Page 30 of Dukes of Peril

“No good conversation starts with ‘look,’ I know that. I’ve been on the receiving end enough times in my life.” Her tone is sharp. Bitter. “So let me jump to it.Look,Remy, you and I are good together. We rock some serious orgasms. You’re hot. I’m hot. You obviously want me because you keep coming back.” Her eyes narrow when I open my mouth to cut her off. “And don’t give me that Duchess shit. You got busted. Who cares? You’re a Duke. You can fuck or get blown by anyone you want, and it’s obvious you want me.”

Across the workout area, the thud of Nick’s foot missing a step, bounces over to us. I shoot him a hard stare and the cocksucker has the nerve to laugh. He’s loving the fact this is not going my way.

“L–”

She glares at me.

I swallow. “Haley, what happened the other night wasn’t just a mistake, it was a capital F fuck up. I was high on scratch, high on the win, and completely convinced that everyone in my life was out to get me.” I soften my expression. “I shouldn’t have used you like that. It was shitty. Especially since I know how you feel about me.”

“How I feel about you?” she snaps. “You have no fucking idea how I feel.”

I mean, I think I do, but my radar could be a little off.

“Okay, well,” I rub the back of my neck, “I apologize. You can take it or leave it. I didn’t mean to lead you on or whatever.” God, I hate this. My stomach hurts. My shoulder hurts. I search over her head. Maybe Pauly still has that codeine in the back.

“Hey,” she says, drawing my attention back down. “I know what this is about.”

“You do?” Worry adds to the mix. Does she know my father is the Baron King? What the hell did I say while she was sucking my cock? Anything is possible.

She steps closer, planting her hand on my chest. “This is about that interloper, Lavinia, isn’t it?”

I frown. “Well, yeah.”

“You’ve changed since she showed up. We used to have so much fun. You’d strip me down and draw on me. We’d fuck and get high. Stay up all night, riding across town on your bike.” She jabs her finger into my chest. “But you couldn’t resist that fresh piece of pussy. Royal pussy. Count pussy. God, in the end you’re just another fucking typical man, you know that?” She pushes up on her toes. “Wanting what you can’t have. You’re such a dumbass, Remy, letting her get under your skin–probably letting her sleep in your bed.Tattooingher. She’s using you.” Her eyes flick to Nick who has slowed down and is listening carefully. “She’s using all of you, and I’m here, as one of your loyal cutsluts to give it to you straight.” Her eyes glimmer with hate. “She’s going to ruin you,allof you, before this is over.”

Her nail digs into my sternum, and I snatch it off at the wrist. “Step back, Haley, before you say something you regret.”

She snorts. “Or what? You’ll push me to my knees and make me suck you off? Don’t forget, baby, I do that for free. Does she?”

Her other hand reaches for my waist, but I knock that away too. Before I can react, Nick is by my side, jerking his chin at her. “You’re embarrassing yourself, H.”

“See?” she says, “That’s where you don’t get it. I’m not embarrassing myself. I’m loyal. To all of you, but you’re the ones willing to toss it away.” Her shoulders square and she finally steps back. “But I know how it is; you’ll be back. Crawling to me after some win or some loss or whatever it is that spins you out, and unlike your little Duchess, I’ll be here.”

She turns, hair flouncing behind her.

I open my mouth and start to follow, to tell her to get the fuck out of here but Nick says, “Let her go.”

“Seriously? After what she said about Vinny?”

He shakes his head. “She’s hurt, but she’ll get over it. Verity and the others will calm her down. She’s not worth it.”

He says that, but Haley’s right. I know her pretty well, and something tells me she’s not going to let this go–letmego–so easily.

We stopat the diner on Sixteenth on the way home, grabbing hamburgers and fries. The sugar and grease help get the food down, even if the harsh fluorescent lights make my eyes hurt.

“What do you think they’re doing on their date?” I ask, sucking on a chocolate milkshake.

Nick pops a fry in his mouth, checking the window beside us every now and then. We’re in West End, but only just, and I can see it makes him twitchy being this close to North Side. He hums, talking with his mouth full. “I know what they’renotdoing.”

Having sex. He’s right. That’s going to take a minute.

There’s a long moment where I pick at the remnants of my burger, wishing I could look up and see something other than gray. Knowing it sounds sulky and stupid, I mutter, “I could take her on a date.”A better date than Sy.

Nick narrows his eyes at me, stabbing his shake with his straw. “Yeah, you could.”

I push the rest of my food to the side and confess, “I told her I loved her.”

“Yeah?” Nick looks at me over his glass as he sips, eyes intrigued. “What did she say?”

---