Page 44 of Wicked Titan

Slowly pushing the door open, I move to the big oak desk, pulling the drawer open. I want to read the details, find out what was on the other pages of the contract, but there’s a folder missing, the one labeled C.S., the one that has the answers I need to find out what happened to my dad. And it’s nowhere in sight.

He knows. My eyes dart around the room, I’ve checked the house a million times for cameras. There are more than enough on the outside of the property, but none on the inside. He hadn’t bought my act; he’d known I was snooping. Why doesn’t he want me to read the contracts? And why was my dad’s signature on those but my phony signature on the ones Detective Davis had shown me? There’s something he’s hiding.

Quickly, I push the drawer in, returning the chair and everything else to their original positions before quickly leaving the office. If he hid that file, there’s no hope of finding anything else. He would conceal everything. My only hope to learning the truth is gone. I’m back to having nothing, once again.

34

I already thought this house was massive, but it’s absolutely colossal when you’re in it alone. I made sure every window and door were locked, even set the alarm system before I went to shower. Night has barely fallen, and I’m already bored out of my mind.

I look at my phone. Am I considering going to that random party Elliot invited me to? I drop my phone on the couch, pulling the blanket up to my chin as I focus back on the movie. Nothing good could come out of going to the party. Victoria probably isn’t there, and she’s the only person I’d consider hanging out with.

I focus on the oversize television, my eyes feel heavy as I drift off to sleep.

It feels like minutes later, but it’s been a few hours. The movie is over, and another has started playing. I pick up my phone as a few messages chime.

Victoria: Don’t tell him

Victoria: Please

A loud rapping sounds on the front door as my phone flies from my hand. It doesn’t take me but a few seconds to take a guess at who it is after the unexpected messages from Victoria.

Slowly, I press my hands against the smooth wood door as I look through the peephole. Yep. Asher stands on the other side, angry and pouting as always.

“Open the door,” he yells as I jump back.

Shaking my head, I know he’s not leaving until I open the door and part of me doesn’t want him to leave. Dashing to the wall, I punch in the alarm code before returning to the door, pulling it open as I take in the sight of Asher leaning against the door frame.

“About time.” He pushes off, walking into the house as I close the door behind him.

“Hi to you too. Thanks for using the front door this time.”

He swiftly turns back to me, his heated glare would have been enough to press me up against the door even if his strong hands hadn’t already found my waist. “Tell me what happened.”

“What are you—” My words fade as he leans forward, a dark look in his eye.

“Don’t lie to me.” His voice is low, floating through the air as he lifts his hand to my face, skimming his thumb along my jaw.

“Ask your girlfriend.”

“Jealous, Weakling?” A seductive smile spreads across his lips.

“No.”

“More lies,” he tsk-tsks.

I shouldn’t push. Especially right now when I see the menacing look is in his eye, but the more he pulls—and everything about him is pulling me in—the more I want to push. “It’s not fun being in the dark, is it?”

“The dark doesn’t scare me. Being trapped, confined, imprisoned, stripped of my will … that terrifies me.”

A shiver goes through my body as I feel the pain in his words, like he’s already experienced his worst fears. My fingers unconsciously grasp his shirt, clutching as I suddenly want to erase his pain.

“Asher,” I whisper, wanting to ask what he’s referring to. I’m fearful he might tell me and terrified he might not because I want him to confide in me, reveal his pain instead of yanking mine out.

“Tell me what happened.” His commanding tone snaps me out of my delusional thinking, but my fingers remain clinging to his shirt.

I won’t betray Victoria’s trust. “I was in a hurry and crashed into Allison. She wasn’t happy about it. That’s it.”

“I don’t believe you.”