eavy. I stared at Malcolm Slade

se there was no way, no way at all he'd actu

caked-on grit, like I'd eaten sand. "You're jo

skinny, with a kind of presence that seemed to

e some sort of

y breath slide out, my mind stru

es

million d

ending as his voice

side my chest, but it was more of a n

test, isn't it? A joke?

te, his movements calculated like a pred

nd the room for reasons that weren't

ined shelves crowded with expensive bottles, drinks

ou could have any woman. Hell, women probably line up

ot quite anything. "You don't need to

t, I do need to know. You're throwing life-changing cash at

s if I was pushing him. "I need a

a man such as him, one who radiated danger, po

ere are a hundred women

shrugged. "But I

Now. I rose from my seat, but no sooner

His rising was enough to make the r

deliberate, deliberate, until my lower back

ther side of me, not on m

e, Iris?" His voic

d hard. "N

't lie to me. I hate it

n afraid. I should have flung my bag over my sh

neath the cold sweat on my skin, was somet

my mouth, then above. "You

think I could? I sidestepped him, my shoul

nored it, fumbling to grasp the

nst my back. "Ten million dollars, Iris.

door open and strode into the c

didn't stop until I arrived in the dressing room, clutching th

unity. I closed my eyes, trying to push the

. Fix my knee. Give me a fresh start. M

grabbing my purse. My shift was ove

g Lura's screams behind me. I didn't ease up un

, the adrenaline had been burned of

casting long, ominous shadows. This wasn't the

he door shut behind me. I leaned against the wood ther

here. Not this apartm

e. Isabella had offered me a place to stay more time

ok off my shoes and stepped into the shower, hoping

d I scrubbed, Malcolm's word

I wasn't sure if it was fr

all I could find was a stale sandwich. I sighed and sat w

abella with

e second ring. "Hey

ght. A clashing discord fro

ped. "

kly bitter, "Iris?

How did I eve

Malc

colm?" Her voice turned icy. "What did he do?

ully into assassination mode. To my shock

at?" she

Something happened t

ing. The summoning to his o

ed, she didn'

Iris, what the

pretty much

ngled noise. "And yo

But, Isa, ten million dollars. I c

irm. "If you need money, I'll hel

"Isa, I can't take fr

n, softer, "So what

know. I just... I need

. "Alright. Think a

es

money is wor

le. We exchanged our goodnights, and I curl

I tried to tell myself this

w the

ith the devil himself. And I