincing smile of adoration. “To marry, of course.”

My world is spinning too fast. Of all the things I thought this night could turn into, this wasn’t one of them, and yet it’s become the worst. We thought of an ambush, gunfire, or just a night of pretty words.

I can’t move, but I know Jacob is coaxing me to. Rhett isn’t looking this way anymore as he’s talking to Rix, and their conversation looks intense.

This can’t be happening.

“Come, darling,” Jacob says, and I tremble at his threatening tone. He leans his mouth to my ear. “I’m being merciful in allowing Kaiser to remain in our lives, but make no mistake, I’ll put him down if you keep resisting me.”

That forces me to move. With a break in my heart, I look away from Rhett and follow Jacob out a back door.

“What was the point?” I say. I’m numb and scared, but I get into the back of the car, and he follows me.

The car has facing seats, and Jacob leans back opposite me. He pulls off his bowtie and undoes the first two buttons of his pristine white shirt. I can’t predict what he might do, and I’m thinking the worst, which isn’t going to do me any favors.

Be brave, little bird.It’s all I can chant to keep Rhett close while I’m alone and terrified.

“Kaiser’s worm made the mistake of testing his luck too far. Getting into Lanshall’s network, then finding a location of mine through it to try to be a double agent. Sound familiar?”

I puzzle over what he’s telling me. Then it hits me with dread.

“Jeremy?”

“Little Jeremy,” Jacob muses with a shake of his head. “Gotta give it to the kid, he’s got arrogance. The waste is a shame, but I don’t give second chances to rats.”

“What did you do to him?”Oh god, all I can think of is the young face with curly brown hair that has so much kindness.

“Tonight I wanted to show you what I can build for you,” he says.

“It’s nothing more than finery-coated evil,” I snap.

“I extended the invite to every man who owes me a debt I’m growing impatient for.”

The way he speaks, avoiding my questions and ignoring my responses, it’s like he’s climbing toward the climax of a song, and my heart begins to race faster.

“Please don’t hurt them,” I say, because in my gut, something is growing so terrible and frightening.

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