Chapter 25 #2
I hurl myself over after her and land perfectly on my feet. "Okay, now where are we going?"
Almost on cue, a black sedan pulls up in front of the gates. I raise my brow at her but she just grimaces, opening the door and giving me a sheepish smile when she gestures for me to get in.
We end up way downtown. As in, a drive into the city downtown.
The area we're in, while technically DeMarco territory, is the absolute worst part of it she could have chosen.
"Here we are," Sage says as we stop in front of a nondescript dive bar. She grabs the handle with enthusiasm, but I pull back her elbow and she scowls at me.
"Are you serious?" I curl my lip at the neon sign. "Is this where you've been coming the whole time? This is so fucking dangerous."
She gives me a flirty smile. "Haven't died so far."
"Oh My God."
"Come on, get inside." She yanks herself out of my grip and pulls open the door faster than my arms can reach out to catch her. With a growl, I follow her inside.
It's worse in here than I expected. Smelling of body odor and filled with shady men who don't hide their interest as they look at Sage with open lust.
It honestly couldn't get any worse.
That is, until Sage waves at someone. Someone sitting in a booth far near the back of the bar.
Scratch that. It just. Got. Worse.
Sage drags me over to the booth where I come face to face with a thorn in my side fiery redhead.
"Really?" Angie says, glaring at Sage. "You brought him?"
"Yeah?" She looks back at me.
"Angie." I dip my chin.
Sage gives me a look, and I dread the fact that I'm going to have to explain this later. I always avoid doing business with Angie when Dimitri or Anton asks.
"Nicholas," Angie smiles with all her teeth, like a movie villain. She looks me up and down and smirks. I level her with a warning look but her eyes just twinkle with mirth.
"Oh. Please. Sit," she says, slowly and casually. But even Sage picks up on it as we slide carefully into the booth.
I don't take my eye off Angie the whole time.
She has the power to erupt and destroy me within a second. She knows it too.
Angie has two men flanking the booth behind her, watching the room for potential threats. Ridiculous really when Angie could probably kill everyone in here whilst sipping her drink and without ripping her dress.
I hate the fact that whatever Sage has hidden has to do with her. What has she gotten herself into, what hole has she possibly dug, that she needs Angie of all people to bail her out of it?
"Well, I'm surprised to find you brought a guest along tonight, Miss DeMarco."
"Am I not entitled to bring friends? I thought it was open invitation." Sage gives Angie a sassy look. I try not to grimace. No one talks to Angie like that.
"Well," Angie smiles as she swirls her drink. "You sure he's a friend?"
I clench my jaw.
This meddlesome bitch.
"Yeah." Sage rolls her eyes. "Yeah, I'm pretty sure."
Angie looks back and forth between me and Sage. I see when she starts to get it. That Sage means something to me. That I, hopefully, mean something to her.
Angie normally keeps a cool poker face, but even she has a micro-reaction to this. A tiny twitch of her brow. One that only lasts a fraction of a millisecond before her face returns passive and calm.
She licks her lips once. "You really going to bring him into this?"
"It's my business," Sage says, lifting her head in defiance, all the while giving me a curious side-eye.
Angie considers a moment before she shrugs. "It's your funeral."
"So... about what I asked for then?" Sage prompts, her leg bouncing under the table.
"You know the rules. Favor for me first." Angie's eyes dart to me. "Miss DeMarco, go to the bar and order me a drink."
"Seriously?" Sage groans.
Angie just levels her with a look.
"Guess you are," Sage sighs. She steps out of the booth, pressing a kiss on my cheek before she goes. I go to follow her but Angie halts me with a hand in the air.
"Not so fast."
"I'm not taking my eyes off her."
"Calm down, Nicholas," Angie says. "You can see her from here."
I look over and see that I can, in fact, see Sage from here.
Not only that, but Angie's guys have moved in behind her in defense, glaring at all those creepy, lusty assholes.
I almost can't believe what I'm seeing, Angie showing favor to Sage.
But if anyone could tame the fire-queen, it'd be my girl.
"So," Angie says, smiling cruelly. "You're the Prince and you've snagged yourself a little mafia princess."
I'd laugh at that if I found anything about Angie amusing.
"Too bad that's not your real last name," Angie grins.
I run my tongue over my teeth. "I'm warning you, Ang-"
"I'm surprised to find you in the same position after all these years," Angie says. "The work you've put in."
"I swear to fuck Angie if you ruin this for me-"
"I'm not here to ruin anything," she swirls her cocktail glass before taking a sip. "But I can see now why you've stayed for so long."
"Watch it," I warn.
"Gosh, you're so hostile. Your secret is safe with me, Nicholas Prince. Nobody is telling little Sage DeMarco-"
"Anyone," I warn.
"Right," she smiles. "Nobody is telling anyone about what skeletons you've got hiding in your closet."
I slink into my chair. I need to get us out of here and back to the mansion as fast as possible. "What do you want?"
"Nothing," she says.
I raise my brow.
"Just good to know you're still... doing the things you do."
"You always want something, Angie."
She contemplates for a second. "A favor. I always like being owed a favor."
I slump into my seat. "This is why I never agree to come anywhere near you, you extortionist."
She smiles.
"You'll leave this alone?"
"I'll leave it alone," she says sincerely. "She's gotten herself into a world of shit on her own. I won't add your bombshell onto it."
"What does that mean?"
"You'll see."
With that, Sage slams Angie's drink down onto the table and gets down to business. "Now. Give me what I came for."
It turns out that what Sage wants is for Angie to blindfold us and lead us to our deaths.
Okay, that may be slightly dramatic.
But Sage doesn't look one bit surprised to see the blindfold appear swinging from Angie's finger.
"What? No. Jesus Christ."
"Nic, come on," Sage clasps my hand, giving me those puppy dog eyes. "This is how it's done."
I point my finger at Angie. "No."
"Yes." Angie gives me a saccharine smile.
Sage obediently closes her eyes.
I cannot believe it when I allow Angie to place the blinder over Sage's eyes and then mine. I clutch tightly to my girl's hand, not letting her go now that I can't see her.
I can't fucking believe Sage has been sneaking out this whole time to be blindfolded by crazy killer redheads and lead into unknown danger.
It was so much worse than my imagination possibly could have conjured up.
"I swear to God, Angie," I growl as I feel hands on me lead us away from the bar.
"Oh, calm the fuck down already, Nicholas. The act is getting old," Angie says.
I keep my bearings enough to realize we make it to a car. Which could be great or horrific depending on how much I choose to trust her. I'm not trusting Angie, though. I'm trusting Sage.
I take a deep breath and step into the car, taking Sage inside with me.
"I'm really going out on a limb for you here," I whisper.
"I know," she whispers back, and places a kiss on my hand.
I must really, really be into this woman.
All the while we drive, I count each turn in my head. It's after the fourth consecutive left that I realize we're being driven in a pattern designed to distract me from being able to tell where we're going.
For me, that's the final straw, and I'm done playing along.
I struggle, ripping my hand from Sage's as I start for the blindfold.
"Nicholas, don't," Angie warns.
"Nic, please," Sage says grabbing for my hand again.
But I'm so done. I put up a fight, struggling even as Angie's guys jump in to hold me down. My body thrashes against theirs, fighting for control while Sage begs and pleads for me to stop.
"Nic, please, stop," Sage begs.
"Where the fuck are we going?" I shout, not ceasing my thrashing long enough for them to get the upper hand.
"You'll see," Angie says. I can hear the smirk in her voice.
"Fuck this," I say, reaching for my gun, the click audible even over the protests from Sage and the fight from Angie's security.
"We're going to see my father!" Sage shouts. It's the words that she whispers, afraid to be heard, which stop me dead. "He's alive."