Page 28 of Temptation
“I-I… I don’t understand?”
“You need to run away from here, Skylar. You need to get out of Winworth before their darkness consumes every part of your soul. You need to get out of here and you need to bring those boys with you.”
“Boys?”
“The crow and the storm.” She smiled. “The Crowell family was killed by Judah. They were helping your parents escape, and in return, Judah punished them with death. Their boys escaped—we helped them escape. But Ash is back, and I never wanted to see either one of you in this godforsaken town.”
I shook my head, trying to wrap my mind around everything she was telling me. “But I don’t know what to do,” I whimpered. “I don’t know how to get out of here—how to save any of us.”
“Trust them.” She stood up. “Trust Ash and try to trust Dylan.”
“Dylan?” I frowned. “He was the one that lied the most. He almost killed me that night. Destroyed everything for me. He—”
“He is not who you think he is,” she cut me off. “He isn’t his father, and he isn’t his mother either. Sometimes a monster is just a victim that didn’t have anyone to save him. But you could. You could show him, explain to him what love is. Bring him out of this misery, of this town. But you need to trust him first. Trust them both.”
“I can’t,” I cried out. “I can’t trust them because both of them betrayed me.”
“Because they had to,” she murmured and dragged her hand over my hair. “They are lost, just like you are, but together, you could show them the way.”
“I-I don’t know how. I’m just—”
But I never got to finish my sentence. The doorknob turned, and she jumped away from me like a woman burned and stepped in front of the table.
My breath caught in my throat when Dylan stepped in, looking like a fallen angel with his light hair and dark clothes. The long-sleeved shirt he wore hugged every inch of his body, tucked inside black pants. He had his military boots on, and a smile on his face; at least until he saw her standing there.
“Aigira?” he started, looking from her to me. “What are you doing here?”
In a second, she fell to her knees and bent her body to the floor, with her arms stretched in front of her and her hands palms-down to the ground.
“Master Dylan,” came her muffled voice. “Please forgive me, but I brought Mistress Skylar new clothes. I assumed she would want to change from the dress she wore last night.”
Smart. Very fucking smart.
Dylan looked at her, then at me and back at her, then at the pile of clothes neatly folded on the table.
“Sky?” he asked worriedly. “Is that true?”
I could tell him everything she told me. I could throw her under the bus because something told me she wasn’t supposed to be here. She wasn’t supposed to talk to me without him present, but I kept my mouth shut.
“She’s not lying. I’m grateful she brought new clothes for me. I didn’t want to go out in this dress.”
He wasn’t ready to hear everything she told me, and I had a feeling if I spurred it all on him at this moment, he would burn her alive. And even if I had only one ally in this fucking hole, I would do everything in my power to keep her safe.
Even if it meant lying to him.
“Okay.” He nodded. “I’ll leave you to get dressed. I’ll be outside, so once you’re done just come out.”
“Where are we going?”
He folded his arms across his chest, those muscles I never noticed before bulging with every movement, and he caught me staring. A smile danced on his face, and a mischievous glint sparkled in his eyes. “Breakfast,” he answered. “I want to feed you and then we’re going to go home.”
“Home?”
“Our new home, Little One. Only ours.”
I sat there, mouth wide open, gaping at him. New home? Was he taking me out of Winworth?
“Get dressed.” He turned around toward the door. “I’ll be outside.”
