Page 93 of Dance of Devils
“I believe I told you a while ago that you wouldn’t lie to me again.”
Her eyes snap to mine, hardening a little. “That was…” She swallows and looks down at her hands.
“That waswhat.”
“Before,” she whispers.
“Before what, Brooklyn.”
“Before you cast me aside!” she cries out, her voice shaking. “Before…” She exhales, squeezing her eyes shut. “Forget it. Just?—”
She flinches when I reach out and cup her jaw in my hand, holding it firmly as I lift her face up to mine.
“I didn’tcast you aside,” I rumble. “I was trying to save you.”
She looks at me with defiance in her eyes. “From?”
“Me.”
She blinks quickly, taking a shaky breath. “So… Why am I here now?”
“Because I've seen that there are people out there trying to get their hands on you than are evenworsethan me.”
Her lips twist wryly. “Are you calling yourself the lesser of two evils?”
“More like ‘better the devil you know’,” I murmur.
Brooklyn smiles just a little, her eyes finding mine.
“What were your questions?”
“Do you promise not to lie to me? BecauseI’ll know,” I rumble, my grip tightening on her chin.
She nods. “Okay. Go ahead—no, wait.”
I shoot her a scowl. “Excuse me?”
“Before you…question me, or whatever…”
“You’re not on trial, Brooklyn, I’m merely?—”
“Yeah…no shit.”
My brow arches. She smiles quietly, biting her lip.
“I know,” she says, blushing. “Language, Ms. Ellis,” she huffs out with a stodgy, Winston Churchill-ish accent.
“Was that supposed to be me?”
“Obviously.”
I feel a smirk pull on my lips. “What were you going to say.”
“How long will I be here?”
You’ll never LEAVE.
I let my eyes drift over her, searching for words that aren’t, well,that.
