Page 184 of Dancing with the Devil

“This is exactly why you’re not good enough for her. You’re vile and murderous, and don’t deserve someone as good as her.”

“Yeah? And who does?” I challenged and she swallowed hard. “I am the only man that can give her what she wants and needs, without needing anything in return.”

She turned towards the ocean and I bit down on my teeth, annoyed by her mere presence. “Fine,” she finally said. “Let’s agree to disagree. I agree that you can give her what she needs but I disagree that she’d choose you over my dead body.”

I scoffed, shaking my head. “Let’s make amends,” she extended her hand. “For Nirah. I won’t like you, but I’ll keep it to myself. You’ll do the same.”

“I don’t need to do anything.”

“We’re doing this for Nirah so that her husband and best friend can get along,” she irritably said.

She faced me and put her hand out. “Forced acquaintances?”

With reluctance, I mentally admitted that this would be what’s best for Nirah. So I nodded.

“Perfect,” she smiled before turning around to leave. “Oh wait!” she gasped, whipping around towards me and her glass of champagne spills all over my suit jacket. “Oops,” she faked surprise. “You might want to clean that up.”

With a whip of her hair, she walked away, leaving anger radiating off of me.

I shrugged off my jacket, making my way inside. Don’t kill her. Don’t kill her.Do notkill her.

I handed my jacket to one of the workers and started looking for Nirah, but I couldn’t find her.

Not where I had last left her and not by any of the tables.

“Woah,” I said as Stephanie stumbled towards me. I caught her and she looked at me in confusion.

“Oh. It’s you—I’m sorry,” she laughed, standing up by herself. I lifted my eyes, looking over her head, still searching for Nirah. “Hey—if you’re looking for Nirah, you might want to check the dance floor,” she snickered and my head snapped down to her.

“The dance floor?”

“Yep,” she laughed.

I stepped around her, making my way to the dance floor but immediately stopped as I saw Nirah dancing with Cesar.

She had the biggest smile on her face as she danced in the most ridiculous ways with him.

In the middle of it, he shrugged his suit jacket off, spinning it in the air. The guests laughed—including her—and I watched as she grabbed his tie, pulling him towards her.

They wiggled their shoulders, going back and forth, and I sat down on the chair, watching as she had the time of her life.

The two of them turned to face Nereus and his eyes grew wide. He had been stuffing his face and didn’t expect to be put on the spot. Nirah and Cesar reeled him in, and after he joined them, so did everyone else.

I couldn’t keep my eyes off her beautiful smile. She was my wife. My forever.

Nereus had started a train, and everyone placed their hands on each other’s shoulders, dancing out the door.

After Nirah spun around her eyes landed on me. I shook my head as she ran towards me. “Nirah—no–” I got cut off as she hopped onto my lap, smashing her lips against mine. I held onto her lower back as she broke the kiss.

“I want to go dancing with the devil,” she whispered. “Come on,Diavolo. Dance with me.”

For the first time in years, my heart was beating with a better purpose.

Not just to keep me alive, but to live for someone. My heart—cold and empty—had suddenly been filled with more love than I had ever received, or ever imagined of giving.

Nirah Joy had taught me what love was. She taught me how to love. And she taught me that even someone like me was capable of being loved.

Nirah Joy was my beginning and end.