Page 89 of The Devil's Waltz

Will’s lips curl into a slow smile. “Now that the business chitchat is out of the way, are you sure we can’t get you both a drink?”

“I wish,” Blake says with a sigh. “We have to get back to the city for another meeting.”

“Once this shit show is over and the dust settles,” Will says. “you’ll have to come back and let me take you to this new spot in Queens. You’re gonna love it.”

Blake smirks. “You’ve got yourself a deal, mate.”

With that, Will and Steven walk us to the door.

“Keep us posted,” Steven says.

“Of course,” I say, extending my hand to him to shake, then do the same with Will.

“We’ll be in touch soon,” Blake says as we step outside and head for the car.

Once we’re on the road again, I pull my phone out to check for any messages from Camille.

There aren’t any.

“You know,” Blake says in an annoyingly amused voice, “phones work both ways. You can text her as easily as she can text you.”

I roll my eyes and deadpan, “Thank you for the unsolicited tech lesson, asshole.”

He gasps as if he’s insulted, speeding up to pass the car in front of us. “You are someanto me. I’m only trying to help you.”

Ignoring him, I pocket my phone again and lean my head back to close my eyes until we return to the city. The sound of traffic around us and the steady movement of the vehicle lulls me to a state of almost falling asleep.

Blake hums along to the music playing, tapping the steering wheel to the beat as I doze off.

No more than ten minutes later, I open my eyes again to see we’re back in the city, surrounded by traffic and buildings on both sides of us.

“Where are we going now?” I ask, my voice gravelly as sleep clings to it.

Blake casts a glance in my direction. “Sleeping beauty wakes,” he teases, turning his attention back to the road when I shoot him a dark look. “We’re heading to Greenwich Village, but I need to get something for lunch before my stomach starts eating itself. There’s a deli on the way, and their sandwiches are going to change your life.”

We drive the rest of the way in silence. He does a quick scan of the area before we walk into the deli.

It’s a black brick building on the corner of a side street, and based on the worn signage over the all-glass storefront, it’s been here a long time. There are a few other people inside, a couple eating lunch in the small dining area to the right and an older man at the deli counter ordering a variety of cold cuts.

The sound of a machine rhythmically slicing meat fills the air, and the scent of freshly baked bread wafts from the open kitchen, making my stomach rumble.

“I’ll grab us a couple of sandwiches to go,” Blake says. “We shouldn’t linger too long.”

I nod, scanning the chalkboard menu hung on the wall behind the counter. It lists the daily specials in artistic handwriting. Today’s is black forest ham on rye with a homemade sauce. I point to the board. “That sounds good.” Shoving my hands in my pockets, I add, “I’ll wait in the car.”

Blake chuckles. “You’re going to take another nap, aren’t you?”

I shrug, backing toward the front door. “I might.”

The bell above the door chimes as I retreat outside and round the corner, walking toward the parking lot at the back of the building.

Something in my chest senses her before my eyes land on Camille. She’s sitting on the patio outside a café a couple of blocks up the street—and she’s not alone.

My eyes narrow as I move around the side of our car to keep out of sight. I’m not sure how long I stand there before Blake returns with our lunch.

“Ah, shit,” he says under his breath. “Of all the fucking places…” He trails off as I keep my eyes locked on the hunter legend, Noah Daniels.

It’s obvious he cares for her. Part of me is glad she has him. The other part, though, wants to shred him to ribbons for so much as looking in her direction. They have a history, and she feels safe with him—something I might never be able to provide her—but I can’t shake the possessive urge I have to steal her away.

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