Keep me for himself?
I don’t bloody think so, buster.
I’d rather chew off my right arm than be stuck here with him for the rest of my life.
I know, of course, I’m not going to get stuck with anyone, but still . . . the very idea of it makes me sick to my stomach.
“You want to keep me?” I ask, looking up at him with doe eyes.
He reaches out and strokes my cheek. “You make me feel something different, so yeah. I might just keep you.”
I swallow and look away. “Who do you want me to meet, then?”
“Come, come. I’ll show you.”
We walk down the halls of his massive house and into his office where an older man is standing. He’s got greying hair atop his head, and when he turns, I note his dark brown eyes and weathered skin. He’s tall, lean and well dressed. He doesn’t look dangerous, and yet something about his presence screams danger to me.
It’s him—the man I’ve seen in the photos.
Aviana’s uncle.
The man running this entire operation.
The monster responsible for all this hell that’s being unleashed into the world right now.
“Waverly, this is Peter. Peter is a dear friend of mine.”
Peter. That’s it? That’s his name?
I mean, don’t get me wrong. I’ve got nothing against that name, but this man . . . this man seems so incredibly dangerous, yet his name almost makes him sound . . . normal.
I know for a damned fact he’s not.
He’s more dangerous than even I can possibly imagine.
“Hi Peter,” I say, raising a hand and waving to him shyly.
“This is the one you were telling me about,” Peter says, stepping forward and walking towards me. I try to keep calm, but it’s hard when this monster is approaching me and I want nothing more than to claw his eyes out. “She’s a real beauty, Dax. Incredibly unique.”
I’ve been called a few things in my life; unique isn’t one of them.
“She’s special alright,” Dax tells him, placing a hand on my shoulder. “She’s strong and smart and more beautiful than most.”
He thinks that about me? From the few times I’ve been here and spent time with him?
I shake my head. God dammit, Waverly, it’s all an act.
“She is most certainly beautiful. The rest I’ll be the judge of. When can I take her?”
Wait. What? Take me?
No.
I don’t think so.
I step back towards Dax without thought. It’s just a reaction. Out of the two evil men in this room right now, I trust Dax more than I trust Peter, who is staring at me like he’s got thoughts in his head that aren’t at all pure.
Dax places a hand on my hip, and pulls me back closer to him, and I’m strangely comforted, mostly because I’m terrified of the man in front of me.
“Actually, I’m keeping this one with me for a while.” Dax speaks in a calm voice, but it’s bold, too. It tells Peter that he’s going to do it, with or without his approval. I’m not entirely sure yet of the man Peter is, but if I’m guessing correctly, I’d say he isn’t going to take that well.
I’m right.
Peter straightens and looks Dax right in the eyes. “You know the rules around here, son. Nobody keeps a woman except me.”
“Rules change,” Dax says, his voice still scarily calm. “She’s goin’ to stay here with me until I decide what to do with her.”
They’re speaking about me like I’m a small puppy incapable of looking after myself. To be fair, that’s the way I come across, but it’s also infuriating to listen to.
“I’d like to take her,” Peter says, his voice growing harder by the second. “She’s exactly what I’ve been looking for.”
He doesn’t even know me—how can he possibly tell I’m what he’s looking for? By looks alone? I’ve barely said two words to the man.
“She’s not your type, Peter,” Dax goes on.
“She’s exactly my type, and you know it.”
“This isn’t up for discussion. If you want to push me, then by all means do so, but you know exactly what I can do when pressed,” Dax warns.
Peter glares at him, and then, as if a light is flipped on in his brain, he smiles and looks at me. “I suppose you probably could use some company for a while. We’ll discuss it again in a few weeks when you’re bored of her, shall we?”
Dax simply nods, and I try hard not to exhale too loudly. I’m that relieved.
“Very well. I have business to tend to. I’ll be back, Dax. We’ll be discussing this further.”
Peter turns and walks out of the room, but the way he said that tells me this is far from over. Whatever it is about me, Peter wants it, and he’s made it very clear he’s going to do whatever he can to get it.
I feel a little unwell, and I’ll need to report this back to Alarick as soon as possible, because the last thing I want to do is get caught up with Peter. There will be no coming back from that.
“I hate to say it,” I murmur, “but I don’t like your friend.”
For a split second, I forget I’m meant to be sweet, broken and a little stupid. My comment has me panicking that Dax is going to wonder where such a statement came from, but instead, he laughs. His hands squeezes my hip and he tells me, “I knew I liked you for a reason.”
I swallow.
I’m not sure if him liking me is a good thing or a bad thing at this point.
But one thing is for sure—it just saved me from falling into the hands of the ultimate monster.
I’ll take that as a win for now.
“I MET AVIANA’S UNCLE,” I tell Alarick, walking into the large shed where all the bikers are currently sitting around a table, discussing things. The old biker, Pedro, who gave me a lift over, finds a seat and sits down. He doesn’t say much, but I’m fairly
