Page 130 of Until We Burn
Luke’s eyes drop to her lips. Confusion crosses his face. Sophia’s lips part. Gargled words stutter on her tongue as if she wants to argue more, but nothing comes out.
Sophia simply glares at Luke and shoves past him to hurry down the stairs without looking back.
Luke breathes out. His face is a little flushed as he trudges back towards us.
“What the hell was that?” Rowan asks.
“A conversation with a little demon,” he grumbles.
Suddenly, Rowan’s phone buzzes. The message on the screen makes the muscle in his jaw tick.
“It’s Mikhalkov.”
We scramble over to read the message.
I have news: the Vipers are trying to throw you off your game before the conference tournaments. They’re chatting people up, trying to figure out who’s on the team. Tell the team to leave or tell them not to engage unless they want broken bones.
“These fucking psychopaths,” Luke hisses.
“Simon, stop!”
“I’m just complimenting her costume, babe.”
My blood goes cold.
I snap around and see Diana’s wrist caught in Simon’s hand. Her mask lies unbound at her feet.
“You were running your mouth back at Andrea’s office,” Simon sneers. “Why are you so quiet now, Diana? Forget how to speak English?”
Hot white fury blasts and razes down my control.
I storm towards Simon.
“Kai, don’t!” Rowan shouts.
I shove Simon back and deck his face with my fist. His back hits the wall with a harsh thud that makes Andrea scream. He glares up at me. Blood drips from his lips, red as his suit.
I don’t give a fuck about Mikhalkov’s warning. I just want to break every part of Simon that touched Diana.
Luke and Rowan subtly ease Diana and Stella out of the way. Simon notices the boys and realization dons on his face.
“Wait a minute…Kai, is that you?” The fury on his face warps into a smug satisfaction that makes him cackle. “Honestly, I’m not surprised you chose to hide your face tonight. Guess it’ll be easier for you to get drugged up without anyone knowing it’s you, huh?”
My nostrils flare. “You better?—”
Shouts and screams break out behind me. I dart around. Two other Vipers tackle down Luke and Rowan.
“No, no, no.”
I rush towards them, hands shaking, heart pumping fast.
“Where the hell do you think you’re going?”
Someone twists my arm and shoves me into a table. The towering decorations wobble and collapse over me.
CHAPTER 51
DIANA
