Page 52 of Lost to Thievery
Raina turned her attention to me, a sickening smile on her face. “Oh, I’ve been part of the band plenty of times. We’ve learned a lot together. Like, you know that thing he does with his fingers while he’s fucking you with his tongue?” She demonstrated it.
My breathing stammered and my mouth filled with saliva. I swallowed hard at the vomit trying to make its way up my throat.
She laughed at my reaction. “Yes, you do know it, don’t you?Itaught him that.”
No more. No more.
I stood from the table and forced my body towards the door.
Raina chuckled. “Oh, come now, honey! You wanted proof.” She shrugged nonchalantly.
I closed the door behind me and fell apart.
Liam was there to catch me before my knees hit the dirty ground. He held me up while I tried to force it all out of my head.
“She’s fucking with you, Ava. She’s lying. You need to stay focused,” he whispered to me in a soothing voice. “You’re stronger than this. Get it together.”
“I hate him,” I whispered back, through the tears. “I hate that fucking son of a bitch so much.” I looked up at Liam. “I wanna see him burn in hell, Liam. I’m gonna drag him down to the hottest pool of hell by his stupidlyperfecthair and throw him in myself.”
“That’s the spirit,” Liam answered lowly. “Now fix your face and get your head back in the game. We still need you in there.”
I nodded, breathing deeply. He was right. Fuck Raina and fuck Grayson. I locked my shaky knees and stepped out of Liam’s hold, straightening my clothes. He wiped the mascara runs frommy face and nodded. “That’s it. Now get back in there and rip that bitch apart.”
I stood before the closed door and steeled myself, then nodded at Liam to open it. He pushed the door open. Raina had turned and was ready to spew some insult my way, but her mouth popped shut when she saw Liam instead, giving her a death glare that would have rattled my bones. I moved past him, giving him a thankful nod. He could be an obnoxious goofball most days, but he was fiercely protective of his friends. And he seemed to have appointed himself as my guard dog ever since we met. Raina turned back to Owen, shifting uncomfortably. I leaned against the door, deciding not to interrupt Owen while he was on a roll. Owen gave me a quick glance before grinding Raina again. He was relentless, just like he was with me. I knew how it felt sitting on the other side of that table. But Raina was clearly stronger than me. And the difference was her unshakable believe that Grayson cared for her. He probably did. He and I never made sense. But they do.
Pain shot through my chest. Seeing Raina, it had become glaringly obvious. I had been no more than a pawn. I had no doubts about that now. Hadn’t Grayson told me so himself? He lovedRaina. How could he not? She was stunning, cunning and a master thief, just like him. She checked all the boxes.
I closed my eyes and breathed slowly, trying to shake the images of them together. Of Grayson smiling down at her, touching her softly.
No. Focus! You can spiral out later.
Having been on this side of the table meant I knew precisely where to hit. I had to make her question Grayson’s feelings. And Doctor Aspen had already showed me exactly how to do it. If Raina’s belief shattered, so would her loyalty.
Owen was clearly being the bad cop. And if the TV shows were any indication, I had to be nice to her, which was a hard pill to swallow, considering I was ready to claw her eyes out.
“Don’t be stupid, Raina!” Owen exclaimed in frustration.
Raina only glared at him. Nothing he could say would make her talk.
“She’s not stupid, Owen. She’s in love,” I declared, shoving off the door and making my way around the table. “I know the look. Gods, I saw that exact look every time I passed a reflective fucking object.”
Raina laughed coldly. “Back for more? Oh, and you have a little mascara on your cheek there.” She pointed to me with a smug grin.
I held her gaze. “Jealousy is not a good look on you, Raina.”
She snorted. “You think I’m jealous of you?”
“I know you are. You’re in love with Grayson and he’d been fucking me. I know you’re jealous of me, because I’m jealous of you. We’re in the exact same boat. The only difference between me and you, is I know the boat is full of fucking holes. I know that while you and I are measuring dicks, Grayson’s dick is probably in someone else right now. The difference between me and you, is I’ve had two weeks in a mental institution and vigorous therapy to snap me the fuck out of it.”
“You should go back because you’refucking delusional,” she sneered. “He could never love you. He lovesme.”
I barked a laugh. “That’s the exact words I screamed at my therapist’s face.He loves me.You wanna know what she said to me?If he loves you that much, where is he?” I leaned forward. “So tell me, Raina. Where is he? He’s probably the best thief of this century because he can get in and out of any place he wants, and no one can stop him. If you’re the one, why is he leaving you to rot in here?”
Raina stilled.
Yep. That would do the trick. “Face it, Raina. Grayson doesn’tlove. He’s incapable of such a thing. He uses. That’s all. He used me, and he. Used. You.”
She shook her head, turning from me in dismissal. But she was quiet. I was getting to her.
