Page 45 of Dance With A Devil
Their silence is deafening.
“You’ll walk out of here tonight,” I say. “But don’t mistake that for mercy. The Devils of Cliffside don’t give second chances.”
Their faces go pale. Sallow. Ghost-washed.
“If I evenheara whisper of you slipping again, your dicks will be gift-wrapped and delivered to your parents by morning.”
They’re shaking now. Good.
“Oh, and one more thing.” I smile like a blade. “Before I leave tonight, you’ll hand me a list. Names. Every girl you’ve ever slipped something to. If you can’t remember them, start praying for forgiveness, ‘cause I won’t.”
I clap Jeff on the shoulder, hard enough to make him stumble, and laugh when they both flinch.
“Enjoy the rest of your night. While it lasts.”
I leave the bathroom with bloodlust still licking the edges of my mind. Pulling out my phone, I fire off a text:
Me: Dash, dig into Jeff Hornsby and Rick Daniels. I want blood type, shoe size, fucking tax bracket.
Wells: They’re yours. One wrong breath, end them. I’m going to have a little chat with Kevin Baxter.
Cutting through the club, I slip past clusters of drunk bodies, mask still resting just under my chin. Nods follow me, some out of respect, most out of fear. Either works.
I make my way to the darker corner of the club where the lights don’t quite reach. Find a booth. Slide in.
Sindy, tight dress, long legs, killer smile, drops a rum and coke in front of me with chips and salsa like I asked for something that doesn’t bleed.
“Thanks, Sin,” I mutter.
“You got it, Devil,” she calls over her shoulder, already gone.
Leaning back, I sip slow and let the taste burn. I don’t need to move. Not yet.
I just watch. Eyes cold. Heart colder.
Kevin’s out there somewhere.
And I’m going to find out what kind of monsters he’s been selling to.
Then I’ll show him what real monsters do.
I don’t know how long I sit there, just that the glass is empty, the ice has melted, and the buzz in my veins is a poor substitute for the war brewing in my chest.
Then Felix and Niko slide into the booth on either side of me, their faces shadowed, unreadable. But I know that look. Something big. Something rotten.
Niko speaks first. “Evening. And apologies for the delay. We wanted to be sure before bringing this to you.”
My jaw tightens. “Spit it out.”
He does. “Your father… he married Miss Walker. Quietly. Legally.”
The words are a fucking blade to the gut.
I sit up straight, the alcohol vaporizing in my bloodstream like it never existed. “You’re telling me hemarriedher?”
Felix nods. “Sealed. Certified. And buried under layers of legal red tape.”
I drag a hand down my face. “How the fuck does she not know?”
