Page 49 of Her Devil

“You were making progress and you didn’t want to put her off is more like it.” I scoff.

“You’re hiding something.” He crosses his arms over his chest, like there’s any way his puffed-up ego intimidates me.

“Good chat. Let’s do it again sometime.” I smile, it’s as fake as the excitement I have for this conversation as I make to push past him, but he grips my arm. “You don’t want to do that,” I growl.

The tension in the doorway crackles as his fingers twitch against my skin, the unimpressed look on his face mirroring mine. His brother might be cute, and interested, but I have no problem with making a statement, should it be needed.

“I know you don’t know me very well, and we certainly started this thing off on rocky territory, but you don’t want to make an enemy out of me.” The words come out in a much calmer tone than I feel, each coldly calculated word held back.

My blood rushes through my body, a steady thrum in my ears as I wait and harness the rage that I know can come. I could peel each digit from my body and snap them as I go. He has no idea who the fuck he’s dealing with, and it shows. But his ego is too big to back down.

“Tell me what you saw that I missed.” He grits the words out under a furrowed brow.

He’ll miss it again and again if he goes back to look because the system is supposed to work that way. Dex, Blaise and I are the only ones that would know those marks from something innocuous.

“You’re keeping something from us,” he dismisses, refusing to meet my gaze, his hand still wrapped firmly around my arm.

His jaw is like stone, and I don’t miss the irritated twitch as he clenches his teeth. So much like Jacob, and yet not like him at all.

A door closes down the hallway as Ivy steps out. “Oh, good. I seem to have lost everyone. You can show me where I’m supposed to be.”

The soft black leggings hug each curve, her top half covered by a loose oversize jumper that drapes off one shoulder. Tying her hair in a loose chignon, she closes the distance between us, completely unaware of the tension rippling through the air.

“Well, you ladies came prepared,” I comment, plastering a smile on my face and shaking Nick off my arm. “You look lovely.”

“Oh, not at all.” She smiles. “But sitting down to dinner in towels didn’t seem appropriate. Luckily, your assistant guy said there were clothes available. Now, I’m really trying my best to not read into the how and why of the womens clothes in your house, but they’re super comfortable.”

“I couldn’t possibly comment,” I say, threading her arm through mine and leading her into the dining room, avoiding any further conflict with Nick. She looks from me to him and back again, a question appearing on her features. “But I definitely didn’t bring any with me.”

“Are you sure? If you actually go by Louisa at the weekend, that’s totally cool.” She smiles and winks, nudging her hip into mine as I push open the door.

“It’s Angelica, not Louisa,” I comment quietly as she passes, making her way to the table with a smile and an amused shake of her head.

I step in behind her, noting Nick storming his way in our direction as I let go of the door. I’m not interested in getting into it with him again, I’m already on edge. Ivy slides in next to her friend, and I join Jasper and Oliver nearby, neither of them are The Sect material, but I guess time will confirm that… or not.

SIXTEEN

IVY

“You have got to be kidding me,” I grumble, seeing the thick inlaid card on the table, again. “What now?”

“Time to haul ass, girls. The cars will be here in five minutes,” Penelope says, holding her hand out for our travel mugs.

“We’re barely through the door,” I complain. “What would have happened if we’d gone to the library or something?”

“Don’t know. Don’t care. I’ll get these filled whilst you get changed,” she replies.

“What are we getting changed for?” Tamsin asks, picking up the card from the table as I disappear into our bedroom. “A meeting? Well, that doesn’t sound fun at all. And what the hell is Timeless Inc?”

“Three minutes,” Charlotte calls as Tamsin hustles into the room, dropping her bag on the table.

“Looks like we’re going like this.” She sighs, switching her blazer out for a light jacket and running a brush through her hair. “I guess I’ll do.”

“So, what and where have we been summonsed to now?” I ask, collecting my refilled cup from Penelope as we all head to the entrance, the doorbell ringing. “And I thought Liselle was supposed to be managing this now, anyway?”

“Timeless Inc, one p.m., and I have no idea.” Charlotte sighs, joining us as we march down the corridor, heels clicking as we go.

“I guess these guys aren’t going to give us any deets either,” Tamsin comments as she opens the door to the same two black SUVs from the other night. “Yay.”

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