Page 24 of Dark Endures

“Dahlia, talk to me. I don’t see any threats.”

That’s because the place mostly cleared out when we showed up. Even the staff are keeping their distance.

She shakes her head. “It’s nothing. Everything is fine.”

“Dahlia.”

I don’t believe her either.

Instead of backing away from the now angry beast, she places a bejeweled hand on his arm. “Everything is fine.” Dahlia forces a pathetic excuse of a smile on her face. “Mindy just found a beautiful dress for me to wear to the club on Friday.”

Maverick turns to glare at me.

Can he literally kill with a single look? I should be terrified. But a quick death doesn’t scare me.

“I should just burn the place down.”

Burn down one of the hottest clubs in Urbium? Is Maverick crazy? That club has to be making him millions every year.

“No. I want to go.” Dahlia’s voice is low enough that I lean forward to hear her.

“You don’t have to go.” Maverick sounds like it hurts to speak.

“This will be a good thing.”

I’m with him not believing it will be, even though I don’t know how clubbing could ever be bad, especially when your husband owns it.

“Fine, Dahl, but we’re having s’mores tonight,” he growls the words softly like they’re a threat.

A brilliant smile transforms her face. There’s something more to that smile than joy. It’s all-encompassing… a million emotions all at once. Is that—It can’t be. Yet it is. I’ve seen dozens of poor facsimiles of that look in movies and hundreds on my mother’s face when she’s pretending to love her newest husband. There’s no pretense. No forced emotion. The look on Dahlia’s face is love. Pure, genuine love. It’s almost impossible to believe what my eyes are seeing.

Dahlia steps forward and reaches up, threading her fingers through Maverick’s hair. She pulls his head down and kisses him.

The intensity of their shared bliss hits me hard. I should step away. Or at least turn away.

My body is stuck as my mind tries to process what’s obviously in front of me. Love doesn’t exist. It’s merely a fairytale created by poets and dreamers. With a single kiss, Dahlia and Maverick have thrown my world off its axis and changed reality.

If something as beautiful as this is possible—

Don’t even think about it. Peters women don’t find love.

Maverick breaks the kiss, leaving a hand gently cupping Dahlia’s cheek.

That tender look would leave me sighing if I wasn’t afraid he’d kill me for interrupting them.

“We’re still having s’mores.” He walks away with a self-satisfied grin and only a slight glare in my direction.

Don’t ask.

It’s none of your business.

Don’t ask. “What was all of that about?”

Dahlia pauses for a second, staring out into space. “I got roofied in his club.”

What? “How is that possible? We were with you when you left.” I watched you get into the cab safe and sound after his limo dropped us off.

“It wasn’t then. I was foolish and went back alone.”

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