Page 226 of Shadowman
“Sometimes it can be a coping mechanism, though,” he murmurs. “Keeping people at a distance… Never letting anyone know therealyou.”
My jaw clenches.Interesting. I didn’t know bending over for a shrink makes you a fucking expert, you unbearable fucking twat.
“Personally, I’m glad you found Trevel.” He just keeps fuckingtalking. Tuning him outwasworking fine… But the moment he uttered Trevel’s name, my fingers slowly curled into fists. “Despite all of this, and what everyone else was saying, I think you guys are cute together. If he’s someone you can be yourself with… then it’s a good thing, right?”
He shows me a tiny smirk that I can see through like glass. I canhearwhat he’s saying, in between his bullshit, in that one stupid, shit-eating grin…
I killed your friend. I loved doing it.
I don’t feel bad.
My boyfriend let me do it. He’s stronger than you. And smarter than you.
Your friends are nowmyfriends. I’m The Ivory’s favorite.
I’meveryone’sfavorite.
And your boyfriend is in love with my boyfriend.
Standing up slowly, I crack my knuckles. Darcey’s smirk falls away, and he tilts his head as much as he can, a curious expression covering his smug face. I step over to the bed, our eyes locked the whole time. He doesn’t look scared, which is infuriating, but I know it’s his thing. He’s a fucking psychopath. If anything, I’m brimming with fast rage because, even tied up at my mercy, hestillthinks he has me by the balls.
I crack my neck and lean over him. “What are you gonna do?”
His brows zip together, like he’s not sure what I’m talking about. So I elaborate.
“When he’s gone…”
That gets him. It’s the first flash of fear I’ve seen since we tied up Dr. Love.
“Whateverwill you do with yourself… when he’sdead, and you’re all alone again?” I hiss quietly. “Because that’s what you deserve, isn’t it? You know it as well as I do… I don’t have to do shit to you, neither does Trevel. We don’t have to lay a finger onyou…”
With my index finger, I push his glasses up his nose. He flinches.
My lips slope into a smirk of satisfaction. “I’ve thought a lot about breaking your bones, you know that? I’ve fantasized about how it would feel… Using my bare hands to make you bleed. How it wouldsound… breaking your jaw or your nose, cracking your eye sockets. What it might look like… to leave you lying in a pool of blood, like you did to my friend.”
Darcey’s throat dips.
“I know it’d be satisfying as hell.” I sigh. “I mean, how could it not? These are my weapons…” I hold up my hands. “I don’t need a knife to fuck up your face,Carver. I can do it easier than breathing, and it’d feel fuckinggreat.” I stop to shrug. “But the point is that I don’thaveto. We can ruin your life while you lie right here in this bed, like a scared, helplessvictim.” I hover even closer to his face. “And then you’ll be all by yourself… Like youdeserve.”
Fury flickers in his gray eyes;hishatred,hismalice. It mirrors my own, and it gives me chills.
“What makes you think Lemuel won’t kill Trevel??” he snaps. “How confident are you in his skills? Without you… You think your man’s wrath is stronger than mine’s?”
His chest is jumping, pupils dilated with his obvious surge of adrenaline.Finally, I’m getting the serial killer, rather than his fucking disguise.
This is what I wanted. I don’t give a fuck about Felix Darcey. I could crush him with my thumb.
I want into the ring with The Carver.
“My man isn’t justmyman, though,” I rumble, ignoring the confusing flutters at referring to Trevel this way. “He’s alsoThe Ivory’sman. So… sure, Manuel Blanco will keepyoualive. But Lemuel?” I pull a very condescending shrug, and his jaw tics.
“You mean, you’re willing to side with The Ivory… After everything he’s done to your friends?”
“I have no fucking friends anymore, thanks to you,” I growl.
A bit of his anger wavers, eyes glistening up at me. “Trevel is all you have left…?”
Okay. That’s it.
