Nightfall (Devil's Night 4)

I clenched my teeth, the slime of his skin seeping into mine.

The eye of the storm. I remembered Aydin’s words over and over.

Martin looked at my ring. “I wasn’t invited.”

I curled my fist and gently pulled away. “No, you weren’t.”

The eye of the storm…

“They know.” I tipped my chin up. “It’s too late.”

Everyone here knew about our lie and his involvement in sending them to prison.

But he just broke into a smile and chuckled, a chill rising up my spine. “You think that scares me?” he asked. “That was small potatoes compared to the decisions I’ve made since. And I’m not the only one with shit to lose if I go down.”

What did that mean? My gaze flashed behind him. The cops? I recognized a few of them.

“These officers know us,” I said. “You think they’ll really do this? All of them?”

Hurt Michael Crist, Kai Mori, Damon Torrance, and Will Grayson, not to mention Erika Fane?

He just tsked. “They’re not officers at this hour, Emmy.”

And I looked again, taking in the weapons and street clothes, not a badge in sight.

Footfalls hit the pavement behind us, and I whipped my head around, seeing Aydin coming through the park from where we entered. He looked at us, followed by a crew of people in devil masks, his black sweater zipped up to his chin, and his hair smooth and laying over his forehead.

Fire flashed in his gaze as he blocked us in from the back, and Martin blocked us in from the front.

“And I have so much more with me,” Martin cooed and then called out. “Evans?”

I jerked back around, my eyes shooting from Martin to the figure coming through his crowd, seeing Evans Crist step forward in a three-piece navy suit, with his gray hair styled to the side.

Evans. Martin used to call him Mr. Crist, but since he was coming into power himself, it seemed he fancied himself his equal.

“Son of a bitch,” Michael bit out.

Damon chimed in from behind. “We’re ready whenever you are,” he assured Michael.

Michael nodded, still facing his father, both men the same height.

Evans gazed at his oldest son, and I couldn’t imagine what was going through Michael’s head right now.

He’d killed Trevor. Was he going to kill his father, too?

“I didn’t tell Trevor to post those videos when he found that phone,” Evans told Michael. “But he told me after he did it. He knew it would serve me if Katsu, Gabriel, and the Graysons lost credibility with some orchestrated familial troubles.” He smiled to himself. “Some of it worked in my favor, other things didn’t.”

Katsu lost his positions on two bank boards for a time, and Gabriel lost deals. But Will’s grandfather remained senator, despite the bad press.

“But then we got powerful,” Michael added.

Evans nodded. “Rika became mayor, Kai’s been revitalizing Whitehall, Damon is Rika’s heir, not to mention he’s

grooming Banks for national politics…” he listed off all of his concerns. “And Will discovered Coldfield, and now controls the underground transit system between Thunder Bay and Meridian City. I mean, if you had a playbook of how to make me sweat, that would be it.” He chuckled. “I bow to you. You’ve impressed me, Michael. I wish I had you at my side.”

“But that’s not what you and I were made for,” his son replied.

Evans shook his head. “No, you’re right. But you are in over your head.”