Page 154 of Malice and Surrender
“What? Why are you staring at me like that,” Avro asked.
“I’m just realizing for the first time what a chess player you are.” His eyes darted away from mine, but I saw the truth before he looked away. “You manipulate Jace. Are you manipulating me too?”
“Whoa, manipulation is a strong word. I simply know what he likes and needs and mold myself, not because I have to, but because I like to.”
“And you’re doing the same with me and Kai?”
He lifted a shoulder and let it drop. “Again, I’m in love with you. If the only way to have you is with Kai, then I work within the parameters given to make things happen.”
I wasn’t sure what to make of that and then froze, my mouth falling open. “You really did ignore Jace’s calls on purpose, didn’t you?”
He laughed as he started the car. “Yeah, I definitely did that. I wanted him to turn around, and trust me, there is one thing that will always override his fears, and that is if he feels he needs to protect.”
I couldn’t help but laugh, it was wrong, yet I laughed. “And here I thought you were the nice one.”
“Pfft, I am the nice one. Could you imagine those two lunatics left alone in a room together?”
“So me going with Jace to the concerts for three days? Let me guess. This is to solidify his feelings for me.” Avro’s eyes glittered with mischief. “Okay, you’re a devil,” I teased, but I felt like I’d just gained an ally as we pulled out onto the main street.
“Kai, I’m here.” I knocked on the door again, louder this time. The sun was just starting to set, making it hard to see into the home, but I covered my eyes and peered through the small triangle piece of glass and didn’t see or hear any movement. “Kai?”
“Are you looking for Snake?”
Screaming, I whipped around and then screamed again as I jumped back and slammed into the door. My gaze flicked up and down the man dressed up like a bush. He reminded me of those army guys in movies that would lay out in the open, and you’d never see them cause they dressed like a tumbleweed or a scraggly bush. His face was painted the same but with stripes, and he held what might actually be a sniper rifle in his hands.
“You’re Raine, right? You’re looking for Snake?”
I licked my lips. “Yeah, I am. Who are you?”
“I can’t tell you that,” he said.
“Oh…okay. Is it like you’d have to kill me sort of thing,” I asked teasingly.
“Yes.”
My face fell. I looked around for any sign of any other person, but no one was even walking along the sidewalk.
“You’re a girl,” he said before I could excuse myself and get the hell out of there.
“Last I checked.”
He narrowed his eyes as he shifted his weight like he was intrigued. “Do you have to check often? Is this normal? Is it possible to wake up not being a girl?”
What the fuck? “Um, no. It’s just a saying. It means yes, I am.”
“Then why not just say, yes, I am?”
“Why are there sayings if we’re not going to use them,” I asked.
“Huh. That is a good point. Tell me, what is your favorite position to be fucked,” Bush man asked.
I cleared my throat after I picked my jaw up off the porch. Did he really just ask me that? “I’m not sure.”
He pulled a small book out of somewhere inside the bush garb and flipped open to a blank page. “Why don’t you know?”
“I think I should go,” I said and stepped to the side to try and get around the man, but he stepped in my way.
“Snake always answers my questions,” he said. His voice didn’t change, but there was a daring edge to the statement. Like if I walked away, I wasn’t as good as Kai.
