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“Wouldn’t what?”
“His daughter, that’s who you meant, isn’t it? You wouldn’t really hurt her, would you?”
“Depends on what Kahler wanted,” Rey said, as cold and dead as the sky above them with its unfeeling stars.
Devin didn’t know what to say to that.
She’d hoped he’d opt to leave her in the car after that, but the Gods never did smile on her much. Dragging Devin into high rises and fancy restaurants as well as filthy junkyards and terrifying piers, he made her be present for each one of his dealings. Some were for Kahler, many for himself. It seemed Rey and Beau took care of a good deal of this Kahler’s import and export through the docks, managing the supplies and people necessary to keep the operation running smoothly. Alongside that, Rey and Beau worked smaller deals, things that had little to no crossover with Kahler’s designs.
Except the attempted sale of Devin to those men. She couldn’t help but wonder if there’d been others, especially after the mention of some blonde woman that was supposed to be in Devin’s place.
By the time it was all said and done, Devin was exhausted. Groaning as she dropped into a boneless heap in the passenger seat after leaving the small restaurant and its terrifying occupants, she curled her arm over her face and hoped this would be the last of it.
Rey muttered something indistinct, dragging her over the console to his lap. Legs draped over the smooth leather into the passenger seat, she curled in against his chest and sighed. As much as she hated him, she couldn’t deny the comforting strength of the bastard when she felt small and vulnerable. So tired her eyes burned, head pounding a ragged rhythm, she let him work at the tensed muscles of her back. She couldn’t even find it in herself to complain about the dangers of driving in such a position as he eased the car onto the dark and quiet streets.
Devin didn’t register the car stopping, dimly aware that Rey was lifting her and carrying her towards a dark building. Words smeared over numb lips, a plaintive whine to leave her where a new set of males wouldn’t ogle her. Rey shushed her, taking her into the warm space reeking of sticky alcohol, sweaty bodies, and the peculiar spice of so many dynamics coming together at once.
Turning her head, she saw the short hall of the second floor spread out before them as Rey crested the final step. There was no thrumming bass, the magnificent crowd long since silenced. It was eerie how quiet everything was. Rey’s steps echoed through the shadows. He faltered once, clutching Devin tighter, before he resumed his steady pace towards the door to his office. It was cracked open, a shaft of illumination spearing through the darkness.
Devin wanted to bury her face in Rey’s chest as they went inside. A wall of spicy cinnamon slapped her across the face, invading her sinuses and attempting to drown out the rich decadence of smoky earth and sweet tartness surrounding her. She couldn’t bring herself to hide, unable to see the oncoming danger as Rey moved closer to the Alpha lounging in a new set of overstuffed chairs before Rey’s desk.
“I told you to stay away.”
“Someone had to run this joint while you were playing house,” Beau said with a wicked twist of his lips, tipping his full glass towards Devin. “Tired of her already?”
“Shut up,” Rey said with far more heat than Devin expected him to. He settled her body into the large rolling chair behind his desk, putting his body between her and Beau as he began shuffling through the mass of paperwork.
“Fine, whatever.” Beau snorted, tossing back half of the full tumbler of whiskey before settling his icy gaze on Rey. “The cops came through. Someone lodged a complaint. Said we were holding someone against their will here. Give you two guesses who that was. I paid them off, but it cost twice as much as usual.”
“Fuck.”
“Oh, there’s more. Margo’s gone until further notice. Said she’s taking that vacation we owe her, and we’re just going to have to deal with it. Jackson said that bitch left her, so she’s all torn up.” Beau added another snort, his derisive amusement giving a crazed gleam to his gaze. “The new girl you hired for the accounting fucking sucks. Apparently, she shortchanged a bunch of the girls, so we’re going to have to settle that up, too.”
“Fucking Gods,” Rey groaned, pulling at his face with a broad palm. “Tell me that’s all.”
“Nope. Any and all dealings we had with Rip? Keep it quiet. He’s gotten in the way of Kahler, and the further we can distance ourselves, the better.”
“Gee, guess you won’t be selling me for pennies on the dollar anytime soon.” Devin cringed as her cracked voice sped through the room, the sudden stillness of both men telling her what she already knew. She was always too quick to speak up, never minding her tongue. Even in life-or-death situations, she couldn’t keep her thoughts to herself.
“Sit your ass back down, Beau,” Rey yelled, slamming the side of his fist against the desk. The gleaming wood groaned, something splintering deep within it. Rey’s presence sucked all the air out of the room, squeezing Devin’s heart in a cruel grip as he proved his dominance over the other Alpha. “She’s right, and we both know she wasn’t the only one. Your dealings are just that. Yours.”
“I can’t believe you’re siding with some slit.” Despite the venom dripping from his every syllable, one couldn’t mistake the roughness of emotion coloring his tone. The chair groaned under his weight as he sat again, this time angling so he could see Devin around Rey’s side. “She’s nothing special, Rey. Just look at her. It’s pathetic.”
“We’re not having this conversation again. I appreciate you holding things down, but if you’re done, you can go.”
“I’m half owner of this damned place, Danny boy,” Beau said in a snarl, launching up from the chair and sending it skittering across the floor. “I have every right to be here.”
Devin tried to stifle her whimper, but it seeped out around her clenched hand. Curling into a tighter ball, she made herself a smaller target for Beau’s wrath as a wave of burnt cinnamon scalded the back of her throat.
“You’re scaring her, Beau.” Rey sighed, holding a placating hand out. “It’s late, I’m tired.”
“So what if she’s scared? I bet she doesn’t even realize how much danger you put her in tonight, taking her to all those meetings.”
Beau barked a laugh at something he saw on Rey’s face where she couldn’t see, but Devin noted the straightening of his spine, the way Rey’s shoulders stiffened. Had she been in that much danger?
“Oh, you were trying to impress her with how big and bad an Alpha you are, eh? My bad, man. Sure, none of those men were at all dangerous for her. Absolutely none of them would have gunned you down and run a train on her ass just for the fun of it.”
“They wouldn’t have gotten through me, and they damned sure wouldn’t dare piss off Kahler.”
