Page 55 of Bully's Darkness
“We didn’t come for cash,” I remind him. I jump down, nodding at Boss and Mad Dog. “Soak it.”
They move fast, cracking open petrol cans. The stink hits hard. Smiler drags the bodies into a pile, and Mad Dog sets the final match. It goes up with a loud whoosh, causing us all to flinch back. Flames roar, lighting the night orange and gold. The second lorry follows.
We stand back and watch it burn, faces lit by fire and fury. A funeral for Dagger’s profits. A message written in blood and smoke.
Boss spits. “Think he’ll get it?”
I smile, cold, tight. “He’ll get it.”
Because this wasn’t just business.
This was personal.
Olivia
I don’t think much about it when Bria insists we go for a few drinks at the local on the corner. Mainly because it’s something we’d always do before Bully was released, and I’ve slipped back into my old life easily. Even with the threat of Dagger hanging over me, I’m confident he doesn’t plan on hurting me.
We’re two drinks in when he approaches the table. Bria spots him first, and the way she stiffens warns me of his arrival before I actually meet his eyes. “You didn’t like the roses, mama?” he asks, placing a hand loosely over his heart to feign hurt. “Maybe you’ll let me buy your next drink,” he suggests. “Lemon gin, yes?”
My blood runs cold. There’s no way this is coincidence. How does he know all this stuff? Bria must be thinking the same because I feel her gaze burning into me, but I don’t break eye contact with him. He needs to see I’m not rattled by his sudden appearance.Again.
“Actually, I hate lemons. And white roses remind me of Bully. He once laid me on a bed of white rose petals,” I say, smiling like I’m enjoying the memory. “Right before he took my virginity.”His gaze turns steely. “Oh, I’m sorry, I assumed you knew everything about me,” I say innocently.
“Walk me out,” he says firmly, right as the girls arrive. Bria gets swept up in hugs, so I silently slide away from the table and head out with Dagger. “You think you’re funny taunting me?”
“No. Not at all,” I snap, stopping outside the bar. It’s busy with people standing around smoking, so I’m not worried as he turns to face me. He backs me to the wall, and I keep my breathing steady even though my heart begins to race.
He places a hand right above my head, caging me in as his face moves closer to mine. “He isn’t giving up,” he whispers, his breath tickling the wispy hairs that frame my face. “Walking you home like that.”
“What do you want from me, Dagger?”
“I want you to understand,” he tells me. “To see what kind of a man he is.”
“Why is that so important to you?”
“You’re his weakness, Liv. If I take you, I hurt him.”
“I’ve already left him,” I cry. “What more do you want?”
His phone rings out, and he answers, keeping his eyes fixed on me. “Yeah?” His body stills.
Then his entire expression shifts. “How thefuckwould they know?” The venom in his voice is so sharp, it cuts the air. He ends the call and pockets the phone with a clenched jaw, bracing his other hand above my head, fully caging me now.
His voice is tight when he says, “Seems he’s fighting back.”
“What does that mean?” I ask, but my stomach already knows. There’s something ugly rolling in the distance. I canfeelit.
Then, a shrieking whistle through the air.
Something slams into the wall above us and explodes in shards of glass. I scream, and he grabs me, his arm locking around my waist as he throws us both down.
We hit the pavement hard. Dagger’s body covers mine, his arm protectively over my head, glass raining like knives around us.
Gunshots, sharp and savage, rip through the air. I choke on my breath, my arms curling over my head as my ears ring.
“Bria,” I gasp, heart splitting.
“She’s inside,” he mutters, his mouth by my ear. “She’ll be safe.”
