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“These parts?”
“Yeah. The tougher side of town.” He spread his arms wide as if to say we were in his territory. “It’s nothing like where you’re from. You’ll never be able to hack it.”
He had jokes. That was cute.
“For your information, this is my side of town, and I’ve beenhackingit just fine.”
His eyes widened briefly as if I had shocked him, but the expression cleared as quickly as it appeared. “Liar.”
His single word was like a dagger to the side of my head. My thoughts exploded, unclear and angry. He dared to call me a liar. Hearing the pot calling the kettle black would have been funny if I hadn’t been so enraged.
“No, Koah, the only liar here is you. You know it, and I know it, too.”
He rushed me, getting so close that his hard chest brushed the tip of my nose. The scent of his flesh disgusted me. He smelled like the night air with a hint of something sweet and spicy, and my stomach rebelled against the aroma. But while I was infuriated, a tiny touch of anxiety slipped in. I rarely got close to men. While I had grown stronger over the years, a frightened fourteen-year-old girl hid inside me. Still, I stood my ground. I wasn’t about to let him intimidate me.
Never again.
“My name isSaint,” he seethed. “Koah died ten years ago, Victoria.” He gritted out each syllable of my full government name as if it were the most disgusting word to touch his tongue.
I shook my head, my anger blazing on my cheeks. “Funny.” I snorted. “Victoria died ten years ago, too. You killed her.”
He stabbed himself in the chest with his thumb, drawing my attention to the glaze of sweat on his tattoo-covered skin. “I did nothing wrong!” he bellowed.
I pressed my palms into his chest, and my fingers shook. Touching him wasn’t something I had planned, but I needed him away from me. The memories started to rush me, and while the older and wiser me was mad and ready to fight, the scared fourteen-year-old me wanted to flee.
I pushed until he moved back, and I could breathe freely. “You did. You lied. You ruined my life. Thanks to you, I’m not the sweet girl I used to be. Now, I’m a bitter bitch with fury in my heart.”
His large palm covered my hand, holding it to his hard chest and sending another wave of fear crashing over me. His nostrils flared as he breathed down at me. The heat from his body made my trembling fingertips tingle. I was cold all over even though it was warm outside.
“You know what they say about bitter bitches?” His smooth voice was sprinkled with hints of sarcasm and anger.
I pulled back, wishing I was strong enough to free my hand from his grasp. My knees began to knock, and I worried I would explode if I didn’t get away. The mix of emotions was a volatile cocktail—unstable and capable.
“What?”
He licked his thick lips before a sarcastic smile formed, making his dimples appear.
“They taste sour. Next time you finger yourself, taste and see.”
I gasped, ripping my hand from his and lifting it to slap him. He was faster than me and instead caught my hand in the air.
“Be careful who you raise your hand to, Tori. Little girls like you are bound to get knocked on their asses.”
“I’d like to see you try,” I spat, dying for a fight with him.
Whatever anxiety I felt seconds earlier had been burned away by the raw fury he pulled forward with his words. I had spent most of the past ten years of my life imagining how good it would feel to knock Koah on his ass. I would gladly give him what he wanted if he wanted a piece of me.
He chuckled, letting go of my hand and daring me with his eyes to try to hit him again.
“I don’t hit girls,” he said.
“That’s funny. You have no problem destroying a girl’s life, but you won’t hit them? Typical cowardly bullshit.”
He stepped away from me, and the crisp night air flooded my cheeks, cooling them. Once again, the side of his mouth lifted in a sardonic grin.
“I’ll see you around, Tori.” He crossed his arms, dismissing me.
I wanted to stand my ground, but the longer I stood there glaring back at him, the more I desired to run away. So I folded first, turning and going toward Sadie. I needed away from The Strip and didn’t care what I had to do to get her to leave. I would never let Sadie talk me into a night out again, especially if it meant seeing the devil and remembering how he had burned me.
