Page 69 of Gravehouse

I snicker, lifting a brow. “Amusing that you think I might.”

Even his jaw looks harder, like he spent the whole year grinding his teeth while thinking up new ways to kill me.

But there’s a flicker behind the scowl he wears every time I walk into a room. He hasn’t managed to bury it beneath all that hatred. Yet.

I’m guessing it’s the very thing keeping me alive.

He leans in, until his mouth is at my ear. “Might? Bet if I touched you right here.” His hips arch into me. “You’d be wet enough to change it into a would.”

He steps back. “Are you done with the lies?”

“What lies?” I answer, annoyed at the betrayal of my voice.

“Yeah. What I thought.” He turns, gesturing out the door. “You can come back when you’re done hiding shit.”

“What about your lies, Asher?” I snap, the fresh news about Parker sitting right at the edge of my brain.

Only, I can’t betray Elea. She didn’t have to give me what she did and I don’t want to punish her by being a snitch.

He shrugs, unfazed. “I never lied to you, Ivy. I remember specifically trying to tell you something right before you pulled that trigger.”

“What happened to you?” I whisper again, but as the words leave my mouth I already know the answer.

Me. The answer is me.

Betrayal fills his face, and for the first time, he lets me see it.

How am I supposed to win back his trust if he’s only ever going to see the girl who killed him?

He kicks away from the desk and crawls closer, winding my hair around his finger. “I hope you’re wearing your best mask, Venom—” he lowers his voice until the air around us thins. “—Because you’re gonna need it.”

He lets the strand of hair fall, turning his back to me. “Get out.”

CHAPTER

FOURTEEN

ASHER

I’ve barely hitthe first few steps when I hear Mother’s voice.

“Asher.” She steps from the alcove beneath the stairs, arms crossed tight over her chest.

Here we fucking go. I’ve faced down avalanches that scared me less.

I halt mid-step, hand gripping the banister. “Late for you to be wandering around, isn’t it?”

She doesn’t smile.

I imagine she’s more pissed than even I give her credit for, but that’s on her. No one told her to come. In fact, we purposely tried to keep her away. Away from it all. But mainly away from Ivanya.

“You and I both know I do my best work late at night.” She notices the tension in my shoulders, and her eyes soften a little. “Ivanya. What are you doing with her?”

Straight to the jugular.

I lean against the rail to buy a second. Every word is analyzed by her. You don’t say a single fucking thing unless you want it to be known for exactly what it is.

The wood creaks under my weight. “What makes you think I’m doing anything?”