Page 19 of Coal Hearts

Sam glanced down, fisting the money as if he’d forgotten it in his sea of unrighteous jealousy.

Henri smiled. Like a shark. Like the devil. “Do we have a deal?” He gave Sam an icy look beneath hooded brows. “You seem pretty fond of that cash. Is the trade done or not?”

Words tumbled from me. “There won’t be any trade—”

“You know what? Ily’s right.” Sam choked, holding out the thick envelope. “I’ve changed my mind. Take your money and let her go.”

I sagged with relief.

Oh, thank goodness.

Sam might be a twat, but at least he wasn’t a—

“Keep the money,” Henri purred. “You know you want to.”

“Nah.” Sam shook his head. “I’m—”

“You were right, you know. She was whispering about you.”

Sam froze. “She was? I knew it!”

“I can tell you what she said, if you want?” Henri ran his tongue over his glistening lips, his entire body primed to deliver perfect cruelty. “Do you want to know what she truly thinks of you?”

Sam narrowed his eyes on me. “I always knew she spoke about me behind my back. Go on then. What did she say?”

“I have never spoken badly about you to anyone, Sam. Don’t take the bait. I said nothing—”

Sucking in a deep breath as if fortifying himself, Henri smirked. “She said you’ve had to pop Viagra every time she asked you for sex. That your cock doesn’t work, and she’s never had an orgasm because you have no idea how to pleasure her. You’ve never touched her right. Never kissed her right. Never fucked her right.”

Wait...no—

I scrambled to speak. “No, I—”

“She said she’s only put up with you because you had money. Money that she gave to her adoptive brother for touching her the way you never could.” He chuckled as his tone turned blacker than midnight. “She said at least he made her come—”

“No!” I shouted. “I didn’t—”

“What?!” Sam roared. “She said that?” His face turned ugly as all his hate arrowed into revenge. “You really are a piece of fucking work, Ily. I knew it. I knew you were fucking him. The amount of times you were in his bed when I’d call. The number of times he picked up the phone and refused to put me onto you. He thinks you’re his and now I know why! Fuck, I knew I never should’ve wasted my time on you. You’re nothing. Nothing, do you hear me?”

My ears rang.

I floundered. “Sam, I never—”

“She also said she fantasises about your father.” Henri kept going. “He’s the one with the real power, not you. It’s him she wanted to spread her legs for and—”

“Shut up!” I yelled. “Lies. It’s all—”

“Fuck it!” Sam fisted the money and backed away. “Take her. Fuck her. Hurt her for all I care. I’m done.”

“Sam. Wait...I didn’t. I never—”

But it was too late.

Without another word, Sam turned on his heel, threw aside the velvet rope barricading us from the rest of the nightclub, and vanished into the pulsing, body-writhing dark.

Chapter Five

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