Page 124 of Anger

“I can’t get into that. You’re already closer to this than I wanted you to be. I don’t want you to be part of this … problem.”

“What happens at the restaurant?” I ask. “And why can’t I tell Brinley the truth that we’re meeting you all there? I can escort her, then if anybody pulls some bullshit on her, I can kick their ass.”

“I wish it was that easy,” he breathes out. “You won’t make it to the restaurant. And all I’m asking of you is to go along with what happens. Once Brinley gives us the information we need, she’ll be fine. We’ll never bother her again.”

“Why—”

“Stop asking me questions, Blue.”

He closes the distance between us with a ground-eating stride. I step back to escape him, but my head smacks against the wall, and he cages me in place, his amber stare glued to mine.”

“Here’s the hard truth. You made a deal with me, and I’m calling in the favor. You either go along with what I’m asking, or the consequences will fall on you both. We don’t play around on that. And I don’t give a shit what it does to Brinley and you. What I’m offering is a way for this to happen where nobody gets hurt.”

“I’ll call the cops,” I warn.

“You can try, but it won’t do you any good. It’ll only makes things worse.”

Even if the cops won’t help, I still have other people who can. I’ll call Kane to come get Brin and me. I can warn her, and we’ll take a bus out of town. She could call her dad and maybe he can help us. There has to be a way to get out of this.

“You’ll both end up running forever.”

I glare up at him, pissed that he knew what I was thinking.

He grins. “We’ve been doing this for a long time, Blue. And we happen to have long memories as well. We won’t stop until we have what we want. Is that what you want for the rest of your life? Always running? Is that what you want for your friend?”

It takes effort to suck in a breath.

I don’t want Brinley to live the life I grew up in.

I don’t want that life for myself.

“You want me to lie to my best friend.” Not a question, but a statement.

He nods. “And then take her to a restaurant in the car we’ll drop off at your apartment.”

The fuck?

“How do you know where I live?”

“I know your name is Amélie Hart. Your mother is Emma Hart. Your brother is Kane Hart. I know theircurrent address as well. Although, I will admit that your childhood addresses were difficult to track down, but with the number of schools you attended across several states, I assume that’s because you moved around a lot. Am I close?”

He lowers his head so that our noses brush together.

“I know that your mother was missing for a year or so before your brother was born…”

Blood rushes in my head, the full force of my heart thumping against my chest.

How does he know that?

It’s taken years for my brother to find that small bit of information, yet Damon knows it in so short a period of time?

“Who the fuck are you? And how long have you been stalking me? Is that the reason you’ve been coming around? To use me to get to Brinley?”

“No.”

He pushes away from the wall then walks to the padded bench in the center of the room, leans against it and crosses his arms over his chest.

“I was curious about why a cage dancer would think she knows anything about me. Turns out you don’t know much.”

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