Page 76 of Devious
She tugs down my shirt, glancing around to see if anyone is looking. “And cocky.”
“It’s not cocky if it’s the truth, nymph.” I pat her thigh and tell her to get up, then I grab her hand. I have her against the rail between the river and sidewalk, and I stand behind her, caging her in, leaning against her.
Her smile is radiant. “Are you about to touch my pussy?”
“No. Look at the sky.”
She peers at the dark sky, and blue and red and yellow fireworks go off, spelling “Happy Birthday.” Her eyes beam with excitement, and a grin displays on her face. I twist a lock of her strawberry blonde hair around my finger.
“Happy Birthday, Roselyn.”
She twirls around and stands on her tippy-toes, kissing the bridge of my nose. “This has been the best birthday. Thank you.”
Devious
The weekend with Roselyn was amazing.She’samazing, and I never thought it would be possible for me to tolerate her, let alone want to spend more time with her. I can’t get this woman off my mind. I’m so happy around her. I decided I’m going to let my guard down with her and see where this leads.
I pull my focus back to the meeting. We’re at Aiden’s manor to discuss the plan to attack Cashel. I rest my elbow on the desk, my gaze drifting over his dark décor—all black, with paintings of half-naked women on the walls. He pats me on the back. “You okay? You seem distracted.”
“I’m fine.”
My underbosses’ eyes are on me as they sit at the round table.
“We’re going to go at night, and we’re going to wait until he’s asleep. The guards do a clean sweep every hour, so we have to be quick about it. Our soldiers will go in first and kill his people. Kill the maids, butlers, everyone. Except for Cashel—leave him to me.” I leer up at my brother. “I’m going to kill Maya in front of him. I want to keep him locked up in the cell for a week so he can grieve his sister, and then I’m going to kill him. We need two weeks to prepare. Cashel keeps his guns in a room in his library,” I say, looking at the blueprint of his house. “Meeting is adjourned.”
Everyone leaves, and Aiden lingers behind, staring at me.
“What the fuck, D?” he asks. “You’re not killing Maya. She’s mine to deal with, and mine to kill.”
“No, I need to do it.” I lean back in the leather seat, crossing my legs. “Tell me what she did, and I’ll let you have her. I’ll let you kill her.”
Anger colors his face. I’ve never seen him so pissed off. He gets up from the table and shoves me. “It’s none of your fucking business, Devious. Your manipulation bullshit isn’t going to work on me.”
If anyone else would have put their hands on me, I would have ended their life, but Aiden and I always got into fistfights. Sometimes, it’s our way of bonding.
“Very well. I’ll take her life.”
“I need to take her life, Devious. It should be me, and I’ll do it in front of Cashel.”
“Fine. I’ll let you do it, but if I see you hesitate, I’m doing it,” I shoot back.
“I won’t.”
Roselyn
My twentieth birthday was the best one of my life. Devious showed me the better side of him and he is giving me hope we can be together like a wife and husband. I didn’t even know he knew when my birthday was, and I was shocked he took the day off work for me. Things between us is growing super-fast and I realize that I’m in love with Devious. I hate that I am, and I thought I was going to leave him, and leave him heartbroken. My goal was to get him to fall in love with me, then betray him by leaving him high and dry, but I realize now that I don’t want to do that. I don’t want to hurt him, and guilt eats at me like a disease. My plan backfired on me. I thought I would have the balls to escape his captivity, but I can’t. That’s the thing, I’m still his captive despite him giving me more freedom.
I sit in the lounge chair outside with Marla. She wanted to celebrate my birthday with me, so she set up two massaging chairs outside on the patio of the manor. A woman wearing a white uniform massages my feet, and another woman massages my hand. Fat white clouds hover over the sun, and birds squawk in the distance. Guards patrol the lawn, and a gardener is planting flowers.
“I know something you don’t know,” Marla sings.
I lift the shades covering my eyes to my forehead. “What is it?”
Her eyes are clouded with excitement. “I’m getting married. Ronnie proposed to me.”
I sip my whiskey and Coke before answering. “I’m happy for you.”
“So, I want you to be my matron of honor.”
