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We stood at the top of the stairs, wrestling each other in the small space, both trying to lead when the door opened, and the stairwell was flooded with light. Frozen mid-argument, I dropped my hands from Ray’s shoulders at the same time she dropped hers from my elbows.
It wasn’t the sinister entrance I wanted to make—squabbling like children about who got to go first—but what’s done was done.
Striding into the room, Emrick was in the same chair he was last time we were here, only this time he’s flanked by two women, one perched on each arm of the chair. He had a hand resting on each of their asses, sliding his fingers under their short dresses, staring at us as we stood our ground in front of him while the door was locked behind us. The women didn’t look particularly happy about our presence but stared at us with mingled curiosity and disdain.
Maybe they thought we were their replacements.
Yeah, right.
Ray might look that part, but I certainly didn’t. Pretty sure Earl’s blood was still on my top. Blood which I noticed Emrick was eyeing. He had the same number of bodyguards in the same positions as last time. Once again, I wondered what was behind the door beyond the balcony.
“Welcome back.” Emrick smirked.
“Surprised to see us?” Ray asked.
His lip twitched, and he tilted his head. “Not really, but I didn’t particularly care either way. Are you here to repay the favor you owe me?”
“We don’t owe you shit. You set us up.”
“Ah, you talked to Earl then.”
“Yeah, we fucking talked to Earl,” Ray snapped. She was becoming agitated, and I didn’t blame her, but she needed to keep herself under control.
“Yeah. I didn’t think you’d kill him, but it was worth a shot.”
“What exactly is your game plan?” I asked.
He stood fast, the girls almost sliding from the arms of the chair as he crossed the room, kicking at the couch in frustration as he made his way to us. The abrupt change in his demeanor was unsettling, and I moved to back away as my shoulders hit Ray’s chest.
A bodyguard was between her and the door, and when I glanced at him, he continued to stare straight ahead as though we weren’t there and he wasn’t blocking the only exit.
Emrick towered over us, his arm muscles visible even through the hoodie he wore, zipper partially open, no top underneath, and his broad chest heaved with his breathing. He’d have been attractive if it weren’t for his eyes—eyes so dark they might as well have been black—and hair to match, pulled back into a messy ponytail.
He simply oozed power, and it clicked.
Was he a demon too?
With a swipe of his hand, Emrick shoved me to the side. Ray cried out in rage as a bodyguard caught me when I stumbled on my bad leg, helping me to my feet but then holding me still. Emrick’s hand found Ray’s throat. I struggled against the bodyguard’s hold, but he had me pressed against his barrel-like chest, tree trunks of arms pinning mine to my sides.
“You’ve been causing nothing but trouble for me, you bitch,” Emrick hissed at Ray. His lips were so close to hers. She tried to pull away, unable to wiggle free from his grasp on her neck as the guard behind her took her arms, his knuckles turning white with the pressure he was holding her. Emrick spat on the floor by her feet. “Burning down my buildings… my bakery, scattering my workers, destroying pure product, and you thought you would get away with it and simply walk away?”
He licked her cheek, and she recoiled, her eyes flashing yellow, then he laughed. “Don’t even think about letting your demon out here, my men will take you down faster than you can blink. Now I warned you with silver bullets, and you had the audacity to come strolling into my club with your little human fuck toy here.”
Ray growled at him, and he laughed again. This time instead of the bark of laughter, it was low and deep, rumbling through his chest and bordering on a growl. He seemed more animal than human, more animal than demon—a feral dog who was angry at the world.
“You failed to kill Earl. While I wasn’t holding my breath, it would’ve been nice to have him out of the picture. But here’s the deal…” His voice lost the nasty edge he had taken on and returned to the business-like tone he had used when we first met. “Now, you work for me.” He stepped away from Ray, pushed her back against the bodyguard behind her, who shifted his arms and snatched her in a similar hold to the one keeping me restrained.
Emrick approached me, grabbed my hair, and forced me to my knees. I screamed in pain as my leg gave out underneath me, his grip and the pressure on my head so intense I thought he might break my neck.
He could if he wanted to and I knew it.
“Or I’ll kill this one,” he continued.
Ray went ballistic, fighting against the bodyguard’s hold. Her feet lifted from the ground as she tried in vain to throw her weight against the man and push him off balance. Her eyes were blazing yellow, and Emrick tutted and waved a finger at her.
“Keep yourself under control.” From his sleeve, a knife slid into his palm, and he held it against my throat while I held my breath. “Or I’ll bleed her out in front of you.”
