Page 24 of Say My Name

Devereaux has his hand around the back of the man’s neck and whispers venom into his ear. “No touching my girls.”

The man sobers immediately, his words screeching out of his mouth. “I didn’t mean to, sir. I was only having a little fun with her.”

“Fun?” Devereaux spins and slams the man’s head onto the bar, pinning him against the wood. “I’m all about fun. I’d enjoy slamming my fist into your face and breaking your fat fucking nose. That’d be real fun.”

By now, security has arrived and they stand behind Devereaux, waiting on orders. I’m in awe of the way Devereaux appeared out of nowhere to rescue me from this jerk. But I have to remember he’s not a white knight. He’s merely trying to keep his girls safe. And I’m undercover, not here to succumb to fantasies or my fluttering heart.

The way his eyes zap with a dark current makes me wonder if he’s capable of killing the girls who work for him. Uncertainty courses through my system when his eyes crash to mine.

“Swan,” he growls, calling me to him.

I take a step closer to him. “Yes?”

“Do you think it’d be fun to break his nose for touching you?”

I’m left mute by the ferocity in his gaze, not sure if this is a serious question I’m supposed to answer. And if I said yes, would he break it?

“You’re a lucky fucker that she didn’t say yes.” He pushes the man’s head against the bar before letting him up and shoving him to one of the random bouncers at his side. “I don’t want to see this fucker ever again in my club.”

The club is dead silent. And then, as quickly as he came to my rescue, Devereaux Huxley stalks away.

I suck in audible breaths as I make my way into the server station.

Foxxy and Luna corner me.

“That was crazy,” Luna says, pushing her light-brown braid off her shoulder. “I’ve never seen Devereaux intervene with a handsy customer.”

“He looked pissed when that guy touched you,” Foxxy adds.

“Yeah, when that dumbass grabbed you, Devereaux launched across the floor like lightning.” Luna looks at me with expectation, like I might have something to add to the story.

I don’t.

All I want to do is catch my breath.

I’m a police officer. I should be able to handle situations like this with no problem. But I’m rattled.

“I’m gonna take five,” I tell the girls and walk toward the door that leads to the back employee area.

There’s no one around when I walk down the hallway to the metal door that stands between me and the outside.

When I step through it, the chilly night air slaps me in the face. I inhale the cool air, wondering what just happened back there at the bar. The look in Devereaux’s eyes when he defended my honor.

A cloud of smoke floats from around the corner of the back loading dock and I creep closer to see who’s back here. When I round the corner, I come face to face with the man invading my thoughts.

He’s enjoying a cigarette, resting his back against the concrete of the building.

His gaze slides over to me and there appears to be a loneliness hidden deep within his eyes.

“I wasn’t expecting you,” I say.

He takes a long pull of the cigarette and blows the smoke out in rings. “No one ever is. Expect the unexpected with me.”

“Is that true?”

He looks like the devil in his black suit, leaning against the wall like he’s trying to get me to sell my soul. And the way he holds himself, his eyes burning holes into my body, might make me want to barter.

“Sometimes,” he says.

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