Page 7 of The Devil She Knows
’Til death do them part, forever and ever, amen.
At the sound of her companion’s dubious hum, Sam sat up straighter, annoyance flaring to life inside her chest.
“If you say so,” the stranger said, dainty shoulders rising and falling.
“Idosay so, okay? Stop—stop questioning it. I know what I want and it’s her, all right?”
Hannah wasit. If it wasn’t her, it wasn’t going to be anyone. That was never the question.
“If she’s the love of your life, I imagine you’d do anything to get her back. Right?”
“Anything.” For once, Sam was able to easily agree. “I’d give anything to have Hannah in my life.”
“Better question, then.” She leaned in close, eyes wide, eager. “Whatwouldn’tyou do?”
That was a ridiculous question, just the opposite side of the same coin.
“Not a damn thing,” Sam whispered ardently, heart rabbiting inside her chest as the woman’s smile sharpened.
“My name’s Daphne.” The stranger stuck out her hand, presumably for Sam to shake. “And I am about to make you an offer you won’t want to refuse.”
3
SAM’S SHOULDERS SLUMPED. “You’vegotto be kidding me.”
Daphne’s—if that was even her real name—smile fell, and with it, her hand. “What?”
“It figures that the one time I decide to ignore my gut and share my feelings with some supposedly well-meaning stranger, it turns out to be a grift.”
She couldn’t rightly explain why she was so pissed, not in any way that wasn’t humiliating. Daphne had been nothing but rude to her, all barbed comments and condescension since the moment they’d met. But she’d gone to such lengths to get Sam to open up that … well, Sam guessed that for one brief second she’d experienced a glimmer of hope that Daphne was right. That a second opinion reallycouldn’thurt. She should’ve known better.
Thiswasthe day from hell, after all.
“A grift.” Daphne spoke carefully, brows pinching. “You lost me.”
She was a decent actress, Sam would grant her that, managing to sound genuinely confused, but Sam refused to be so easily snowed. Fool her once and all that.
“Come on, be honest,” she prodded. “What is it you’re selling?” Sam held up a hand, stopping her before she could speak. “No, no, wait. Let me guess. A self-help course? I bet it’s called something dumb like ‘How to Get Your Ex Back in 5 Steps or Your Money Back.’”
“Five steps?” Daphne arched a brow. “Optimistic of you.”
Bitch.“Whatever it is you’re selling? Workshops or a selfhelp book? I don’t give a fuck. Take it somewhere else, because I’m not interested.”
The arch of Daphne’s brows paired with the twist of her lips somehow managed to communicate confusion underscored by an ever-present, infuriating measure of condescension. “Bold of you to assume I’m trying to sell you something.”
“‘I’m about to make you an offer you won’t want to refuse.’” Sam deepened her voice, parroting Daphne’s words back at her. “I’ve heard it before, Marlon Brando. I’m not interested in your pyramid scheme.”
“Well,damn.” Daphne pursed her lips. “Now that you mention it, Helldoesoperate rather similarly to an MLM.”
“Hell?What is that, an ironic name for a new dating app? A little on the nose, don’t you think?”
Daphne frowned. “I believe you and I are having twoverydifferent conversations.”
“I’d rather not be having a conversation with you at all.” Sam crossed her arms and slunk deeper into her slouch.
“Contrary to whatever far-fetched, misguided idea you’vebrewed up inside your brain about dating apps and MLMs, I’m not here tosellyou anything.”
“No.” She rolled her eyes. “You’re just here to make me an offer I can’t refuse.”
