Page 60 of Depraved Devotion

I hold the penny up, letting the light catch it for just a moment before I slip it into my pocket. “People underestimate the little things, Junior. The ones they think don’t matter. But they can change everything.”

His brow furrows, but I don’t give him time to respond. I step away, turning toward the other side of the yard with a casual wave of my hand.

“Watch your back,” I call over my shoulder. “And don’t drop the soap.”

CHAPTER 27

GHOST

I repress a laugh as I walk away from Junior.

Manipulating him was too easy. The lack of challenge would be off-putting if I didn’t need him. That young man is a clusterfuck of anxiety and psychosis, wrapped in paranoia. Basically, he’s an explosive waiting to detonate… and I’ve lit the fuse.

With a smile, I head toward the bleachers and shove my hands in my pockets. My fingers brush the penny, the cool metal a reminder of the tasks ahead of me. All of them leading to having Geneva in my grasp.

Heavy footsteps reach me, the grass underneath his boots failing to muffle his gait entirely. I stop, but I don’t turn around to confront the man following me. Not only is my behavior dismissive, but it shows that I don’t consider him enough of a threat to face him.

“What do you want, Skinner?”

Frank “Skinner” Burns stops walking, his voice dripping with mockery that’s as oily as his hair. “I wanted to meet the famous Ghost.”

“If by ‘meet me,’ you mean you want to put your dick in my ass, you can forget it.” I look at him over my shoulder with my brows raised. “Exit only, bro.”

His face contorts, his eyes turning black with malice. Although he leans toward me, he won’t attack. I haven’t pissed him off enough. And he hasn’t finished delivering his message.

Even so, he’s afraid of me.

I would be too. I’m fucking crazy. Not to mention, my intelligence supersedes his. It’s embarrassing, really.

“Shut the fuck up,” Skinner says.

“Really? That’s the best you can come up with?” I roll my eyes and turn to face him. “You’re a rapist, a man used to taking what he wants. Are you pissed because you’re the one who’s getting fucked without consent now? That’s pretty hypocritical.”

Skinner clenches his fists and the veins in his neck throb, rapidly pulsing against the skin.

Hmm… looks like I struck a nerve.

I quickly run my gaze over him, taking in every detail, every nuance of his body language. The ink on his forearm snatches my attention, giving me the most insight into my opponent. The tattoo is a vine that coils around his arm, with thorns that “pierce” the skin, drawing blood.

Interesting.

“I don’t need consent,” he says. “They all give it to me willingly.”

“Sure, Skinner. Sell your bullshit to someone else 'cause I’m not buying it.” I turn to walk away but stop at his next words.

“She’ll be the next one begging me to fuck her.”

My entire body tenses with rage. It’s as though every inch of my skin is stretching, building with the need to act, to annihilate thismotherfucker. The very idea of Skinner touching Geneva fills me with such disgust that I can barely fucking talk.

“Don’t.” The word comes out quiet, but it’s full of warning.

“I heard you were Dr. Andrews’s new assignment. I know she’s been spending a lot of time here, seeing you.” Skinner gives me a sly smile. “Maybe I’llseeher too.”

I draw in a deep breath, battling my wrath as it washes over me, burning me from the inside. I weigh the pros and cons of ending his life right now. Unfortunately, his death could prevent me from seeing Geneva the next time she visits. While I might not be able to attack him, that doesn’t mean I can’t destroy him right now.

And murder him later.

“Did she mention me in any of your sessions?” Skinner asks. “We have history, you know.”