Page 194 of Dance With A Devil
I freeze.
“What the fuck are you talking about?!”
“You’re the reason Bash takes everything out onme,” she snarls. “He worships you. Do you even realize that? You’re the weakness he tries to break out of me.”
“What does Bash have to do with this?!” I scream, struggling, nails digging into my attacker’s arms.
“Everything,” she spits. “Because I’m Bash’sdaughter.”
My blood turns to ice.
“Surprised?” she taunts, sauntering closer. Her hair’s a mess, her smile worse. “You stole him from me. And now,you’ll pay for it.”
And suddenly, I get it.
I’m not in a trap.
I’m in a cage.
And every Devil has a keeper.
How the fuck could I have been so blind?
Trustingherof all people.
Cressida.
I should’ve run her name through Dash’s database the second she batted those pretty little lashes and pretended to care. I knew nothing about her. Just another pretty face playing the innocent game while feeding Bash my every move behind my back.
I taste blood. Could be mine. Could be rage.
“Youbitch.Youfucking bitch!” I don’t even remember slipping from Deebo’s grasp, I just know I did. One second he’s got me by the arms, the next, I’m airborne.
Ilaunchmyself at Cressida like a bullet with teeth. We hit the floor hard, her skull thudding against it as I claw at her face, fingers curled like talons.
“You werewatching methe whole time? Feeding him details like some diseased, little spy?You’re his daughter!” I scream, fists cracking against her jaw, her cheek, her ribs.
She tries to curl away, but I’m not done. Not by a long fucking shot.
My fists feel like justice until I’mrippedback, spine arching in pain as Deebo yanks my hair and jerks my head so far back my throat’s exposed like a sacrifice.
Then somethingcoldkisses my neck.
Metal.
“If you don’t stop squirming,” he rasps, breath hot and cruel, “I’ll say you provoked me and slit your fucking throat.”
“Do it!” I snarl through clenched teeth. “Do it, you limp-dicked ogre. I dare you.”
He laughs, a real one. Low. Unhinged.
“Oh, I won’t kill you,” he whispers in my ear. “Not when I canfuckyou first. I’ll take the punishment for that. Happily.”
“Fuckme?” I bark out a laugh. “You’re not getting these cookies,Deebo the Destroyed.”
Stupid? Maybe.
But it buys me the split second I need.
