Page 94 of Sin

“Stop here!” I shouted. “I have to get out.”

The man did as I asked, his old face lined with worry as I bounced in my seat, anxious energy coursing through me while I waited for the payment to go through.

Handing me back my phone, he warned, “Be careful, miss. A girl like you out on her own isn’t safe.”

“Don’t worry about me,” I said with a bravado I didn’t exactly feel as I shoved the door open and prepared to bolt. I’d known things were bad; the earthquake was a pretty big indicator, but seeing the reality of it was a shock to the system. “Drive safe!” I called behind me as I jumped out of his car, just barely catching sight of Chaos as he turned down an alley.

I was no longer chasing Chaos in a silly attempt to prove my autonomy. Now I wanted to glue myself to his side to make sure we both stayed safe.

Rounding the corner of the alley, I spotted Chaos as he walked past a mountain of a man who had to be part ogre and through a nondescript door that could have been the back entrance to a butcher shop for all I knew.

“What the hell are you up to?”

This better not be some sort of drug deal. Or worse, a kinky sex club.

I would so tell Lilith he was cheating onIniquityif it was.

Well, the only way to find out was to get past that guard, and since I didn’t have a wad of cash on me, the only way to do that was to put my skills to the test. I stood up straight, strode up to him with the confidence of Lilith, and looked him dead in the eyes.

He crossed his arms over his chest and frowned down at me from his towering height.

“Sorry, love. You’re not on the list.”

“Oh, are you sure? Check again.”

The ogre didn’t even blink, so I stepped closer and sent my power right into him. His mouth fell open, eyes glazing over and pupils dilating.

“Let me in, and I’ll make all your dreams come true,” I murmured seductively.

He couldn’t move fast enough.

“Y-yes. Of c-course,” he stuttered, his eyes closing halfway as I sauntered past him. “I’ll do anything you want, pretty lady.”

I winked and blew him a kiss. “You better rest up. You’re looking a little sleepy.”

The ogre yawned. “G-good idea. I need to be ready for you.”

A laugh was my only answer as I waggled my fingers at him in a little wave and followed the sound of a roaring crowd deeper into the building. Feeling incredibly proud of myself, I took the stairs waiting for me at the end of the little hall two at a time.

“All right, Chaos, time to uncover your secrets.”

Chapter

Twenty-Seven

CHAOS

Warm air hung thick in the depths of Max’s—an invite-only gambling and fighting hall—the musky scents of shifters mixed with the coppery tang of blood and heady aroma of dark fae magic. No humans darkened the doorstep of Max’s. Ever. In fact, I had it on good authority Max set a ward on the entrance to repel anyone without supernatural blood.

I cracked my neck as I stood in the back, waiting for the announcer to call my name. I was cutting it close tonight, arriving with mere minutes to spare before my scheduled fight. I was the headliner, and to say the promoter had been practically shitting bricks by the time I finally arrived was not that much of an exaggeration.

I couldn’t blame him. There was no scenario in my mind where Charlie hadn’t banked on my odds of winning being so high I was a sure thing. If I didn’t show, he’d stand to lose more money than God.

He was right. I was a sure thing. Even though tonight felt... different. Off. Exceedingly tense.

From my view in the fighter’s tunnel, I could see the dimly lit crowd crammed into risers like sardines as they waited for the main event. The pit sat empty, a lone spotlight beaming dead center. As soon as my opponent and I took our places, the lights would go up, casting us in sharp relief so the spectators could get what they paid for. Blood, violence, destruction. Maybe death.

There was a reason this place was such a well-kept secret. The things that happened here were not for the light of day. Or for the morally inclined. It was absolutely perfect for the likes of me.

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