Page 23 of Deviant Reign (Knight's Ridge Empire 6)

“Right now, my mother is safe. Far, far away from scumbags like you,” I spit out, looking him up and down as if he’s nothing more than a piece of shit on my shoe.

He moves faster than I give him credit for, his fingers wrapping around my throat a beat before my back slams against the cold wall of my cell.

“Watch your fucking mouth, little girl,” he spits in my face, his nose only a hair’s width from mine.

I sneer at him, baring my teeth.

He might make others piss themselves with nothing more than a look. But I’m not everyone else.

I’ve had plenty of experience dancing with the devil, and Luis is just another power-hungry, big-headed prick who needs taking down a few pegs. Or sending directly to hell. Either works.

“Fuck you, Wolfe. I don’t answer to you.” My lip curls in disgust as his fingers tighten. He compresses my windpipe but even still, I hold his eyes, daring him to end it all right here.

I’d let it happen. My only regret would be not being able to witness the fallout when Dad and Cruz got their hands on him. Maybe even Theo too, if he doesn’t totally hate me after the other night.

“Where. Is. Your. Mother?”

“Fuck. You,” I force out.

A bang somewhere in the distance cuts off whatever his response was going to be.

“Boss, we need to move,” someone shouts from outside the room. “Now.”

Luis’s eyes continue to hold mine despite the warning from one of his minions and yet another bang, which I’m starting to think is gunfire.

An inferno ignites in my belly and a smile curls at my lips.

“Go on, Wolfe. Run along back to your pack and let the big boys take over,” I taunt, assuming what’s about to happen.

“Wolfe,” someone barks out, his voice a little more insistent this time.

He leans in, letting his whisky-laced breath wash over my face and making my stomach turn over.

“I will find her, and I will get what I want.”

“I can’t wait to see you try. I hope you’ve got your ducks in a row, Luis, because something tells me you’re going to lose a few otherwise. And ones you care about.” Using Archer as a threat when he’s been nothing but a good friend and a half-decent lay over the years makes my chest ache, but desperate times and all that. Luis won’t lose a second of sleep threatening people I care about, so why should I?

“Luis,” someone barks as a loud bang makes the floor beneath me vibrate.

“Coming.”

With one last threatening look in my direction, he bolts and disappears from the room, quickly followed by his little minions.

Luis Wolfe, you fucking dumb cunt.

You’re going to die for this stunt.