Page 52 of The Devil's Playground

Whoa.

I look down at her. Earlier tonight, we set out for a five o’clock showing of The Phantom of the Opera. Nicolette had her hair styled in tousled waves, make-up on point, the skin-tight black dress hugging every curve. Fucking stunning.

Now?

She’s braided her hair loosely, tossing it over her shoulder. The make-up’s been wiped clean, revealing purple circles beneath her soft brown eyes. The dress is gone, and while I mourn that, she’s wearing a pair of low-slung sweatpants and a white-t-shirt that shows off her black bra. It’s some of Ava’s pre-pregnancy clothes, an outfit that Link’s wife let Nicolette borrow so that she’d be comfy while I was gone.

You know what, though? She’s still fucking stunning.

And I don’t deserve her at all.

I trust you…

Heather trusted me once, too. I barely knew the girl. Because I was being her ‘hero’ by standing between her and Jake, she thought she was in love with me.

I only hope that Nicolette someday feels the same.

But if she does? She’s falling for the idea of who she thinks Royce McIntyre is. And while the man I am when I’m with her is who I am, there’s so much I’ve kept from her because I was afraid of running her off.

From the beginning, I was convinced she’d take off the first chance she got. But after tonight… I finally know what Nicolette was hiding from me.

Maybe it’s time to come clean about what I’ve been hiding from her.

Holding onto her hand, I lead her toward the leather couch in my living room. I sit down, then tug on her, guiding her to sit right next to me.

Not my lap. Hours ago, I was ballsy, inviting Nic to perch on my lap before I worked her panties over, giving her my cock. So her dress is gone and it would take more effort to shimmy off her borrowed sweatpants. That’s not why I do it. If I’m going to come clean, I need to do it now—and not be distracted by her ass on my lap.

“Royce? What’s up?”

I know she’s gotta be exhausted. Part of me is, too. But I don’t want to be a pussy. I don’t want the excuse to skip out on this conversation.

I squeeze her fingers. “You were with a Dragonfly.” I almost want to grab a drink to wash the taste of saying that out of my mouth. “Do you know anything about Heather Valiant?”

I’m not sure what I want her answer to be. There are so many stories, so many rumors about what happened that night… no matter how hard Link tried, he could never get them all straight. Not with our crew, not with Damien’s. The most he could do was back me up, threatening that anyone who came after me would have to go through him first.

Maybe it would be better if she doesn’t—and then, as my heart sinks, she nods.

“Actually, yeah. She was Danny Valiant’s sister. I know him because he was an enforcer, like Kieran. She got involved with this guy… let me remember. I know this. Was it Josh?”

“Jake,” I correct.

She nods. “Right. Jake something. She wasn’t a Dragonfly, but her brother was, and this Jake guy wanted to take her away from the Family and share her with a Sinner. Danny told her to break it off with both of the guys. That maybe Sinners do that shit, but Dragonflies don’t. But Heather… we weren’t friends.”

Nic lets out a soft, unamused chuckle. “Kieran didn’t let me have friends. But we were stuck in the same spot. Dragonfly property who couldn’t get out. She thought the Sinner would save her, but before he could, a different enforcer decided to take him out. But he missed. He shot Heather and she died.” Shaking her head, her braid following down her back, she adds, “That was my wake-up call. Even if Kieran didn’t kill me, staying in Springfield might. It took me another three years to finally get the balls to break it off with him, but I did it so I didn’t end up like Heather Valiant.

That’s a gut punch I didn’t fucking need. Because, after hearing all that, once she hears my confession? She might decide that fate has a twisted sense of humor because, in a way, she has.

She waits a moment while I stay quiet before she asks, “Why? I haven’t heard anyone bring up Heather in years… so why did you?”

“Because I’m the Sinner.”

NINETEEN

SEAHORSE

ROYCE

Nicolette screws up her face. “What?”

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