Steal the Day (Thieves #2)(27)

Dev’s eyes followed mine. His arms drifted from around me, and he simply stared her way. “Wow, she’s beautiful. She is really beautiful.”

He couldn’t take his eyes off her, and I rolled mine. She was playing those games again, but I wasn’t buying it this time. I wasn’t sure if it was because I had recently taken Daniel’s blood or perhaps it wasn’t as strong the second time around, but I could control myself around her more easily this time. Dev seemed to be having some trouble. “You aren’t going to be very helpful, are you? Why don’t you go and do whatever it is you do. I think I have to take care of this on my own.”

I picked up my drink and stalked across the bar to Felicity’s table. “I said no.”

She gave me a sad smile. “Please sit and talk with me, Zoey.”

“I’ll talk with you.” Dev sank his lanky frame into the chair and stared at Felicity with his head in his hands. He looked like a twelve-year-old with a crush. It was odd to see Dev so open. “Can I get you anything? I own this place. I can get you anything you want. I own a lot of places.”

“Dev, it’s a glamour.” It was at least the angelic equivalent of a glamour.

Dev nodded, a spacey grin on his face. “Yes, she’s very glamorous. I’m glad you see that.” He looked up at me and there was suddenly a pathetic sympathy in his eyes.

I got a bad feeling about what he was going to say next. “Don’t say what you’re about to say. You’re going to feel stupid about it later, so just keep your mouth shut, babe. This really is a glamour.”

Dev wasn’t listening to anything but the magic Felicity was working. “I love her, Zoey. I know this is going to hurt you, but we have to break up. I’ve enjoyed the time we’ve spent together, but I’ve found real love now. We’re going to get married. I hope you can be happy for us. I really want us to stay friends.”

It took everything I had not to burst into laughter. He looked so sweet and earnest that I really wished I could pull my phone out to capture and replay the moment over and over again. Instead, I just nodded. “Yeah sure, Dev. I completely support your new relationship with a woman you barely talked to on the phone. Maybe I can be a bridesmaid.”

“That would be great.” He sent a swoony look back at his beloved.

Felicity had the grace to look embarrassed. “I forgot about that. I’m really sorry. I’m afraid it just comes naturally.” The light around her dimmed visibly. “That should take care of it.”

Dev shook his head as if to clear it. He looked around. “Did I just break up with you?”

I grinned. “Yes, I’m very sad about it. I’m devastated.”

“What the hell was that?” Dev’s face hardened.

“That was an intense angelic glamour. It’s a little more powerful than the stuff you can do.” Dev had a plentitude of magical power, but his control was crap. Sometimes the things he tried went haywire.

Dev’s eyes found the angel, suspicion plain there. “I was ready to do whatever she wanted. I would have left you and gone wherever she wanted me to go. I would have left you here and anything could have gotten to you. You wouldn’t have been protected. I made promises, and I would have just tossed them away to follow her around.”

“It’s all right, Dev. I knew what was going on. I didn’t take you seriously.”

“I’m really sorry.” Felicity bit her bottom lip, her eyes apologetic. “I did use my influence to get you to bring Zoey to me because this is important and time is running out. But I am sincerely sorry that you were caught in it this time. It wasn’t my intention. I can only blame the imbalance.”

“I don’t care. You can get the hell out of my club,” Dev said, nearly snarling. “This is a neutral place and that means no magic. No weapons and no manipulative magic.”

Felicity proved that angels could flush and she turned to me, tears in those seemingly innocent eyes. “Please, Zoey. I really need to talk to you.”

I shrugged. I didn’t like the way she manipulated people either. Dev took the rules of his club very seriously. The only weapons allowed in the club were safely tucked away in his office and in the armory he kept locked away in case of trouble. “You heard the man. You aren’t welcome here.”

“I’ll have a bouncer show you the door.” Dev stood, his hand coming out to grip my own as he pulled me with him.

We began to walk away. I hoped she would get the hint and haul her ass back to Heaven. Throbbing dance music beat through the air around us, but I could plainly hear Felicity over the chaos.

“Zoey, I can pay you two million dollars.”

She knew how to get a girl’s attention. Of course, I probably would have stopped for one million. Who am I kidding? I’d have stopped for way less, but I wasn’t about to tell her that. I was wondering if I could bump her up to two point five. I winced but pulled back as Dev tried to propel me forward.

“Zoey, I don’t think this is a good idea.” Dev looked back, his mouth turning down in a wary grimace as he studied the angel. “If she could trick me into breaking up with you, she could trick you, too.”

“I’m willing to risk it. You said it yourself. I should be safe here. If you’re worried, go and get Albert. I bet her glamours don’t work on him.”