Page 66 of Hayes
Lilith
Of course, Hayes is at a club. I stare through the crowd with Titus at my side. His guards stayed outside the front door, and he agreed to leave as soon as I’m with Hayes.
Titus said Hayes would protect me, which is probably true. But who will protect him?
“There he is,” Titus says, pointing to the dance floor.
I scrunch my nose in disgust as I see him dancing with a red-haired woman in leather pants and a crop top. She’s gorgeous and a great dancer. Their hips move in unison to the music.
He grins at her with one of his signature smiles, showing off all his pearly white teeth and adorable dimple. She bites her lip hungrily in response.
He leans in, whispering something in her ear, before tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. He kisses her jawline sweetly and then moves swiftly to her lips—capturing them in one hungry kiss.
I can’t watch. And yet, I can’t tear my eyes away, either.
“I’m sorry. This must be hard on you. I’m here as a friend if you need me,” Titus says.
“This isn’t hard. And you aren’t my friend.”
“Soon to be husband, then?”
My fists tense at my sides. “Only as a means to an end. I will never like you, never fall for you, and definitely never love you.” Even if he turned out to be the greatest man on the planet, I would never allow myself to love him. I can’t, not after the hole in my chest Hayes left. I’ll never allow that weakness to enter my body again.
“Are you good? Or do you want me to stay?” Titus asks in response.
“Go,” I say, my eyes locked on Hayes as I begin to strut toward him. I don’t notice if Titus keeps to his word and leaves or not; I don’t care.
I stomp toward Hayes, not sure what I’m going to do until I’m upon him. Upon reaching him, I yank his arm and pull him free from her. With my other hand, I slap him hard across the cheek.
It’s not enough, not nearly enough to stifle my rage. But I’ll save stabbing him for when we are in a more private place.
“Leave us,” I say to the woman.
She stares wide-eyed, clinging onto Hayes’s arm.
Hayes finally looks at me with his big green eyes. There’s a flash of shock, and then amusement settles into his gaze. He pulls a hotel room key from his wallet and hands it to the woman.
“Room 302. I’ll meet you there later, Ruby.”
Ruby—the woman he mistook me for. This is her—another mark, another mission, just like I was.
She smirks at me and then struts off with his hotel room key in her hand.
“What do you want, Lilith?” He cocks his head in that annoying way he does.
I want you. “I want to talk to you privately.”
He holds out his arms like we can talk here in the middle of a crowded and loud dance floor.
I roll my eyes and yank him off the floor behind me. I keep walking until I find a booth in a far corner of the club, and we both drop into opposite sides. This will have to do. There is nowhere else more private. And if we are actually alone together, I’ll either kiss him or kill him. Neither of those options sounds like a good idea at the moment.
“What’s wrong? You’re soon to be hubby not making you happy?” He’s smiling, fucking smiling at me like nothing happened, and this is all a game.
I reach for the dagger at my hip but stop. Violence isn’t going to get me anywhere with him. He knows I won’t kill him. I’ll just make him bleed, and it won’t make him talk or tell the truth.
I don’t say anything. I just study him, trying to figure him out, trying to figure the truth out.
Is it an act? A game?
