Page 26 of Wicked Tricks

The muffled echo of the music from the speakers filled the silence, and reverberated through the thick forest behind us. I kept my distance from her, stealing a glance every now and again.

I could tell that she was dangerous, in many ways. The way she held herself, the way she didn’t seem affected when she noticed the gun that I carried with me everywhere. Something in the hardness of her honey coloured eyes told me that she was more accustomed to the darker parts of our world.

Her eyes never once veered from the skyline, lost in her own thoughts.

The song faded away, and the voice of the radio DJ blasted away any calm vibe that we had established.

It jarred her back into her body, and she checked her watch.

“You want to go?” I asked, and she nodded.

We got back in the car, and I cranked the heat. Rome rubbed her hands together and put them in front of the vents. I followed the curves of the mountain back down to the highway and returned to the city.

“So,” I said after some silence except for the radio, “are you really a dancer or was Diana just making you for my sake?”

She laughed, “wouldn’t you like to know?”

I laughed, rubbing my chin in frustration.

“I was a dancer, but now I’m more into… management, I guess.”

She directed me through the city to where she lived. I pulled up to the street, and she showed me where to park my car. I turned it off and we sat in silence for a second. I felt her eyes flicker to me.

“So,” she said, “do you want to come upstairs?”

I clenched my jaw and fought the smile. Of course I wanted to, but I hadn’t learned anything about her or Lilith’s yet. My mind wandered back to the image of her at the club, when we were alone in the room.

Of course I wanted to go upstairs and fuck this girl.

“I can’t,” I shook my head, reaching out and trailing my nails up the inner of her thigh. She looked up at me through thick lashes and pouted.

“That’s a shame.”

“Why?” I smirked.

“I never got changed before,” she said, opening her coat and revealing a hint of the black lingerie from the club. I bit my lip and shook my head, I knew exactly what she was doing.

I knew we were playing the same game here, did she?

Shaking my head again, it pained me to say, “not tonight.”

I thought of the Redliner piece of shit that Ren and Angel had found snooping around one of our drop houses that was tied up in our basement and needed to be dealt with. It had already been put off for long enough now, and The Family had to come first.

My duty came first.

Even though I was ready to throw it all away just for the chance to be inside of her.

“OK,” she shrugged, closing her coat again.

She picked up her bag and opened the door. Not before reaching over, gripping her long nails into my thigh right by my crotch. She leaned in close, breathing a “good night” in my ear, kissing my cheek right by my earlobe. It sent a chill down my spine, and I closed my hand around the gear stick of my car to stop myself from pulling her into the back seat and taking her before we even got to her bedroom.

“Be careful,” I murmured, “or you won’t make it upstairs.”

She raised her eyebrows with a teasing grin on her face, “Is that a threat or a promise, Don Antoni?”

I reached out, wrapping my hand lightly around her neck and pulling her close to me. Our noses touched, and she watched me intently, waiting for me to make the move. My fingers moved downward, my nails trailing down her chest to the opening of her coat. Her breathing was growing heavier, her eyes boring into mine with anticipation.

“It’s a threat,” I said against her lips.

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