“As gorgeous as your girl is,” he whispers, “I don’t exactly swing that way, buddy. Appreciate the warning, though. Now I can go around telling people that I was threatened by the Bloody Prince himself. It’ll make me popular among the crowd.”
Dorran’s shoulders shake in silent laughter. “If not for staring at my Cigs, I should gut you simply for acting smug with me.”
“Oh, wouldn’t that belovely,” I say, making sure to glare at Dorran in the process, who rolls his eyes and lets go of my waist.
“You wanna open a butcher shop down the street, baby?” I continue in a pitchy voice, and grin when Dorran glares right back at me. “I can bring in new people every day, and we can mince them to bits together. It’ll be a thing we do, and with Aras’s protection, we’d be untouchable.”
“Maybe you should gut her, too – you know, foracting smug with youand all,” Magner provides, and I place a hand over my mouth when a loud laughter rips out of me.
Dorran’s brows crease as the intensity of his glare increases. It’s painful to watch; I don’t know how he’s doing it.
He opens his mouth and is about to say something, but stops when Solo claps Aras on the back, then proceeds to give him a hug.
“In all honesty, I thought you wouldn’t come, given how abrupt my request was,” Aras admits. “And also, because when I’d first invited you to attend the gala last month, you’d refused.”
Solo lifts a shoulder as he scratches his stubble. “Well, you drove quite an enticing bargain today, Lutkus,” he says. “Good champagneandgood-looking people? Nowthat’san offer I couldn’t, under good conscience, refuse.”
Dorran shakes his head. “And here I thought you came all this way just to seeme.”
“I mean, you got a good face, kid, but I sure as hell can’t fuck it.” When I give him a ‘What the fuck?’ look, he only laughs. Dorran, on the other hand, simply scoffs and shakes his head again.
“Wow… And we’ve onlyjustgotten here,” Alex muses, rubbing a hand over his face.
Aras’s eyes ping pong between us – amusement painted clearly across his features – before he clicks his tongue and gestures at the guests behind him.
“I think you guys should mingle a little,” he says. “Standing here and doing nothing will get you the kind of attention you don’t need. Blending in and making acquaintances, however, will work in your favor.”
“Have the targets arrived yet?” Varsha asks.
“Just one so far.” He jerks his head to the side, and I see Timothy Byron in a secluded corner, talking closely to a woman who looks just as young as he is.
“Jedediah and Selina?” Dorran inquires.
Aras’s jaw ticks as his eyes briefly flit through the guests. “Not here yet.”
If I poke the air around us right now, I’m sure I’ll feel a pressure against my finger, because Aras’s mood went from welcoming to hostile in a split second at the mention of Jedediah. And rightfully so. That asshole did something unforgivable, took something from a woman who didn’t willingly give it to him.
Men like Jedediah thrive on dominance. It’s never about equal power for them; it’s always blatant cruelty and greed. They take, and take, and take, not caring about the consequences or the pain they leave in their wake. And you know what the most fucked up part is? The people who know them either don’t careabout their flaws, or are sick enough to turn a blind eye to them. And I don’t know which out of the two Selina is, but I guess I’ll find out soon enough.
Men like Dorran may seem morally wrong to some, but those people don’t know the full extent of Jedediah’s arrogance. Of the fear, the ache, and the despair his victim must’ve endured. And the Law isn’t fair. Neither islife. Dorran, Alex, and Varsha are prime examples of people who step up when righteousness roots the feet of those who abide theseLaws. Those three are the ones who show up, deliver, and don’t hesitate for a second when extreme measures are needed to bring about forbidden, yetnecessaryjustice.
“Listen up, guys,” Dorran says, sliding his hands into his pant pockets. “Let’s spread out and get to work.” He points at Varsha. “You’re with me,” he tells her, then looks at me. “You go with Alex. Keep him out of trouble, yeah?”
I smile. “You got it.”
He bends and kisses me on the lips. “Stay safe,” he whispers. “Text me if you need me. And please, for the love of Christ, don’t drink. Stay away from alcohol like it’s a goddamn plague.”
I place a hand on my chest. “You’re alwayssothoughtful.”
He chuckles. “Fuck you.” Moving back, he grins down at me, then mouths, “I love you.” His gaze traces my face, before he flicks it up and behind me. “And Solo, I need you to–”
“Stay on the ground and schmooze with the upper classes while also keeping track of potential threats. I know, kid. I’ve got this.”
Dorran nods. “Perfect.” He then stretches his neck side-to-side and scans the congested foyer. “Alright, then; let’s go kill some deserving motherfucks, shall we?”
10.
Iplace my forearms on the railing that connects the two stairways, and lean forward, just as Varsha comes to stand next to me, mirroring my position.
