AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Honestly, I was surprised he hadn’t been waiting for me when I got home this morning. I was so wrapped up in Sebastian that it hadn’t crossed my mind until now. Maybe Death was on another hunt.
I strolled into Velvet Vortex and smoothed my sweaty palms on my dark wash jeans, my attention traveling straight to the bar. “Silence” by Galli J reverberated through the speakers, pumping up the energy in the club. I hadn’t visited Sebastian on a Wednesday evening before, so I had no idea how many people typically hung out. It seemed relatively low-key tonight, but maybe Sebastian wouldn’t be so busy, either.
My stomach dipped when I spotted him chatting with Kip. There were only a few people at the bar, men from what I could tell. I grabbed the strap of my leather purse and squeezed it, my nerves dancing around like popcorn kernels in a hot pan.
Approaching Sebastian, I squared my shoulders and willed my palms to stop sweating. The moment he spotted me, heat pulsed through my body. Damn, he looks good. A gorgeous smile eased across his face, and I nearly melted on the spot. I climbed onto the barstool and set my purse next to me.
“Hey, beautiful.” Sebastian leaned over the bar and kissed me. He winked at me, then said, “That’s for any stupid fuckers that think they have a chance with you.”
His comment should have irritated me, but it had the opposite effect. It was sexy as hell.
“Thank you. Are you going on break soon?”
Kip meandered over to us, grinning. “Hey, Ella. It’s good to see you again.”
Our eyes met and a small jolt of electricity zipped through me. For the first time, I was close enough to notice the outer edge of Kip’s contacts.
“I didn’t know you wore contacts.”
“Yeah, they’re actually brown contacts. I have ocular albinism, which reduces the pigmentation in the iris and retina. It tends to scare people off. This seems to have fixed the problem. I actually get laid now.” He arched a brow at me and smirked.
Images of Death flashed through my head, and I sized Kip up, my brain nudging me with possibilities I didn’t want to believe. Sweat slickened my palms as I reminded myself to breathe.
Holy crap. How had I not seen this before? The similarities were right in front of me—the size of the hands, the broad shoulders, the shape of the mouth. Oh god, no. No! No! No! It can’t be. If Kip is Death, that means I’ve been sleeping with Sebastian’s best friend. I had to be wrong.
My stomach churned, and my world screeched to a standstill as my breath hitched in my chest. Kip and Death couldn’t be one and the same, but the similarities were overwhelming. Goddammit. My relationship with Sebastian depends on me making a mistake about Kip’s identity.
I folded my hands on the counter, willing my feelings not to register on my face. If I was correct, then how was he so calm and offhanded about our interaction? “You too. How have you been?”
He popped Sebastian with the white bar towel. “Busy. This dude’s got me runnin’ hard.”
Sebastian’s gaze cut to the side. “Yeah, we’re so busy tonight.”
“Go take a break with your girl, so I can get the hell out of here when you’re back. I’ve got a girl of my own waiting for me.”
“Yeah? Is her name Dolly?” Sebastian asked.
I barked out a laugh, then raised my hand in surrender, my brain forming a mental image of a blow-up doll. “I don’t need to know any details, guys. Save it for Dolly.” I smirked at Kip before we all broke into laughter. Until I knew for sure who Kip really was, I had to pretend that I didn’t suspect a thing.
I laughed as Sebastian and Kip gave each other shit in a good-natured way. It was clear they were good friends, which meant I was making a mistake … or Sebastian didn’t know what Kip was hiding.
Determination bloomed to life inside me, and I squared my shoulders. Come hell or high water, I was going to find out who Death was.
Chapter 36
Death
“The lamb may not recognize the wolf, but it feels the danger in its presence.” ~ Unknown
The alleyway behind Velvet Vortex was peaceful at one in the morning while the rest of the city was pulsing with nightlife. I had found myself a nice hidden spot. I tapped my fingers against the steering wheel, my rage bubbling to the surface once again. My little lamb had thought I was gone for a while and had snuck out to play. I’d made it clear that she was mine, so the fact that she had tested those shark-infested waters was disappointing. She would pay. They both would.
My excitement to see Ella turned a one-eighty when I had pulled up the history of her phone location last night. It was one thing to suspect and another to have confirmation shoved in my face that she was with another man. Not just having coffee or dinner but spending the entire night with him.
My nostrils flared as I gripped the steering wheel so tight my knuckles turned white. The motherfucker had come home, and Ella risked seeing him. Now, he would die a slow, torturous death. Thinking about all the ways I planned on inflicting pain on him, I settled on skinning him alive one slice at a time. He would pass out from the sheer agony, and I would laugh as I injected him with adrenaline, forcing him to stay conscious. A wicked smile tugged at the corners of my mouth. Two could play at Ella’s game.
A few minutes later, Sebastian’s black BMW drove out of the employee parking lot and turned right.
Taillights winked in the darkness as he slowed and turned left. My eyes narrowed, wondering where he was going. It wasn’t toward his place.
