Page 29 of Coal Hearts

Her life was over.

We were officially bound in death.

I held out my hand and waited.

With the smallest hesitation, she placed her fingers in mine.

A crackle, a bolt, a fissure of electricity.

“I’m trusting you, Henri...don’t...please don’t make me regret it.”

As quickly as that electricity arrived, it died.

My teeth turned to dust in my mouth; I couldn’t reply.

I doubted I’d ever be able to speak to her again.

Hating myself, I tugged her into the nightmare that would destroy both of us.

Chapter Six

...............................

Ily

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“AH, YOU’VE FINALLY decided to join us.”

The impeccably dressed man I’d seen speaking to Henri while I broke up with Sam grinned and raised a goblet full of amber liquor. He leaned nonchalantly against a private bar, his lips quirked into a smile that made my stomach tangle with nerves.

“Roland and I had a bet that you’d tucked tail and ran.” He sipped his drink as Henri pulled me over the threshold and closed the thick door behind us. Immediately, the racket of the night-club faded, leaving only the heavy thud of bass.

Henri didn’t speak as he tugged his fingers from mine and strode forward, shaking out his hand as if I’d contaminated him.

What the hell?

He’d offered me a million euros to most-likely sleep with me, yet he acted as if holding my hand was the worst thing imaginable.

Not what I expected at all.

What’s going on?

I froze by the door, blinking at the strange space.

Why had he brought me here? A place with company, not privacy.

I bit the inside of my cheek as Henri threw me a glower and stalked toward the other men. His suit glimmered with wealth and perfection as he crossed the room, his image bouncing from every direction thanks to the mirror-covered walls.

So many mirrors.

I frowned as my image reflected over and over again.

My rose-gold skirt, navy top, and silver boots looked utterly cheap compared to the three expensively dressed men. My black hair seemed to suck the light from the room, and my mascara-lashed, distrusting gaze gave the terrifying impression of a rabbit. A wide-eyed rabbit that couldn’t quite believe it’d agreed to hop into the fox den, all because the fox dangled a carrot worth a million euros in front of it.

What a stupid rabbit.

God, what was I thinking?