He stared into my soul.
His green eyes were locked onto me, sharp and unreadable, as we walked closer to where he sat—strawled like a king on his throne. My heartbeat stuttered. I felt like I'd stepped into a lion's den.
"Oh, Aiden... you're here," he said coolly, lifting his glass of whiskey without looking away. His voice was deep and rich, like the alcohol he sipped.
Aiden only smirked in return.
We sat. I tried to steady my hands on the table. The air in this place was heavy, charged. Somewhere nearby, a soft beat began to pulse from the speakers, and a dancer slid into the spotlight.
She moved like smoke.
There was something... off about her. Her rhythm flowed with the music perfectly, too perfectly. Her eyes scanned the crowd like she was hunting, and when they landed on me, my stomach twisted.
I turned away quickly—only to catch Aiden watching me.
The man across from us exhaled a lazy breath of smoke and leaned forward. "So, Aiden, it's been a while. Anything interesting happening in your world?" he asked, slipping the cigarette between his lips.
The tension between them was electric. Like they were saying more with their eyes than their mouths.
Aiden's voice came low, guarded. "Nothing much, Dante."
Dante sat up, swirling the drink in his hand. "That's boring," he muttered. "Even for you."
A waiter approached and placed drinks on the table. I didn't want mine, but I took a sip anyway, just to keep my hands busy.
I wanted nothing to do with this conversation. These people.
There was something dangerous beneath Dante's calm smile, like a storm waiting to hit. I could feel it in my skin.
The dancer floated toward our table, her movements dripping with seduction. She stopped in front of Dante, biting her lip, eyes cold.
He didn't flinch. Just watched her with the same amused smirk.
A bodyguard appeared with a black chest, opening it to reveal stacks of crisp cash. Dante took a bundle and tossed it at the dancer's feet without even looking. She bent down, picked up the money, and walked off, disappearing into the shadows.
Then his gaze fell on me.
Burning. Unblinking.
I turned away, forcing the drink down my throat, even though the taste was bitter and the burn made my eyes sting.
He answered a short phone call, said nothing more than a few words, then stood. His bodyguards immediately fell into place around him.
"I want to see you later, Aiden," he said, then paused, turning to me. "And bring your girl."
Girl? What the hell—
I wanted to scream that I wasn't his anything, but the words caught in my throat.
And just like that, he vanished from the room, taking the tension with him.
I grabbed my bag. "I need to go."
"I'll take you," Aiden said.
"No. I'm going back with Maevor," I replied quickly.
His jaw tightened. "Maevor's not allowed here, Juliet. You're coming with me."
"I'd rather sleep here," I shot back.
Aiden chuckled. "Suit yourself."
He turned and walked away, leaving me fuming. This man—
Ugh.
I followed him anyway, like a fool, dragging my feet just enough to let him know I wasn't happy about it.
He glanced back and grinned.
I could slap that grin off his face.
I nearly died of a heart attack tonight, all because of him. And still, here I was, getting into a car that screamed danger from miles away.
The door swung open. I stepped in.
The car drove off into the night.
And even though I was away from Dante… the chill he left behind hadn't gone away.