Treachery Prequel

Luca

In hindsight, I should have stuck to my guns and refused to let Gabriel drive me to the Inferno party.

From the moment I stepped inside the house, I was bathed in the stench of cigarette and pot smoke, the loud music pounding against my ears as Gabriel led me directly to a table set up as a bar complete with red Solo cups and bottles of every liquor imaginable.

While Gabriel went to work mixing a drink I most certainly wouldn’t consume, my asshole meter was on red alert, my eyes sca

As usual, the house was filled wall to wall, people grinding against each other with hooded eyes, the scent of sweat and a myriad of perfumes blending the cloud of smoke that hung like fog across the ceiling.

Just as Gabriel attempted to hand me the mixed drink from Hell, a squeal sounded to my right, a set of long arms wrapping around my shoulders a second later.

“You came. I didn’t think Clayton would actually convince you to show up, but here you are.”

Everly was already sloppy drunk and it was only a few minutes past seven. Her weight damn near took me to the ground, but I managed to wrap an arm around her waist and shove us both upright before we fell into a slush pile right next to the makeshift bar.

While she laughed and peppered light kisses all over my cheeks, I turned my head to see Jase hovering in the background, his lips pulling into a wide grin as he talked to Ta

As if he could feel me staring at him, Ta

How he could affect me so easily was beyond my understanding. I should hate the man for everything that had occurred between us already, yet my body tightened in his presence, heat blooming in my core that became liquid between my thighs.

This moment was the same as when I first met him at one of these ridiculous parties, a stare down developing between us that would normally leave me the loser for looking away first.

I almost gave ground. Almost turned my head to pay attention to anything beyond that icy stare and arrogant smirk, but then I remembered the deal I’d made with Gabriel and smiled instead.

First thing you learn about contract law is that an agreement is only as good as the specific terms written in ink, and the deal I’d made with Gabriel only addressed that Ta

Adding a wink to the eye war we were currently battling, I gri

A favor from Gabriel was far more valuable to me than making it through the night without a confrontation with Satan.

I looked away finally, but only because if a girl is to take on her nemesis in his domain, she needed the help of liquid courage to make the experience worthwhile.

Thankfully, Gabriel had a drink at the ready, his brows flying up his forehead in surprise when I took it from his hand and swallowed it down a few healthy gulps...and coughed. Hard. I think a piece of my stomach might have come up with the effort. It was like drinking pure gasoline.

“Whoa, hold your roll there, Luca. My drinks are meant to be slowly consumed. Not slammed.”

Humor was evident in Gabriel’s voice, matched only by Everly’s sloppy giggles next to my ear. He took the drink from my hand just long enough for my lungs to draw in a steady breath again and my eyes to uncross.

Son of a bitch...

I took it back from him, sipping this time, a grimace twisting my mouth as I swallowed down whatever the hell it was he’d poured into the cup.

The truth was I shouldn’t have been drinking at all. I was a lightweight when it came to alcohol, my high school and early college years spent studying more than partying.

When I wasn’t studying, I was fretting over my mom, worrying about her as she fought her battle against a disease that ravages and consumes. That fear had kept me from enjoying life because nobody should lose their parents before they’d barely begun to fly on their own.

No...I couldn’t think of that. Not now.

My eyes burned from the tears stinging them. I told myself it was the fumes from the jet fuel as I was sucking down, or the smoke hovering as a cloud around my head. But deep down I knew it was a ball of emotion rising up, just waiting for me to be tipsy enough that it could escape and make itself known.

I kept drinking regardless.

“Let’s go upstairs,” Everly yelled against my ear, although I wondered if she thought she was whispering. If not, then she had no qualms about destroying my eardrums with the sheer volume of her voice.

Twisting in place, I eyed Ta

Every one of our encounters had ended in threats, and I wasn’t stupid enough to believe that things would go smoothly because Gabriel had extended an invite.

There was no doubt in my head that Ta

There was also no doubt in my head that Gabriel owing me a favor would come in handy one day.

It was almost too perfect.

While I watched, Jase and Ta

It was too bad for him my toe and I had plans that wouldn’t be thwarted.

Returning my attention to Everly, I flashed my best i

“Sure, upstairs sounds fun.”

Slowly, I sipped from the mixed drink from Hell, my eyes catching Gabriel’s to find a brow arched above his eye with suspicion.

“So let me get this straight. You gave me a hard time about Ta

Shaking his head, he reached for the drink in my hand.

“Give that back. The alcohol is going straight to your head.”

Clutching the drink to my chest like my life depended on it, I gri

“It’ll be fine. He’ll leave me alone. You made a deal.”

Gabriel wasn’t a dumb guy. He could see right through what I was doing. Which was fine. The deal had already been made and addendums couldn’t be added on unless we both agreed to them.

“You’d really subject yourself to his bullshit just to have me indebted to you?”

Laughing, Gabriel grabbed an empty cup to mix up another drink. “I thought better of you, Luca.”

My smile widened. Two could play dirty, and I wasn’t against rolling in the muck, if it meant it gave me a leg up. I already knew how I would turn this in my favor. Ta

Problem solved.

“It was your stupid mistake to take the deal. Just keep the drinks coming. I’ll be upstairs where you can deliver them to me.”

Taking a sip from his cup, he stared at me from over the rim.