Page 147 of Gravehouse

His gaze returns to mine.

“You’re bleeding.”

“So are you.”

“Ivy—”

“Get off me.”

His jaw locks. For one second, I see Le Parrain staring down at me. The man who can order executions between snowboard runs and smile at the camera for all his fans.

Then his grip opens.

Asher lifts himself from my body and keeps one hand over the wound in my side until Luce drops beside me. Blood coats his palm, bright against the lines of his skin.

I push onto my elbows.

The room sways, forcing me to close my eyes.

He is Le Parrain.

Emeric is my father.

Asher knew.

Each fact carries a hundred memories behind it. Every time he kissed me instead of answering a question. His face above mine in bed, blue eyes holding steady while I handed him pieces of myself he already understood better than I did.

A laugh scratches at my throat, then dies there.

It isn’t a matter of if I love him. My body proved that before my mind caught up. It recognized him in every room, searched for him through every crowd, and ran toward him with the same instinct that reaches for a blade.

It’s forgiveness.

Luce slips an arm behind my back and helps me sit. “I’m going to fix you up. You can hate me later.”

Asher stays on his knees beside us.

His split lip starts bleeding again. I did that. The cut across his chest is mine too. Blood slips from his palm and drops to the floor between us.

I stare at him until his face blurs.

“Venom.”

I pull my legs beneath me and lean into Luce.

He reaches for my cheek.

I turn my head.

His hand stops inches from my skin, fingers curling toward his palm.

Around us, everyone has gone silent. I don’t even know who’s all here. Camille exists somewhere, but I don’t have the room left in my skull to care.

“I want to go home.”

CHAPTER

THIRTY-TWO