Page 59 of Dead Devil's Playground
Behind me, I feel rather than see Hudson sway slightly. Without missing a beat, Rev and Kai shift closer, supporting him while maintaining the illusion of strength. My heart swells with fierce pride and love.
"We didn't build this place for ourselves alone. We rebuilt it so people could walk home without looking over their shoulder, so kids could run these streets without hearing footsteps they feared. I took the night so the city could sleep. I bled so others wouldn't have to."
The silence is absolute now, the air charged with tension and something else—respect, perhaps. Or fear. Or both. I don't care which, as long as they listen. As long as they understand.
"So remember this moment before you cross us—the shadow has a face, and she's smiling."
I bare my teeth in what only the most generous observer would call a smile, letting them see the predator I've always been.
"Welcome to my playground. Play nice or you will become a dead devil too."
For a heartbeat after I finish, the silence holds—a perfect, crystalline moment suspended in time. Then, from somewhere in the back of the crowd, a single person begins to clap. The sound is joined by another, then another, until applause thunders through the club, punctuated by whoops and cheers.
I hadn't expected applause. Screams, maybe. A stampede for the exits. Not this strange, almost reverent recognition.
I turn slightly, catching Hudson's eye. Despite his pain, there's pride shining in his gaze, a fierce approval that warms me from the inside out. Rev and Kai wear matching expressions—part admiration, part possessive heat that promises retribution of a different sort once we're alone.
Stella takes the cue without being told, getting the music started again as the spotlight fades. The spell breaks as the crowd returns to their drinking and dancing, though the energy has shifted. There's an edge to the revelry now, a heightened awareness that they're dancing in the devil's domain.
I’m left bathed in the ambient glow of the club lights. I should feel triumphant. I should want to descend to the main floorand lose myself in the rhythm, feel the bass vibrating through my bones until I forget everything but the music. That's what I would normally do on Dead Devil's Night—dance until dawn, celebrating our power, our victory, our survival.
But not tonight.
Tonight, all I can think about is getting home. Getting clean. Crawling into bed with my men and sleeping for a week. My body aches with exhaustion, every muscle screaming for rest. The dried blood on my skin feels tacky and uncomfortable, a constant reminder of everything we've been through.
"Let's go home," I say, turning to face my battered family.
Hudson sways slightly, his jaw clenched against the pain. "I'm fine," he insists before any of us can comment.
"Sure you are," I say dryly. "And I'm the Queen of England."
"No, you’re not," Kai interjects, his eyes glittering dangerously in the low light as he slides a steadying arm around Hudson's waist. "But you are the queen of the dead city. And we're your loyal subjects."
"I can walk," Hudson protests, though his complexion has gone from ashen to nearly translucent.
"Shut up," I tell him, with no real heat behind the words. "I love you, you stubborn asshole, but you've proven your point. You're the toughest bastard in the room. Now let us take care of you before you actually die and ruin my night completely."
A ghost of a smile touches his lips before pain wipes it away. "Wouldn't want to inconvenience you."
"Damn right," I mutter. “Old man.”
Epilogue
Ry
One Year Later
Isinkdownslowlyonto Hudson's cock, my body stretching to accommodate him as a moan escapes my lips. The sound is echoed by Hudson's deep groan as he fills me completely. His eyes lock with mine, dark with desire as he reaches up and fists a handful of my freshly dyed hair, pulling me down until our mouths meet.
His kiss is hungry, demanding, swallowing more of my moans as I begin to rock in his lap. The metal barbells of his piercings rub against my inner walls in the most delicious way, hitting spots that make my thighs tremble. I've developed quite the appreciation for those piercings over the past year.
Warm fingers trail up my spine, tracing each vertebra with deliberate pressure before joining Hudson's grip in my hair. I know what's coming even before Kai presses his slick cock against my ass, already prepped and ready for him. My breath catches as he pushes inside me slowly, the familiar burn of the stretch making my back arch.
"Fuck, gorgeous," Kai murmurs against my ear, his chest pressed to my back as he seats himself fully inside me. "You feel so perfect."
I'm trapped between them, filled completely, my body stretched to its limits in the most exquisite way. Hudson's hand tightens in my hair, tugging just hard enough to make my scalp tingle. They've developed such an attachment to my hair this year—especially since my latest salon visit.
When I'd returned from the newly opened salon a few doors down from the Lair this morning, Kai had nearly doubled over with laughter before grabbing me and devouring my mouth. "Always wanted to taste the rainbow," he'd growled against my lips, fingers combing through the vibrant streaks of red, blue, purple, green and yellow that now cascade down my back.
