Page 118 of My Dark Prince
He pressed his lips together, stifling a laugh. “Correct.”
“You know, just yesterday, I walked the property and found it to be a little dull. I wondered if you could do me a favor.”
“He can.” Dallas nodded on behalf of her husband, without even hearing what the favor entailed. “Whatever you want, dude. We’ve got you.”
“Thank you.” Briar grinned into her vegetarian soup joumou, watching everyone’s face for signs of horror. “I hate to be a bother, but I just didn’t know where else to get a flamethrower.”
Farrow choked on a piece of bread. Zach dropped his spoon inside his poulet aux noix and patted her back.
“Howfun.” Dallas lit up, saluting Briar with her drink. “What for?”
“I’m in my goth girl era.” Briar pointed to the cliff across the lake. “The bushes over there are just sogreen.They’re really ruining the vibe.”
Romeo curved an eyebrow, interrupting the stunned silence first. “So, you want to …burnit?”
“What?” Briar looked around, feigning surprise. “Do you know of another way to turn it black fast? Plus, destroying shit is super therapeutic. Ask Oliver. He does this to his own life every few years.”
A wave of laughter washed across the table. My jaw ticked. It didn’t take a crystal ball to know where the night would go. I could leave and put an end to my misery, but I stayed, because of that slightest ruffle of the curtain. The tiny possibility that Sebastian could be watching us from above, soaking in our laughter by osmosis.
“Oh.” Dallas slapped her forehead. “I forgot the griot Hettie prepared.” She pushed her chair back, hopping to her feet. “If you need me, I’ll be in the kitchen, roasting a pig like Briar did just now.”
“In fact, I’d love a tour of your workplace.” Briar still had her focus on Rom. “I heard Dallas got to drive a tank into a pothole.”
Zach snorted into his crisp tostones. “No, she made a tank fall into a pothole. There’s a difference.”
“Anyway. I’d love to get a tour of the place. I remembered that I’m a huge firearms fan.” Briar patted her hip as if she had something hidden there. “Got my own collection to show for it.”
Romeo reached for his glass, widening the collar of his shirt with a finger. “You ownguns?”
“Plenty. I started out small, with about four 500 S&W Magnums, but then I got a little bored with them, so I managed to get my hands on a few historic military weapons and even a fully automatic machine gun.”
Bullshit.My people searched her entire shitty LA apartment up and down. She did not possess a single gun. Certainly not a machine gun. I didn’t call her out on it, of course.
I knew what I owed her.
Zach narrowed his eyes. “What the hell are you planning to do with a fully automatic machine gun?”
“I could think of one thing.” Dallas, who’d just returned, glanced between me and Briar, clearly entertained. “Three, if you count his nuts.”
“I’d love to see your gun collection, Briar.” Romeo indulged her, knowing full-well my arteries were seconds from bursting all over the table. “It would be my honor.”
“Speaking of honor …” Briar turned to Zach. “I just remembered something the other day. I once had the honor of making you a boatload of money.”
He offered her a condescending smile. “Oh?”
“I trended number one on your porn site a few years back. Ad revenue, baby.”
“Asex tape?” Frankie spritzed wine all over the table. “EvenIdidn’t do that. Dude.” She leaned across the table for a high five, her palm connecting with Briar’s. “You would’ve been the coolest boss ever.”
“In fact …” Briar puffed out her chest. “I think I’m still first in the search results under a certain kink.”
I pasted a fake smile on my face, pretending to be interested in my oxtail. Odds were, Briar had found out everything and decided to dish out my payback one excruciating moment at a time.
She wants you to lose your mind and whatever’s left of your patience,I reminded myself.She probably regained her full memory and knows you won’t confront her about it.
After all, I had to play into her hands, on the off chance she was manic and not a liar.
Great. Fucking fantastic. My life just keeps getting better and better these days.
