Page 6 of Dangerous Men

I couldn’t give a shit about the drugs in my city. I know for a fact Tony runs harder stuff than liquor out of this miserable place, and as long as I get my cut, I keep out of his business.

But drugging a woman? That’s not business—it’s pathetic. And those two may as well have signed their death warrants for attempting it. Not in my city. Not in my clubs. Not ever.

I’m close enough to see them when she suddenly stands, and before I can shout out a warning, she turns to leave.

Good, I think.Get the fuck away from him. Now.

But then he grabs her. His hand clamps around her wrist,yanking her back. If I were closer, I wouldn’t hesitate—I would have already broken his hand, or maybe worse. Hell, I wouldn’t even think twice about putting my gun to his temple and blowing his brains out right in the middle of this club, fuck the consequences.

A lesson clearly needed.

But I’m not close enough. Not yet.

Instead, her voice cuts through the music—sharp, furious, shaking with rage—and then she does something I don’t expect. She throws not one, but two drinks directly into his face.

It stops me in my tracks, a shocked laugh breaking free before I can catch it.

Who is this woman?

That fire, that fight—I wasn’t expecting it.

Reading people is something I’m good at. Fuck, it’s something I’mgreatat. Of the four of us, only Sebastian is better at understanding people and anticipating what they’ll do next.

It’s always been a point of pride with me that I’m ten steps ahead of everyone. But this woman—this little seductress—she’s a surprise. Something wild. Something unexpected.

I’m standing there, still grinning in shock, when they come barreling through the crowd toward me. For a fraction of a second, her body collides with mine, and her curves press against me in a fleeting, electrifying moment...

And then she’s gone, she and her friend vanishing into the crowd, racing toward the back door.

Tony’s two peons are now hysterically shouting for the waitstaff to call 911, claiming assault. With one last glance at the emergency exit as it closes, I shove my way toward them and their whining.

When I reach them, my gaze drops to the table, and my stomach sinks.

Next to the two drinks she threw, her glass is empty. Shedrank it. The whole damn thing, including whatever this bastard slipped inside.

I wasn’t fast enough.

Drawn by the commotion, Tony and the bouncer covering the front door appear in the crowd, looking pissed as they make their way over to us.

I intercept them first, my voice low and hard as I speak to the bouncer. “Take those two to the back, away from the crowd,” I say, jerking my chin toward Tony’s men. “Hold them there until I say otherwise.”

At the very least, I want those two fired. But a much darker part of me wants to send them straight to Viper. He has a special talent for keeping guests alive and screaming for days before he finally lets death have them.

The bouncer glances at Tony, who nods quickly. “Do what he says.”

Knowing Tony will hold them until I get back, I leave them there, ignoring the increasingly frantic arguing from Tony’s peons as they’re escorted away. I follow the path the two women took through the crowd, the image of that empty glass stuck in my mind.

They couldn’t have gone far, I think, as I shove the back door open and step into the night.

Only to be greeted by an empty alley.

Shit. No sign of them.

I stand there, scanning the darkness for any trace of them, frustration building under my skin. Why am I doing this? I don’t know this woman. I owe her nothing, and God knows I’m not the hero in this story. She’s probably fine. She’s with her friend, right? She probably threw the drink in his face with the others; she probably didn’t even drink it.

But what if she did?

Fuck.