Page 65 of Vengeance and Vipers
‘Who is she?’ I ask.
‘Who?’ he asks, taking a sip of his coffee.
‘The demon in your tattoo.’
He shrugs. ‘No one in particular.’
I frown at him. I don’t think he’s lying. Doesn’t he know? Can he not see it?’
‘Did you design it yourself?’
He arches a brow. ‘Did you really traipse all the way out here to give me a lukewarm cup of coffee and interrogate me about my body art?’
I blink. Why is he changing the subject?
‘No,’ I say, deciding to let this go for now because he doesn’t seem to realize it. ‘I was trying to find you to ask you something.’
‘All right.’ He looks at his watch. ‘I have a call in five minutes. Make it quick.’
He picks up a black tee shirt and throws it on, covering the markings I can’t stop staring at.
‘Come on, Julia,’ he says with a roll of his eyes. ‘I have better things to do than let you ogle me all day.’
I scowl. ‘As if,’ I say sweetly.
‘Four minutes,’ he says with a smirk and starts walking off through the woods.
I hurry after him. ‘Maddox, wait.’
‘No, no time.’
He keeps going, and I literally have to jog to keep pace.
‘I need to talk to you. You’re going too fast.’
He stops so abruptly that I run into him. He turns with an exasperated look on his face.
‘What is it, Julia? We can’t all just swan around. Some of us have work to do.’
‘I’m bored!’ I practically yell.
He stops as if that wasn’t what he was expecting me to say at all.
‘Bored?’
I nod. ‘Is there something I could do? Like to earn my keep or something?’
‘Like what,’ he asks suspiciously.
I shrug. ‘Anything. Filing or helping you with admin?’
‘As if I’d let you anywhere near our businesses, woman!’ he laughs, and I try not to let his opinions regarding my character get to me.
‘Helping Tabitha then. I don’t care what it is, Julian, but I need something to do. I’m not used to just sitting around.’
‘You’re serious.’
‘Yes, I’m serious.’ I give him a look. ‘I wouldn’t have come to you otherwise.’
