I would fuck him. Yes. Positively. More than once, if he is any good. Especially if it gets me what I came here for.
His gaze is vicious, spiteful, and arrogant.
But also hypnotic.
Callie, babe, you might have chosen the wrong guy.
Archer Crone emanates power without visibly doing so, and it’s contagious. It would be very much fitting if smoke curled around him and lightning bolts shot from the sky right now.
His eyes flicker down to my hands at my sides that hold the two knives. His eyes are cold. “Drop those,” he says quietly, his eyes back on me.
Fuck you.
But I do. The knives fall into the sand with a thunk.
He motions for me to come over.
We are not enemies. We are on the same side, right? So, let’s play.
I flicker my eyes at the guy next to him, who holds Callie in his grip. Her eyes are pleading. She is miserable.
You knew what you came here for, babe.
I shift my gaze to Archer again, tilt my chin up, and walk up to him slowly.
Archer Crone.
The legend.
The king of Deene.
The Chancellor.
Hello, babe.
But his gaze is suddenly indifferent as he motions for the guy next to him, and he yanks me by my hand and toward him, whipping me around, my back to him, a gun to my head.
“Don’t move,” he orders.
I don’t. I need to play along. But this is disappointing, because Archer’s attention is elsewhere.
I can see everyone in the circle now.
Most of the Outcasts.
The girls are still on the ground, looking up, scared, angry, some with their eyes down.
The guys stand tall and strong, three guns pointing at us.
Kai, Bo, Ty. Their eyes are on Archer, but they have nothing against an army of guns.
Archer slowly walks into the circle.
The fire is almost out, and several guys from Archer’s crew hold flashlights that shine into the circle, blinding the cornered prey. It’s darker now with the fire out. The lights in the kitchen are not nearly enough to illuminate all the faces.
“Well, well,” Archer says, taking another step toward the center. His back is to me now. If I wasn’t curious about how this will end, I would have elbowed the fucker who has his arm around my neck, choked him until he passed out, and then took his gun.
But this is interesting.