I don’t touch it.
“What are your plans today?” Sasha asks, taking the space on the other side of Shadow. He lifts his toast to his mouth, and she leans over, stealing a bite then laughing like she’s the cutest thing on this earth. All the while, I stare at my plate.
“Nothing much,” he replies.
“Want to come with me to Chaos and Angels? I’m showing some of the new girls around.”
“Not a bad idea actually,” Axel chimes in. “Last night’s takings need collecting.”
I feel Shadow shift beside me. “Is there anyone else free?” he asks.
“Oh, come on, it’ll be like old times,” says Sasha, linking an arm through his. “I might even show you the new outfits. They’re red . . . lacey. Just how you like.”
I push my chair back as I stand, the scraping of the wood on the floor louder than expected. Everyone’s eyes are back on me. “Where are you going?” asks Shadow, also standing. “You haven’t touched your breakfast.”
I head out without a word.
“She’s so moody,” I hear Sasha say. “Moody and violent.”
Shadow catches my wrist seconds later, and I slow to a stop, but I keep my eyes focussed ahead. “Rem, come on. It’s done now. Move on.”
“Let go,” I mutter.
“You can choose to stay mad, or we can have a nice day again.”
I pull free. “I’ll go with mad,” I snap, pushing outside and breaking into the fresh morning air. It bites at my skin as I round the side of the clubhouse. I find the old tree near the fence line and sink down at its base, knees pulled tight to my chest. Finally . . . space. Away from the noise, away from the stares, away from him.
The bark at my back is rough, grounding me as I hug my knees tighter, trying to steady the chaos in my chest. The cool breeze blowing does nothing to ease the heat of my anger.
Then my phone buzzes in my pocket, and I freeze. My heart stutters.
Unknown number.
I already know who it is. My hand shakes as I swipe to answer. “What?” I snap, my voice hoarse.
“You sound cranky, sweetheart,” comes the smooth drawl. “Rough night?”
My stomach flips, bile rising. “What do you want?”
“What I’vealwayswanted.” His tone sharpens, all trace of amusement gone. “My twenty grand. Time’s ticking, Remika. Tick, tock.”
I squeeze my eyes shut, pressing my forehead to my knees. “I don’t have it.”
“Not my problem. You’ve got until the end of the week. After that,” he lets the silence hang, thick and threatening, “things get messy.”
Desperation claws through me. “I know where you can get money,” I blurt, my pulse hammering. “The Demons still have last night’s takings at Chaos and Angels. Thousands. More than enough.”
For a beat, there’s silence, and then he laughs. A cruel, amused sound that makes my skin crawl. “Cute. Really. But useless.”
My grip tightens on the phone. “Why?”
“Becauseyouowe me, not them,” he says, his voice low and cold. “You get me the money, Remika.You.I don’t give a fuck about the Demons or their takings. This debt has your name stamped all over it, and until I get paid, you won’t breathe easy.”
The line goes dead, leaving me clutching the phone like it might burn a hole straight through my palm.
The leaves rustle, snapping me out of my thoughts. I glance up to see a small brunette edging closer, a soft smile on her lips as she lifts her hand in a wave.
“Hey, I’m Rue.”
