Page 12 of Devil's Last Dance

She pressed a hand to her chest. “You wound me. I figured it was to finish off an amazing day by being in my thrilling company.”

This made him chuckle. “You are thrilling company.”

She wiped the bar down, lifting his bottle, then his glass. “Do you want to tell me all about this bad day?”

“Yeah, it was fucking shit,” he said.

He picked up a drink.

“Anything I can do to help?” she asked.

Antwone looked at her. “How would you handle a possible assassination?” He knew he shouldn’t be asking her these kinds of questions. She didn’t have a clue who he was or what he did with his life. To even tell her would risk her life.

He risked it now just by visiting this bar regularly. If his enemies knew why he came here, they would set about to destroy her or use her to make him meet their blackmail demands.

“Assassination? Do you mean like someone is trying to kill you?” she asked.

“In a roundabout fashion.” He couldn’t help but smile.

She pursed her lips. “Do you mean someone in your company is attempting to get rid of you?”

“Yeah, like that.”

She didn’t need to know that there was always a target on his back. She was so naive, it was very sweet to be in her company. He lifted the glass of water.

“Is this because you’re better than them?” she asked.

“Yep.” After all, he and Draven had been able to get into power, wipe out their competition, and redesign the family the way they wanted. It was why no one called him anything other than The Boss.

“Wow, and do they know this?” she asked.

“Yes.”

“So, you’re not one for modesty?”

“Why would I be modest about the truth?”

She held her hands up. “Fine, fine, fair enough. Well, I guess the only thing you can do is eliminate the competition, right?”

“Funny you should say that. I do.”

****

“You know you don’t have to do this,” Candice said.

This was the fourth night in a row that Antwone had walked her home. Even though she had told him he didn’t need to, she couldn’t help but feel relieved every time he did. It wasn’t that she was afraid to walk home, she’d been doing it for years. But, and this was a big but, she loved his company. Sometimes they didn’t even talk all the way home. They walked in silence.

“I know, but it’s cold and it’s late, and it’s dark.”

There had been several drunken men who she would have crossed the street to avoid.

Shoving her hands into her pockets, they once again managed to walk in silence, but it didn’t seem awkward, at least not to her.

“How was your competition today?” she asked.

“No competition problems today. Just work. Lots and lots of work.”

“Ah, so the good old reliable work.” She nodded her head. He never said what he did, and she found that she didn’t need to know. She had learned that Antwone would tell her when he was ready, and there was no need to rush him.

---