Page 64 of Dark Souls

“I don’t have an ego problem, love. I’m way too awesome for that.”

I folded my arms across my chest with sass as he turned to peer at me over his shoulder again, his red eyes looking me up and down slowly but settling on my face.

“That was a joke. Just trying to lighten the mood.”

“You need better material.”

He turned back to face me, his eyes crashing with mine in a silent battle to see who would look away first, and my lips thinned with irritation. He was infuriating. There was so much I wanted to say. No. Scream. I wanted to scream at him. But I didn’t know where to even begin.

“Let me guess…” He broke the silence first. “You’re here because of Heathen.”

I paused, licking my lips as I contemplated how to answer that. Of course, they knew each other if they worked in the same place and for the same person. That also made sense why Red had questioned my drawing in my journal. Was that why he had been at the campsite in the first place? This whole thing had just become very complicated. Now I knew The Dealer was my fucking soulmate. Regardless of if he wanted me or not, which he had made pretty clear he didn’t, this was still messy.

“Yes.” I decided to be honest. Heathen had said I’d need this asshole’s help and to earn his trust if I was going to figure any of this out, but the chance of that happening was dwindling by the minute. “I don’t do bullshit, Red. So I’m going to be honest with you and I hope you’ll have the decency to do the same. He said I could trust you so… I’m here to help him.”

He broke our eye contact to stare down into his glass and I felt a small victory. But it was short-lived when I became fixated on the way his biceps were flexing and his thick tattooed neck was vibrating as he swallowed down another sip. The atmosphere was so thick with tension I was beginning to sweat.

“Help him with what exactly?” he finally asked.

“I… I don’t know yet. That is what I am trying to figure out.”

He chuckled humourlessly. “So, he sent you here?” He took a step towards me, giving me a fiery glare from head to toe. “Looking like this? How did you even get through the door?”

“He gave me a membership card. Told me to wear a black wig and yellow contacts to match the profile. That’s how I got in tonight. I had no idea that you were… you. That you were The Dealer. If I did, I—”

“If you did… what? What would you have done? Would you have stayed away, knowing who I was?” He finished the remainder of his drink and turned to pour another. His tone dropped to a deeper octave when he said, “I’m sure I’m quite the disappointment, right? You got the shit end of the stick in the soulmate department, love. You saw me out there. I have no humanity. I kill without mercy or remorse. And that wasn’t even me at my worst. You know nothing of who I am.” He met my gaze once more, his nostrils flared. Once. Twice. His hands tightened around his glass. “Yeah, we fucked before I realised who you were to me. And it was good. But that was all it could ever be. Because I am me and you are you,” he said coldly. He tilted his head to the side as I swallowed at the sinful darkness in those eyes.

“You didn’t realise I was your soulmate when we slept together?”

He tapped a finger on the side of his head. “Flicking that switch up here has those consequences. I feel no emotions apart from rage.”

So it was true. He really had turned off his humanity. Well, fuck. That should be the biggest red flag there was, but I just saw it as a challenge. Because if anything could break through that icy, cutthroat exterior, surely it had to be the mate bond. And even though he was clearly a dick, he was still my soulmate. And I wasn’t about to walk away from the man who could somehow undress me, fuck me, and leave me breathless with those eyes alone.

“I call bullshit.” His eyes narrowed as I stepped towards him until we were so close I felt his breath on my face. “You killed that man for touching me because of blind rage? You sure there wasn’t anything else going on? Why did a man putting his hands on me make you so angry if you don’t give a fuck about anything?” I pushed like the brat I loved to be, with a smug smile pulling on my lips.

He scoffed, shaking his head. “I may be dead inside but that doesn’t mean anyone gets to touch what’s mine.”

“Oh.” I slammed a hand over my chest with exaggeration. “So, I am yours now? Damn, I’m getting whiplash over here trying to keep up. So, which is it? You want me, or you don’t, because you’re kinda giving off mixed signals, knobhead.”

He stepped forward, closing the gap between us completely and forced me to look up at him from his intimidating height. “You are mine. You will always be mine. But that doesn’t mean I can have you. And you shouldn’t want me either. We are from different worlds. This is the last place you should be. Heathen fucked up, letting you come here and I’ll fucking kill him for it. If you know what’s good for you, you’ll leave. You’ll stay away from me. You’ll stay away from Heathen. From this club. Forget him. Forget me. We are no good for you. Don’t be tragic, Ilaria. Just go home.”

“I know you are trying to scare me away. But I am not some innocent doe-eyed princess that can’t handle a little darkness. In fact, bring it the fuck on, Red. You don’t intimidate me.”

“I am the epitome of darkness, love. There is no light left in me. Can’t you see I have nothing to give you? I’m not trying to intimidate you, I’m trying to save you from me. It might be the one decent thing I ever do in this life. So, go fucking home, Ilaria.”

He turned, striding back towards the bar, grabbed the entire bottle of vodka, and left me standing there, reeling from his pathetic attempt at a warning. Or was that supposed to be some kind of official rejection?

“No.”

He froze, with the bottle halfway to his lips. Then he groaned, throwing back his head and taking many gulps.

“If you haven’t noticed, I don’t take orders from anyone, especially not you. I am stubborn as shit. I do what the fuck I want to do, when the fuck I want to do it. Heathen asked for my help and I want to help him. So I am going to, with or without you. You can make this difficult, or you can make it easy. But I’m not going anywhere, Red. Not until you answer my many questions.” For effect, I marched over to the bar, grabbed my own bottle of whatever was closest to me and stormed over to an armchair, flopping down dramatically and taking a swig.Tequila, urgh, the worst.

‘Yes, girl. Let’s show him who’s boss here.’Rue was just happy to not be leaving and to continue the conversation, even if it turned into a full-blown argument.

His pupils dilated, the black consuming the red until it was a mere border, but he remained silent. Just stared at me like I was a woman gone mad. Maybe I had. But I meant it. I’d finally found him and I wasn’t leaving without answers.

“Where is Heathen?” I started and he rolled his eyes, hissing between his teeth, before he took another swig.

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