Page 91 of Dance With A Devil

This changes everything.

They still think this game belongs to them.

They don’t know it yet… But we’ve already stolen the board.

“So let me get this straight,” Wyck says, leaning forward, elbows on his knees, voice low and razor sharp. “You snuck into Atkinson’s house and caught the Elders mid-meeting… and some cloaked, faceless motherfucker crawled out of the dark and started emasculating them one by one?”

I nod once. “Yeah.”

His brow twitches, but he doesn’t smile. Doesn’t blink. Just watches me like he’s trying to piece together a puzzle he already knows the edges to.

“What made you go there in the first place?”

“I couldn’t shake the feeling.” I crack my knuckles, jaw tight. “Ever since we rolled up on your father’s place and saw the others sitting comfy in his living room, something didn’t sit right. So, I started tailing mine. Noticed a pattern, same cars, different houses. Quiet meetings. No digital trail.”

He says nothing. Just waits.

“So tonight, I followed Vaughn. Figured it was time someone found out what the fuck they’re hiding.”

I walk him through everything I saw. Every word, every twitch, every threat from the masked bastard in the shadows. Wyck listens like a predator sizing up prey.

When I finish, he finally speaks. “Athens is tangled up in this shit deeper than she realizes.”

“Yeah,” I mutter, dragging a hand down my face. “And I don’t like her walking blind into it. We need answers, fast. But she’s not gonna do well with being backed into a corner.”

“I’m not throwing her against a wall for answers,” he replies, voice calm, but there's a dangerous edge. “But someone’s gotta pry her open, gently.”

“Then let Karter try,” I offer. “Or Dash. He’s been playing the long game lately. Softening her up.”

A beat of silence.

“Yeah,” Wyck says slowly, eyes darkening. “Yeah, I’ve noticed that. I’ll plant the seed. But first…” He stands, rolling his shoulders like he’s about to break someone’s neck. “It’s time to collect.”

I grin. “Fuck yeah.”

“The Devils are about to stir the pot, and flip the fucking table.”

“Just the way I like it,” I say, already itching for a little chaos. “So what’s the move?”

“You, Dash, and Onyx grab some of the Devils and head to Baker’s Field Mill. Rally the right kind of reckless. Karter and I will hit the ones who owe us. We’ll see who still bleeds Cliffside red.”

“Copy that.” I pause, one foot already out the door. “One thing.”

“What.”

“When are you gonna push her to read the rest of the journals?”

His jaw ticks. “Monday. After tomorrow, she might come to us for answers. But whether she wants them or not…” His voice drops to a growl. “She’s gonna get them. We just make sure someone’s always there. Watching.”

I nod. “Agreed.”

He glances at me, a twisted grin finally tugging at the corner of his mouth. “Let’s get to work.”

This… this is what I fucking live for.

Plans in motion. Blades in shadows. And Devils crawling out of hell to collect what’s theirs.

It’s freezing inside Cliffside Haven. Cold like a morgue. Sterile. Hollow. The kind of chill that sinks into your bones and reminds you, this is where secrets come to die.