Page 37 of Merciless

I open the door and swing out my feet. “I need something here. You don’t have to wait for me. Thanks for the ride.”

“I drove you out here, so I’m taking you back.” He turns off the car, slips out of the seat, and rounds the vehicle.

Butterflies dance in my stomach again as his hand engulfs mine. Elijah smiles, and it’s completely different from the cocky looks he’s tossed my way, or even the tight, cruel looks he used to give me.

“Thanks,” I mumble, and jerk my hand out of his hold.

He dips his chin in a barely there nod and gestures for me to walk ahead of him. I dart past him.

Why am I reacting like this?

He’s my stepbrother, for God’s sake, not some chivalrous young man.

I gulp in a deep breath as soon as I’m out of his orbit and inside the building. He stalks behind me, though. His gaze burns the back of my head.

“Why did you want to come here?” he says. “Were you that desperate for a date with me, birdie?”

“This isn’t a date,” I mumble.

His chuckle follows me, sending more heat through me that’s every bit wrong.

I make a beeline for the token machine. Digging in my pocket for change, I ignore Elijah’s amused stare as he stands beside me. My fingers brush against cloth, a string, and nothing.

Shit. I forgot to grab money before I left. Closing my eyes, I sigh.

I wasn’t heading here to begin with. I needed to walk to clear my head before going to class. A class that I have officially skipped with Elijah.

“Need some help?” Elijah croons.

I drop my arm by my side and take a deep breath through my nose. “No. We can leave.”

“Allow me.” He nudges me out of the way, grabs a ten-dollar bill from his wallet, and slips it into the machine. It spits out tokens at the bottom, and I awkwardly gather them before leaving his side and striding to the claw game.

The purple bat plushie sits in the corner where I left it, still waiting for me to win it and take it back to my dorm. Thank god no one won it since the last time I was here.

Elijah stops as I feed a token to the machine. He looms by my side, watching as I work the claw closer to the plushie. His silence says he’s annoyed that I wanted to come here. Maybe I’m reading him wrong.

I tap the button to descend the claw. It creaks as it lowers to the plushie. I hold my breath and grin when the claws clutch the corner and don’t let go.

“Oh my god,” I breathe. “I’ve been dying to get this little bat, and it’s finally happening.”

The claw rises to the top, bringing the plushie with it. It jerks as it stops, and the bat falls into the pile of other prizes.

My stomach sours. I lean back on my heels, glaring at the plushie.

“You’ll burn a hole in the side of my face the longer you stare,” I say to Elijah. I feed the machine another token.

“I’m trying to understand why you want this doll so badly. Why is it so important to you?”

“Because I like it.”

The claw descends, taking its sweet time. Holding my breath, I watch as it inches closer, then misses the bat by an inch and rises to the top.

I sigh and close my eyes.

“Do you want it?” Elijah murmurs.

I nod.