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“Rude much?”Soleil muttered.

“You can wet your pants for all I care,”Deni said with a sneer.“That should endear you to Trevor.”

The scathing laugh did it, and Soleil kicked the bitch’s spindly shin.

“Suck a bag of dicks!”she shouted as Deni bent and hopped on one leg.

“Nice one, Dalli. I need to remember that particular comeback.”

If she knew where he was, she’d shoot him a glare.“It’s the best I could come up with under the circumstances.”

“It’s nothorrib?—”

Deni’s palm connected with her cheek, and the Mike Tyson-worthy slap snapped Soleil’s head to the side. Her jaw immediately began to ache like a bitch, and a burning started below the surface of her skin, throbbing outward.

“I’m going to eviscerate her!”Trevor growled.

The air around them stilled, and Deni seemed to sense the threat. She frowned in confusion and shot a worried glance at her mother.

“Did you feel that?”

“Yes.”The blonde woman tossed the perfume bottle to Deni.“Put it on. Quickly. When Trevor Blane walks through that portal, I want him to be on his knees and begging.”

“I told you. I don’t need it to snarehim, Mother,”Deni snapped as she dropped into the chair beside Soleil.“Now, cast a glamour to make me appear tied.”

“So that’s their game,”he muttered.

“Who else is here, Trev?”Soleil asked him.

“Draven and Fintan.”

“Uh, about Fintan.”

“He said he’ll explain later.”Trevor’s fingers brushed Soleil’s cheek, and she wanted to lean into his hand but resisted the urge. The cooling sensation took the sting away, and the thrumming pain in her jaw eased.“I’ve left the mark for show, Dalli. If you need to, pretend it’s tender.”

“Since you’re cloaked, can’t you sidle up to that toe wart and obliterate her?”

“I could, but Damian wants more information from Councilwoman Vector first.”

“Who’s that?”

“The older blonde.”

“That’s Deni’s mother. Are you saying she’s the Authority councilperson who sent you after me?”

“That’s what I’m saying, sweetheart.”His voice inside her head was grim.“Whatever this is, it goes farther back than you.”

“I’m sorry, Trevor.”

He stroked Soleil’s cheek a second time.“I’m going to show myself. Act surprised.”

It had takenno time for Damian and his Sentinels to defuse the burn-up-on-contact element of the portal, allowing a cloaked Trevor, Fintan, and Draven access to the room.

Trev had arrived in time to hear Deni’s insulting comments to Soleil, and he’d wanted to rip her a new asshole. Until she’d struck Dalli, he’d intended to let her live. Now, she’d be lucky to.

Positioning himself by the portal, he muttered the words to uncloak himself, pretending to stumble forward as if he’d just entered. A fireworks show behind him made it look like he’d diffused the spell across the opening by crossing through.

With a faux check of the room, his gaze touched on Soleil—who acted surprisingly well, all things considered—andthensettled on Deni. His mouth dropped open in fake shock as he rounded his eyes.