Page 51 of Dance of Defiance
The black and blood-red haze thins slightly, clearing from my vision until I realize the face I’m snarling at is a familiar one.
Bane glares at me, his dark eyes filled with lethal, barely contained fury, his teeth bared.
His throat bruised…
Fuck.
“You in there, motherfucker!?” he yells into my face.
I blink, nodding stiffly, the narcotic burn still throbbing through my senses.
“What are you doing here!?” I yell over the music, my body still twitching from all the coke, my eyes unable to focus as they dart everywhere at once.
“Making sure you don’t fucking kill yourself!” he yells back. “Or someone else!” His eyes narrow as he steps closer. “Lyra saw you at Doomsday earlier.” He peers at me closely. “Said you didn’t look good, man.”
Fuck, I was at Doomsday?
“She wasworriedabout you,” he growls. “Which is why she called Carmine, who messaged the rest of the crew.” He frowns. “We’ve been looking all over the fucking city for you, man.”
“Well,” I smile wildly, swaying on my feet and bobbing my head to the thunderous sound of the band. I clap a hand firmly on his shoulder as I start to push past him. “Lemme know if you find me.”
Bane grabs my arm and yanks me back, his face concerned. “Rome, thefuckis going on?”
“Just having a good time, ’sall.”
“Your nose is bleeding.”
I shrug. Bane blows out a breath. “C’mon, Rome. Talk to me. This is beyond?—”
“Beyond what??” I snarl. “My usual fucked-up-ness?”
He looks me dead in the eye. “You know what I mean.”
“You worried about me, Bane?” I blurt, grinning maniacally like a madman and tasting the blood dripping from my coked-up nose.
I need a drink.
Fuck, I needtwentydrinks.
“Of courseI am,” he hisses, stepping into my space. “Fuck, Roman. What’s this about? The wedding? Dasha?”
I bark out a single, cold laugh and clap him on the shoulder again.
“Thanks for dropping by, Antonov.”
“ROMAN!”
Bane whirls as I brush past him. But he doesn’t try to grab me this time.
“You’ve got fucking friends, man! You’ve got Evie!” he barks. “Whatever the fuck you’re dealing with…Roman… Youdo not haveto deal with it alone!”
I laugh coldly, turning just enough to glance back at him.
“You’re worried about me?”
“Yeah! I fucking am!”
“Well, don’t be!” I grin, turning and spreading my arms wide as I step back into the roaring, raging crowd of death behind me. “I’m fuckin’fine!”
