Hideaway (Devil's Night 2)

“It’s almost Devil’s Night. A few days,” he pointed out as if I didn’t know. “Any plans this year?”

My mouth stayed closed. I raised my gaze, slowly turning my head left and right, looking for any sign of him.

Have I fucked her yet? I assumed he meant Banks. Which meant he knew she worked for me now.

“You know I’m not stupid.” He wasn’t asking a question, emphasis on the word know. “You above everyone knows that. Do you really think you’ll find me at The Pope? You think that whole place isn’t wired, and I wouldn’t see you coming? That Banks would’ve let you in there if she thought for one second I was there? She will always be mine.”

Cars drove past as the hot wind whipped down the alleyway where I’d parked. Part of me hoped he was right. She might lead me to him.

“You’ve been so bored, haven’t you?” he taunted. “So bored, because having me around gave you an excuse to be the deviant you already were. To turn inside yourself and have a real good look at that monster. You’re not noble behind closed doors, Kai.”

“Where are you?” I asked.

“Around.”

I twisted up my lips at his coy response.

“Rika’s alone too much,” he went on. “With Michael gone all the time, you really shouldn’t have positioned yourself so far away from her across the river.”

I barely registered the change in subject, closing my eyes.

“She slept in the most tantalizing white silk panties last night.” His tone was almost confiding, and I felt my hand tighten around the phone. “It was nearly unbearable, watching a body like that go to waste in that cold bed alone. God, I wanted to fuck her. Dark room, half asleep…she might not have even known the difference.”

He was lying. Fucking with me. There was no way he got in that apartment. Michael might have been gone at times, but he’d taken significant precautions. Increased security, changed all the passcodes, hired additional personnel…. He even tracked her phone and car. I should feel guilty about that, since she was my friend, too, but we knew she’d put up a fight, and it was pointless. Michael was right. It was necessary.

I was honestly surprised he hadn’t tagged her jewelry, too, since Damon wouldn’t take her in her own car and would know to ditch the phone.

“But I have to bide my time,” Damon said wistfully. “I’ve waited so long. I won’t rush it.”

Rush what?

“So much trouble you’ve gone to for nothing, buying The Pope,” he continued. “You won’t find me.”

“I wouldn’t say it was all for nothing.” I fixed my eyes across the road at the hotel. “Your little ruffian is far more pleasurable than I thought she’d be.”

Which was an entirely true statement. Let him infer whatever he will.

“I think I understand now why you like her so much. Why, without the skimpy clothes, make-up, and hair, you find her so alluring.” I inhaled, liking this side of the playing a hell of a lot more. The side where I was on the offense. “She’s so repressed. It’s captivating to see her let go and lose herself. To realize she likes being seen as a woman.” And then I dragged out slowly, “And that she likes doing things a woman does.”

I could feel his silence like it was his hands shoving against me. Only I wasn’t backing down.

“So quiet all of a sudden?” I teased.

“Nik is mine,” he stated, his voice clipped. “You will never be to her what I am to her.”

Nik? Was that her first name?

“And I will kill you in front of her,” he added.

“Well, come on then. Why wait until Devil’s Night? Let’s get this over with.” I slammed the car door, walking toward the street and the sprinkle of rain that floated on the air. I had no idea if he was in The Pope or not, but I faced the building as if I was talking right at him. “Or you can run again. Either or.”

“But that’s not what you want,” he said, the sly mischief back in his voice. “I told you, Slope, I’m not dumb. I know what you’re after. And it isn’t a showdown, it isn’t revenge, and it isn’t even Banks.”

I leveled my eyes on a window above, willing him to appear.

“Go ahead,” he challenged. “Ask me. Ask me what only you and I know that you don’t want Will, Michael, and Rika to find out about.”

My chest heaved with silent breaths.