Page 136 of Avenging Devil: Part 2

“Mary’s safe. She’ll be released when I’m out of here with Saffie.”

“That wasn’t the plan,” Swift says sharply.

“No?” Duke gives that evil grin he’s so practised with, and leers as he eyes her. “Tell you what, why don’t you come with me and Sapphire, then you can see Mary for yourself?”

As Swift has taken over the talking for me, she’s given me time to calm my breathing and try to relax. Her taking charge and Duke’s reaction has reminded me how misogynistic he is. In his world, no woman is a challenge, and none ever fight back.

It also doesn’t surprise me when he starts to flirt. “What’s your name, darlin’?”

“Karen,” Swift all but simpers, responding to Duke’s change in body language. While inside his core is rotten, on the outside he’s an attractive man and used to women falling at his feet. It doesn’t surprise me he doesn’t suspect she’s acting.

“Well, Karen, I don’t know what rumours you’ve heard about me, but all I want is a divorce from Sapphire, and she won’t give it to me. She hid so I couldn’t serve papers. Now I have her attention, and I’m here, and so’s she. We’ll soon be ending our alliance. Maybe you and I could have something?”

I don’t know whether to be enraged by his lies and his blatant approach to the woman standing beside me or laugh at his underestimation of Swift.

Instead, I play along. “I’d have given you a divorce anytime, Duke.”

“Would you?” he pans. “You never served papers on me.”

It’s true I had not, but then, that would have given him a way to find me.

“She aborted our baby. She tell you that?”

Swift gives a gasp. “She did not.” She looks and sounds completely horrified but doesn’t let go of my arm.

Duke, constantly scanning his surroundings, looks around again. He appears to be getting nervous. “Let’s get out of here and go to my car. Sapphire can sign the paperwork, and I’ll take you to your friend.”

He dares to put his hand on the small of Swift’s back, and one arm over my shoulder. “I’ve got a gun, Sapphire,” he says, directly into my ear. “I’m leaving here with you, dead or fuckin’ alive, got it?”

What’s Swift’s plan?I wonder, fear making it hard to breathe, as Duke pushes us both in the direction he wants us to go.

Duke doesn’t just smell of oil and leather, he’s got a unique perfume that’s pure evil. Different from the rich, earthy and slightly sweet aroma of Niran’s cut or those of any of his brothers. It makes me question how I’d made the comparison. But the scent affects me, his closeness making it suffocating, wiping rational thought from my mind, replacing it with sheer terror.

I’ve a knife in my bag, but I’m incapable of using it. I’m just Duke’s toy, returned to its master. My feet step forward one after the other, propelled not just by his pressure on my shoulder, but by his presence.

Obey or be punished.

Paralysed by horror, my mind jumps to conclusions. Swift’s a biker. She’s helping Duke. It was all a set up.

I glance at the happy shoppers around us. No one takes one bit of notice. No one comments on a woman whose blood has drained from her cheeks. People step to the side as though not to impede the progress of one man and two women, not even looking into our faces.

There’s no security, no one to whom a call for help could be addressed.

We walk through the main shopping area, and out into the vestibule. Outside, the sun is still shining.

“Come on, ladies. My car awaits.” Sensing victory, Duke speeds up. I try and pull away, and he drops his hand from Swift. Swift seems to stumble, falling into him, her hand going up to his shoulder.

Immediately, Duke slaps his hand to his neck. “Bitch,” he hisses, pushing her away hard. “What the fuck have you done?” He tries to raise his gun, but it wavers in his hand.

Swift twists his wrist, disarms him, and puts his weapon into her glittery purse before anyone notices.

When he starts to slump, she takes his weight. Without missing a beat when someone walks in the door and looks at her, she tells them, apologetically, “Man can’t hold his drink.”

Then she’s semi-carrying him, semi-pushing him out the door and into the parking lot.

“What was that?” I ask, my head spinning. “And why didn’t you act earlier?” Mentally I’d given up, thinking she had to have been working with him. My mind now spins as it quickly does a one-eighty, acknowledging in no way is Swift the enemy.

“GHB.” She shrugs. “It’s dangerous to inject it, but while I’ll be sorry if it kills him, I won’t waste any tears. Hey, over here.”

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