Page 68 of Ravaged By a Devil

I burst through the back door of The Blackwood into the evening air, pulling my jacket tight around myself, eager to do nothing but get home, sink into my bed, and sleep for twelve hours straight.

I am so lost in my own thoughts, rubbing the stiffness in my sore neck, that I don’t even notice the footsteps closing in from the side—until a pair of rough hands grab my arms, yanking me hard against the brick exterior wall.

I jump, a sharp gasp catching in my throat as I slam back against the cold masonry.

It’s Nolan.

His face is flushed, his breath smelling faintly of cheap whiskey as he corners me, trapping me against the wall with his broad frame. "Why the hell have you been avoiding me all day, Alexis?" he snaps, his grip tightening around my forearm.

Nolan had come into the club again during my afternoon shift. But unlike the other night—when I gave him my full, sweet attention because I was wearing Cain's wire—I ignored him completely this time, handing his section off to another waitress the second he sat down.

Nolan had fumed about it the whole time, but I didn't think he'd wait outside like a creep.

"I was assigned to another section, Nolan," I say, my voice cold as ice as I try to shove his chest away. "Let go of me."

"Don't give me that bullshit!" Nolan snarls, his face twisting into pure rage. He grabs my other wrist, pinning both of my hands against the wall above my head. "I already allowed one woman to humiliate me and walk all over me, and I will not allow another!"

There is a terrifying, manic anger burning in his eyes, unhinged and wild. A cold shock of genuine fear slams into my chest as I realize he's completely snapped. I reach down toward my side, my fingers desperately searching for the handgun Cain gave me, but in my rush to end my shift, I'd left it tucked deep inside my purse.

My heart leaps into my throat.

Just then, a low, smooth voice cuts through the empty alley behind him, cold and lethal as a drawn blade—appearing like an absolute angel of darkness.

Cain.

"Release her, Nolan," he orders from the shadows, stepping slowly into the light of the alley. "This very second. Or I'll break that hand."

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

CAIN

I’m seeing red.

I’m trying to calm myself down, trying to force the pulse pounding in my ears to slow, but seeing Nolan’s hands on Alexis—watching him pin her violently against that brick wall—is pushing me past the point of no return.

After sneaking out of her apartment early this morning, right after I carried her soft, warm body to her bedroom and tucked her into bed, I swore to myself I’d stay away from her for a week. I needed to purge myself of her, to get a clear head before the docks move at the end of the month.

But an hour ago, that same dark, pathetic craving hit me like a physical withdrawal. It weakened me, distracted me from my work, until I finally caved. I told myself I’d just drive past The Blackwood, catch a quick glimpse of her, and go straight back to my desk to be useful.

That’s the only reason I’m standing in this alley right now. Just to catch a glimpse.

What if I hadn’t come? The thought slams into my chest like an iron rod. What if I’d forced myself to sit at my desk and stick it out? What the fuck would Nolan have done to her?

Nolan freezes at the sound of my voice. He slowly turns his head, his fingers still clamped around Alexis's wrists, and a deep confusion washes over his features the second his eyes land on me.

"Kavanagh?" he stammers, blinking hard as if he's seeing a ghost. "What the fuck are you doing here?" He looks between me and Alexis, his lip curling into a sneer. "What business do you have with some cheap waitress in a dingy bar?"

I take a slow step forward into the dim light of the alley, my hands shoved casually into the pockets of my dark coat, every muscle in my body coiled tight as a spring.

"Alexis is entirely my business, Devlin," I rumble, my voice dropping an octave into something cold and devoid of life. "And I'm not going to tell you again. Let her go right now, or I swear I'll break your hand off at the wrist."

Nolan stares at me, his eyes searching my face for a few long seconds before the realization finally hits him. His eyes widen in sudden, sharp shock.

"You two..." Nolan gasps, his breath catching in his throat. "You two have been working together, haven’t you?"

His mouth drops open as the pieces fall into place. "You were at that gala, weren't you? You were the tall fucking waiter my brother said he saw Alexis talking to! The one she was getting cozy with in the hall!"

I don't bother confirming it, and I don't bother denying it either. I stand completely still, my eyes locked like a laser beam on the precise spot where his fingers are still bruising Alexis's skin.