11. Devin
“Have you lost your goddamn mind?”
I’m barely over the threshold of our apartment before Tony’s voice cuts through me.
Oh, he is pissed .
I knew he would be, that’s why I left while he was in the gym and wouldn’t be able to try and stop me. I’m positive that he was alerted when I left the parking garage, just like I am when he tries to sneak off to his little coffee shop across town for his expensive-ass coffee beans, because he’s above the shit that we import in.
But I know the minute my car was within fifty yards of the club, he was made aware of my arrival. And like the fucking creep he is, he’s been sitting here, waiting to bite my head off.
“Is that any way to greet me, T?” I lean against the doorframe, flexing my muscles as I cross my arms, giving him my award-winning smile.
Of course, he doesn’t buy my charm like any other person on this fucking planet. He knows the monster that lurks underneath. The one that would lure you in with this exact smile, before swallowing you whole.
“What the fuck we’re you thinking, Devin?” His voice is gruff, his eyes molten. I don’t miss that he has the screen showing footage outside Lena’s apartment, along with the hallway, and even in her fucking kitchen and living room. My blood heats at the fucking audacity that he had to put cameras in their apartment, even though it was a genius move and gives us the chance to check on them at any time.
I cross the threshold, kicking the door closed behind me, doing my best to be as dramatic as possible. I point to the screen as I approach his desk. “And what the fuck were you thinking putting cameras in her fucking apartment?” I throw my arms wide. “Do they know, or did you just take it upon your fucking self to do that?”
His silence is damning, which has my hackles raising even more.
“Besides,” I bite out, “I wanted to have a look at her living situation myself , and it sure looks a lot like three women sharing an apartment. Nothing of a man in sight, except for me.” Tony rolls his eyes and huffs out a long breath. “And the ladies loved my cooking by the way.”
He watches me intently. “Were you actually checking on her or were you just dangling the carrot in Obsidian’s face? Because I know that you fucking know they have someone parked a block away. Watching .”
While I’d like to say that I was just there for Lena, he’s right. It couldn’t have been more obvious that I was showing off my presence. I hope that they took photos and are showing little Matty as we speak. I dare him to show up there and try to put his hands on what’s mine.
I take a seat in my desk chair, propping my feet up, crossing my ankles. “They’re quite the trio,” I say with a smile, ignoring his question and ruffling his feathers.
“I can’t fucking believe that you just showed up unannounced and she didn’t go running for the hills.” He pulls his vape out of his pocket, pulling his mask up to take a long drawl, the sweet smell filling the air. “She must really be fucked in the head.”
My fingers curl into fists in my crossed arms, but I take in a deep breath through my nose, letting it out slowly to calm myself. “We’re all fucked in the head around here,” I say slyly. “Some of us a little more than others.” His gray eyes narrow at me, but they don’t lose their shine.
“Oh, and I think I have us a new bartender.” I wave my hand nonchalantly.
Tony raises his brow at me. “Is it her friend, Brianna?” I don’t let the surprise show on my face, because of course he already looked the women up. I’m sure he could recite their fucking social security numbers and who their first grade teachers were. Like I said, a fucking creep.
“Don’t be such a know it all, T. It’s unbecoming of you.” He rolls his eyes again, his fingers flipping his vape. “Besides, it’ll help us keep a closer eye on them and let us find out if she knows anything. See what company she attracts during her shifts.”
He shakes his head. “Tasha is going to kill you for doing that. She’s already not exactly thrilled that we brought Matt Chase’s ex-fiancée to the penthouse last night.”
I drop my feet to the floor and lean forward, resting my elbows on my thighs. “Did you happen to tell her where else I took her last night or are you keeping that little detail to yourself?”
He says nothing, his eyes nearly going blank before he seems to check himself, coming right back to reality. I pop the bubble of tension by retorting, “She’ll be fine with it. Plus, she likes a little fresh meat every once in a while.” I give him a shrug. “And it seems like Bri will be able to handle herself here. And the more of her inner circle that’s here, the more she’ll trust us.”
He crosses his arms, his bulging muscles flexing, pulling his shirt tight across his triceps. “What’s gotten into you?” His voice is nearly a growl, the sound vibrating across my skin. “You’ve never been after a woman like this. Never mind that it’s a woman who was part of Obsidian. What is it about her that you’re willing to blow everything for?”
I sit up, my spine straightening. “Because she needs our fucking help, Tony. She was with Matt-fucking-Chase for five goddamn years. I saw the way he looked at her in that hallway, like she was his private property. His bitch that ran away.”
And by having her around, maybe, just maybe, she can help me uncover answers to my own shit while I help her through hers.
He watches me and I know he’s reading my fucking mind. He’s always been able to see past my walls, making note of every twitch of my jaw, flex of my hands, and narrowing of my eyes. His attention to detail borders on insane and drives me damn near to it sometimes. As smart as I know I am, he’s smarter. Too fucking smart for me.
“Quit staring at me.” My voice is sharp. “I know it sounds ridiculous, but there’s a fucking connection here. She’s been plaguing my fucking mind for months and I’ve had my eyes on her for even longer. She’s not like the other women in fucking Obsidian, who will lure you in with one hand, while they hide a knife behind their back in the other. But she’s not fucking innocent, either.”
I feel the push under my skin, because even though I have decent intentions in my pursuit of Lena, my monster is right here, reminding me of exactly who I am. Like I’d ever be able to fucking forget. “Oh, and I let Tasha kill Vince.”
His eyes blaze, heating my skin as if I was right next to a flame. “You let her kill Vince?” His voice is quiet. Lethal. He goes still as stone, the light in his eyes darkening.
“He was a liability to the club and was clearly working both sides.” His eyes go even darker, disdain swirling through them. “And she followed me down. It was justice for her, especially since he was leading her along and lying to her. I simply offered her some closure from that piece of shit.”
His hand flexes around his vape, his knuckles turning white as the plastic cracks in his hold. “And you thought that was a good idea,” he growls, “to just let her be a part of your killing spree? To let her fall back on old ways? ”
Pressing my teeth together, I tighten my jaw, because as badly as I want to lash out at him, he’s fucking right. She’s worked so hard to maintain control, but last night wasn’t mindless. No, it was retribution.
“She walked out of there looking better than she has in a long time, T. And if you know what’s good, then you won’t say a fucking thing to her.” I grit the words out, my jaw tightening with each one. “Do you hear me?”
His eyes cut up to mine, unreadable emotions swirling in them. He lifts his mask, taking another long pull, exhaling the cloud slowly out of his nose. He relaxes his muscles, and I watch the tension slowly leave his body. “So, how did she do it? Or are you going to make me guess?”
A smile tugs at the corners of my mouth at the carnage she had left in her wake. “I watched the footage and she’s gotten more creative in her methods.” I lean back in the chair, cupping my hands behind my head. “Never underestimate the power of a scorned woman.”
He shakes his head. “He manipulated her and flew under her radar; I can only imagine the things she came up with to settle the score.” If I didn’t fucking know better, I’d say there was a smile hiding under that mask of his, the one he rarely removes.
“Gotta thank my brother for setting her loose in here.” I chuckle, trying not to take a walk down memory lane. “What I witnessed will make even your soulless dick ache.”
Tony huffs a laugh. “Maybe you should give her a raise, so our dicks stay on her good side and remain attached to our bodies.”
Waving a hand at him, I say, “Already done. She’ll see it in the morning.”
Tony shifts in his chair, slowly cracking his knuckles, releasing more of his tension. “So, you already fucking watched it, huh? Without me ?”
This time, a real laugh escapes me, and I jump to my feet. “ Go ahead and pull it up, I’ll make some fucking popcorn, and we’ll make a date out of it.”
He groans. “You fucking psychopath.”
I hold up a finger to him, letting a Cheshire smile pull the corners of my mouth up, and tsk. “ Sociopath and you fucking know it.” I turn toward the kitchen. “Now, how much butter do you want, or are you worried about your figure?”
I look over my shoulder to see him simply shaking his head as if this is the most insane thing I’ve ever suggested. “Fine. A fuck ton of butter it is.”
A few minutes and a whole stick of butter later, I lounge back in my chair, popcorn bowl in hand. I gesture to the TV. “Now, get that shit pulled up, because we’re going to need time to prepare for our date with Lena tonight.”
Tony’s eyes widen as his head snaps toward me. “What did you just fucking say?”
I throw a few kernels in my mouth as I grab the remote, turning up the sound of Vinny’s screams to drown out the sound of Tony unleashing on me. I put my finger to my lips and shush him. “Quiet down, you’re going to miss the best parts.” I throw another kernel into my mouth. “Or well, Vinny’s best parts. Because, if you blink, you’ll miss them.”
Tony glares at me, not fazed by me at all. However, he knows better than to try and steer me away from my already made plans. He will just have to pout from behind his mask, because there’s no way he’s going to want to miss out on what I have in store for us tonight.