Nightfall (Devil's Night #4) - Penelope Douglas Page 0,34

his tattoo.

“Finish me up,” he said. “It’s going to be a night.”

Will

Nine Years Ago

I should’ve touched her.

I took a drag off the cigarette and dumped Damon’s lighter back into the cup holder, blowing smoke out the driver’s side window.

But no. She wouldn’t have wanted me to.

I rubbed my temple and closed my eyes. She was killing me. Had been killing me for years.

Real monsters don’t wear masks, William Grayson III. A smile pulled at my lips. She was unpredictable, though, wasn’t she? I couldn’t stop thinking about last night and the lock-in.

I took another drag and blew out the smoke as I squeezed the steering wheel under my fist.

“Is this pissing you off?” Michael asked next to me, and I could hear the humor in his voice as he relaxed his ass in the passenger side seat of my truck.

I looked over, seeing him stare at my white-knuckled fist wrapped around my steering wheel.

“Nothing pisses me off,” I mumbled, seeing his head tilted back and his eyes hooded. “Except when I drive, it’s Damon and me up front,” I pointed out. “On the rare occasion you let me drive for the night.”

“The only reason you’re driving is so we can cart the keg to the church,” he told me. “If you didn’t have a truck—”

“Then I might be useless?” I finished for him.

He laughed.

But he didn’t argue, did he?

“That three-pointer from the wing sure wasn’t useless,” Kai joked from the back.

I shot him a look in my rearview mirror, but his face was buried in some booklet.

I shook my head and turned my eyes out the window. I had my talents. At least I was on for the game last night.

“About fucking time,” Michael grumbled.

I blew out a puff of smoke and followed his gaze, seeing Damon finally jog out of the cathedral and across the street.

Switching the cigarette to my left hand, I started the engine again.

“Get out.” Damon opened up the passenger side door and jerked his thumb at Michael. “Now.”

But Michael just sat there, looking amused.

Damon cocked an eyebrow. “I will put you in my lap if you want,” he told him, “but I’m sitting there.”

I laughed under my breath. Michael knew the rules. When he drove, which was almost always, Kai rode shotgun. When I drove, Damon and I were the ones in charge.

After twiddling his thumbs for a moment, Michael finally gave in. He hopped out of the truck, both of them trying to stare each other down like it was a pissing contest.

“I was almost hoping you’d put up more of a fight,” Damon taunted.

Michael teased back. “Make ya hard, do I?”

Damon smiled and climbed in, while Michael circled the truck and got in behind me.

“What took you so long?” I griped, shifting the truck into gear. “What the hell do you do in there so long?”

“He’s in there every Wednesday night,” Kai pointed out. “They got some meeting of the over-eighteen female chastity club or something?”

“Come on,” Damon whined. “That’s way too easy for me. They don’t have to be eighteen.”

“Or female,” Kai added.

I snorted as Damon whipped around and threw a playful punch at Kai. “Bastard.”

Kai just laughed, trying to shield himself.

I shook my head, pulling away from the curb and steering back onto the street.

But then Damon shouted at me. “Wait, wait, stop.”

I slammed on my brakes, seeing Griffin Ashby, the town’s mayor, dart in front of my truck.

Shit. That was close.

He looked over at us, dressed in his gray suit and yellow shirt and tie, narrowing his eyes on Damon as he crossed the street. Damon stared back, but when Ashby’s gaze twisted into a scowl, Damon stuck up his middle finger, taunting him.

Ashby looked away, stepping up onto the sidewalk and disappearing into the White Crow Tavern.

I hit the gas, taking off down the street. “What is it with you and him?”

Damon sighed, taking a cigarette out of his pack and sticking it between his lips. “I ruined his daughter.”

“Arion?” Michael asked. “Thought you said she had the brain power of a Pringle.”

“Not that one,” Damon mumbled, lighting his cigarette.

Ashby’s other daughter had to be only fourteen or so. I’d never seen her and Damon together.

But his gaze was turned out the open window now as he smoked, and if I knew anything about Damon, it was that if he was vague, it was on purpose.

Heading up into the hills, I drove down the darkened highway, the sun having set an hour ago and the sky nearly black now.

Kai