Page 17 of Devil's Game

Zane grumbled something unintelligible under his breath but, thankfully, didn’t argue.

Sebastian stood in obvious dismissal. “I’ll be in touch with you for the date of your fight.” His words were directed at Merrick, yet he swept his gaze around the room, lingering on Sophia for a second before nodding to Merrick. “Let me know when and where you’ll need my men.”

With those parting words, he strode for the back again, leaving us with the hulking Zane to escort us out.

I still wasn’t sure what to make of them, but if the guys trusted them, I guessed I did too. Besides, it didn’t seem like we had much of a choice. We needed all the allies we could get, and judging by the lethal edge to Sebastian that he worked to hide so well, I was sure that he was someone we wanted with us rather than against us.

Chapter Six

Giana

“This is beautiful,” Sophiabreathed, the sunlight glinting off the golden frame, the glass casting a reflecting gleam onto the ceiling as she lifted it closer to her face.

I couldn’t help the grin that curled on my lips as I glanced at Kellan across the counter. Had it only been a few weeks since I strolled in here, looking for a job, finding my future in the process?

His sable eyes shone as they met mine. This man, strong, loving, immovable, my rock forever and always.

“Thank you,” Kellan murmured, his gaze never leaving mine. “I had a stunning subject.”

Warmth flooded my cheeks, my heart fluttering like I was still that girl in the sketch, like the years apart and the trauma never happened.

“I swear, if you two keep looking at each other like that, I’m going to barf all over this counter.” Sophia’s face twisted in disgust as she set the frame down and took a step back.

“Get used to it.” I stuck my tongue out at her and linked her arm in mine, leading her over to the plush chairs in the waiting area.

Kellan rolled his eyes before glancing back down at his paperwork. He’d pushed his appointments for the last few weeks, knowing he had to give the plan his full attention. But when he announced that he’d opened his schedule back up for one or two clients a day, I knew I had to join him.

Sophia took one of the books off the side table and started leafing through it. “Maybe I should get a tattoo.”

“Not anytime soon.” Kellan chuckled and scrubbed a hand over his face. He’d already had his first client of the morning and was taking a break before his afternoon appointment showed up. “My clients are already pissed. I had to bump them all for a few weeks, but if you have something you really want, I can do it back at the house.”

“That’s a little weird, isn’t it?” She wrinkled her nose as she glanced up from the book. “Where would you do it? At the kitchen table?”

“Kellan has a studio in the other building,” I explained, pulling down the edge of my leather jacket to reveal the Dara knot on my bicep. “That’s where he did this.”

She’d seen the tattoo last week, but she seemed to look at it with a new appreciation now.

“Ooh, how intimate.” She waggled her eyebrows, but her grin fell a shadow just passed over her. “On second thought, maybe I’ll just wait and get on your books here.”

“We didn’t have sex there.” I gasped incredulously and nudged her.

“I’m sure it’s only a matter of time.” She winked, keeping her voice low.

I couldn’t help my smile as I looked over my shoulder at Kellan. He was hunched over his books, his brow pinched in concentration. We’d both been so busy the last two weeks, we hadn’t had a chance to be intimate.

“Probably,” I murmured, unable to dispel the image of Kellan pulling aside my panties and plunging his fingers into my soaked core to help with the pain as he gave me my next tattoo.

My thoughts seeming to summon his attention, Kellan glanced up, his eyes locking with mine as though a magnetic force pulled us together.

Yeah, that needed to happen as soon as possible.

We’d been lying low the last two weeks while the guys started with the first part of their plan. The Devil’s Demons were two steps ahead of the Barones so far, and we’d been able to head them off before any of their shakedowns of the local businesses.

I loved having Sophia with us and knowing she was safe, but I had to admit, she was a bit of a cockblocker. We’d spent the time catching up, and I’d even taught her a few moves in the gym, so she could defend herself. Merrick kept up with my training, too, and the moves were becoming as easy as breathing now. My fitness classes had been nothing compared to the workouts he’d been putting me through, but I was progressing, and that was all that mattered.

I might’ve killed Mike, but it had taken far too long for my comfort. If I was going to be an asset to the guys and take my own revenge, I wouldn’t let them serve up our enemies on a platter. I was the predator now, and I’d hunt for my own dinner.

“Get a room.” Sophia groaned, snapping me from my thoughts. I hadn’t even realized I’d been transfixed by his sableeyes, sinking so far into him that the rest of the world faded away.

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