Page 63 of Bully's Darkness
Bully: Is Bria okay now?
Me: I forced her to go out with the girls and give me some peace.
His reply takes a little longer to come.
Bully: Liv, you shouldn’t be alone.
I roll my eyes and put my phone back on the table. I’m not in the mood for his alpha bullshit right now.
Ten minutes later, there’s a knock at the door.
My heart jumps. Of course, he couldn’t stay away. I bite back a smile as I cross the room, half-annoyed, half-relieved, and pull the door open with a shake of my head.
“I’m fi—”The word dies on my lips. It’s not Bully.It’sDagger.
My stomach drops clean through the floor. I blink, frozen for a beat too long before instinct kicks in. I step back and pull the door halfway shut, leaving just enough space to poke my head through.
“Hi,” I say, but the word comes out stiff, brittle. My throat is dry. I can barely swallow.
He tilts his head, a smirk tugging at his mouth. “You expecting someone else?”
“Yeah,” I say, trying to keep my voice steady. “Bully’s on his way.”
He doesn’t flinch. Doesn’t blink. Just smiles wider, like we’re sharing some private joke I don’t understand. “Thought I’d check on you.”
“You really don’t have to.” I grip the edge of the door tighter, my knuckles aching. “I’m fine.”
“I was just passing,” he says, as casual as if we were old friends bumping into each other on the street.
I force a laugh. “How’d you get past security? They usually call up first.”
He shrugs like it’s no big deal. “Must’ve been my lucky day.” My pulse hammers in my ears. The air feels too hot, too tight. “You gonna invite me in?” he asks, voice light but eyes sharp.
I shake my head. “It’s not really a good time with Bully on his way and all.”
That’s when his smile changes to cruel. His hand slams against the door. Hard. I flinch and let go on instinct, and the door flies open. Dagger steps inside without hesitation, shutting it behind him with a quiet click that makes every hair on my body stand on end.
“Bully’s not coming, mama,” he says, voice low and satisfied.
My back hits the wall. “What do you want?” I ask, barely above a whisper. My fingers twitch at my sides, useless. My phone’s still on the table, meters away. Too far. He takes a slow look around, his eyes scanning the space like he owns it.
“I wanted to see how you’re settling in. Place is nicer than I expected.” His eyes land on me again. “Too nice for someone who doesn’t know how to lock a door properly.”
“I do lock it.”
He grins. “Not well enough.”
A sick feeling rolls through me. My skin goes cold. “You’ve been here before,” I say, the words trembling out of me. “Haven’t you?” He doesn’t deny it. My hands curl into fists. “You bugged my phone.”
He shrugs again, as if it’s all a game. “It’s amazing what people give away when they think they’re alone.”
“You listened to me,” I say, the horror sinking in. “You’vebeenlistening.”
“Don’t act so surprised. You should’ve seen this coming.” His voice dips, low and warning.
I shake my head. “You’re angry because of your wife, and I get that.”
For the first time, his smile fades. His eyes go dead. “I warned you,” he says, his voice calm and terrifying, “but you picked the wrong side, Liv.”
