Page 38 of Grave Devil
Her eyes water. “I get it. I mean, that’s how Sky makes me feel. Like I shouldn’t want her, but I do. Fucking hell, Mia. You need to tell the guys how you feel. They will understand. But more secrets will drive you farther apart. Especially this one.”
I clench my fists, annoyed with myself. “It’s not that I want the Skelker. It’s more like a drug. Icravehis touch. Like, my mind isn’t my own. I think the devil has me under some kind of trance or something.” I get goosebumps just thinking about the last time the Skelker made me cum.It shattered me.
“Well, Draven is right then. You need to draw him out into the open. Get him out of your head. Then you can see for sure if what you feel is real or just an illusion meant to trap you.” Lettieswaps her empty glass for a fourth margarita from an overly cautious Duff. She practically has to rip it out of his iron grip.
“I’m scared to find out. What if it’s not a trick? What if I really am the devil’s whore?” Duff is a little more forthcoming with my drink. I suppose he fears Bones the most and figures he’s going to be way more protective of his little sister than his girlfriend.
She almost chokes on hers, spitting some back up into her glass. “Mia, you arenota whore. I hate that word anyway. It suggests something negative or shameful about wanting to fuck whomever you please. And there isn’t.”
I’m not gonna lie, that word does turn me on at certain times. But she’s right. I am feeling ashamed of how the Skelker makes me feel when I shouldn’t. Because he’s doing this to me against my will. I don’t have a choice when he comes for me. But can anyone blame me when I submit?
Sssssss… submit.
I jolt and knock my drink over. Pineapple slush spills across the table. Lettie shrieks and grabs a wad of napkins as the stream heads straight for the edge closest to her, aiming for her lap.
“Fuck. Sorry, Lettie.” I throw my stack of napkins down as well, frantically trying to mop up my mess.
Whore. Yes, you like being called that.
A stabbing pain pierces the back of my skull. I mewl through it, taking slow deliberate breaths until it subsides.
Lettie rests her hand on mine. “Mia? Is he in your head right now?”
I nod. “It comes out of nowhere. And then it’s all I can do to get him to shut the fuck up.” I say the last part a little too loudly.
Duff stomps over. “What did I tell you?”
I glare up at him. “Seriously? I’m not that drunk, Duff. Can you please bring me another stack of napkins and four shots of tequila? I’ll tip you double.”
Lettie slips him a hundred-dollar bill. “For the mess. We’re having a rough night, Duff. Please,” she pleads.
He lets out another disgruntled sigh, but caves. “I should’ve left this town years ago. Fuck. I’ll be right back with tomorrow’s hangovers.”
Tomorrow is tomorrow’s problem.
Right now, I have to drown out the noise. I need to numb myself. Unfortunately, tequila doesn’t work as well as the poison does. “You wouldn’t happen to have any nightshade or baneberry on you by chance?”
She shakes her head. “I don’t touch the stuff anymore.” Her gaze flicks to the door. “Fuck. And that’s the reason why.” She slumps back against the booth and folds her arms over her chest. Her eyes harden on the gorgeous blonde girl strutting through the bar.
“Is that Sky?” I ask, knowing it must be.
“In the flesh,” Lettie grumbles. “She must’ve seen my car outside. She won’t leave until I go talk to her. She’s relentless like that.”
Duff careens back over with our tequila shots. I take two and hand the other two to Lettie. “Bottoms up, then. Liquid courage and all that shit.” We clank our glasses together in salute.
I lick a sprinkle of salt off my hand, down both shots, then pucker my lips around a wedge of lime and suck. My lips pucker as the tangy citrus shrivels the lining of my cheeks.
Lettie doesn’t flinch once while drinking hers. “Want me to call you a car service? I’m going to leave mine here and hitch a ride home later. I need to find out what Sky wants first.”
I giggle, my buzz turning into full-blown drunkenness. “I think we both know what she wants, my friend. And no, I’m fine. I’m gonna walk home. I could use some fresh air.” A year ago, with Draven, Aries, and Bones as my enemies, I never wouldhave walked home by myself. But now, the scariest thing in Ever Graves lives inmyhead. Wherever I am, so is the danger.
We motion for the check and scramble to wrench it away from the other. Lettie succeeds, slapping her heavy black card into Duff’s palm before I can whip out my cash.
She winks. “Bones would kill me if I ever let you pay.”
“Lettie! I have money too, you know. Let me treat you sometimes, please.” I lick the rim of my shot glass and debate getting one more for the road.
“Never. You’re familia. Which means, technically, my papa is the one paying.” She giggles as she signs the credit card receipt. Anyone else would’ve sounded like a spoiled asshole, but Lettie is the sweetest girl on the planet. She’s a fucking saint. Admitting that her father pays all her credit card bills just makes her even more endearing. She’s Edgar Crane’s only daughter, so, of course, she’s going to be his little princess.
