Page 29 of The Devil

She stole from me and the cherry on top? Of all the Rolexes she could have stolen, she took that one.

That fucking one.

“Just say it. At least say it,” she snaps when I haven’t answered.

“Is that what you’re worried about? Cassian?”

Her gaze darts between my eyes and I think she’s starting to get it.

I tilt my head, studying her. “You and I have business between us.”

“I can get your watch back,” she blurts.

“Oh yeah?”

She nods but I can see on her face she’s lying. Or at the very least she’s not sure.

“We’ll see about that. But that’s not the business I’m talking about, sweetheart.”

She opens her mouth, confused, but when I gesture to Malcom to get going and he rises to his feet, her gaze follows him to the front of the church. He’ll make sure Father Abernathy isn’t going to be an issue. I’ve got backup if he is.

Amal takes this all in. “Let him go,” she says. “Don’t hurt him. He’s a priest.”

“And I did not know how devoted you were.”

“You don’t have to do this. You don’t have to hurt him or even be here. I’ll get your watch back. I just need a few more days.” She stands, takes a deep breath. I can see it’s to steel herself. “Then I’ll go back with you,” she says, raising her eyebrows, gesturing for me to move.

I chuckle, rise to my feet because this is fucking funny.

I rise to my full height. I tower over her. She shrinks back a little and I recall how she was scared of me that night. Well, there was no need then, but now? I don’t put her mind to rest. I take my time looking at her face instead. She’s so fucking beautiful. Does she even know it? I brush unruly locks of hair behind her ears. The instant skin makes contact with skin, she sucks in a breath. I pause to let her know I know. I take a curl and let it wrap itself around my finger. I draw it out then watch it bounce back when I release it. It’s longer than it was a few months ago and wilder than ever. Like her.

I meet her pretty eyes. I’ve always liked her eyes. She blinks, looks away, but I take her chin in my hand. So open and easy to read no matter how she tries to hide herself.

“Little Virgin, do you think you have any say in what happens next?”

She jerks her chin out of my grip. “I’ll meet you here in a week. I just need…”

I outright laugh at that which infuriates her. Good.

“I promise,” she says, squaring off, and with the balls to look me straight in the eye and say it. To outright lie to my face.

My jaw tenses as I clench my teeth. Patience, I tell myself. I need to be patient with her. She’s desperate. That’s what this is. And I have my own agenda. So, I take a deep breath in and raise my eyebrows. “You can understand that I might not be able to trust you, right?”

“Jet, you don’t understand. You can’t take me back yet.”

“Amal.” I lean close to whisper the next part in her ear. “I can do whatever the fuck I want.”

Her fingertips are on my chest and when I draw back, we both look down at her hands. I wrap mine around her wrists shifting her hands into one of mine. I slide my thumb into her palm, the beads of the rosary hard between us.

“Do you understand that?” I shift one hand to her chest, laying it over her heart, remembering the last time I did that. “In here?”

I know she remembers the last time I did this. When I asked her if she trusted me with her heart and she said she did. Another lie.

Her breathing grows ragged as she tries to pull free. I don’t let her. Of course I don’t let her.

“You can’t force her,” Father Abernathy says, his voice carrying.

Amal looks at him then back at me.