Page 71 of Stone Cold Touch

“By the way, Zayne...” The coldness in Roth’s voice sent a chill down my spine. “That is the only time you’ll get to lay a hand on me and then walk away from it.”

Zayne and I didn’t speak most of the ride back to the house. Anytime I glanced at him, he appeared to be wearing down his molars. I knew he was angry, so angry that he was beyond the point of speech.

Guilt soured in my stomach like curdled milk, which led to a hefty dose of confusion. Zayne had asked me not to run off with Roth, and I hadn’t—not really. My stomach turned over heavily, because my rationale sucked, and I knew it was more than that.

The anger Zayne was throwing off in waves was coming from a different place—the place that had been created in my bed late Saturday night. I couldn’t fool myself into believing something different. As I’d known the moment he’d touched me, everything had changed between us and his current mood was a product of that change.

But I hadn’t done anything wrong. In reality, I’d done something pretty awesome. I’d killed a Nightcrawler, proving that I was useful for more than just my now-nonexistent ability.

As we pulled onto the private road, I couldn’t take the silence any longer. “I was going to tell you about going down to the old gymnasium with Roth.”

The muscle in his jaw spasmed. “Were you?”

His question stung hotly. “Yes. I was planning on calling you as soon as I got out of the gym, but I got sick from the stupid scratch.”

“That stupid scratch could’ve seriously injured you or worse, Layla.”

“But it didn’t,” I pointed out gently. “Roth beat me to calling you, but I was going to.”

“Roth.” He hissed the name.

A heartbeat passed. “And there’s more I need to tell you. I think we got a lead on the Lilin, but it’s from...a very unconventional source.”

His fingers tapped the steering wheel. “I’m half-afraid to ask.”

“It’s something you can’t tell the others. I know that doesn’t sound good, but I trust you. You’re not crazy judgmental and you won’t—”

“Okay,” Zayne sighed. “Got it.”

Because I did trust him, I told him about Gerald, his coven, and the other coven of witches in Bethesda. He wasn’t exactly thrilled with the no-Wardens rule. “Layla, I don’t want you going.”

“Someone has to,” I said.

“Lethimdo it.”

“There is no way I trust Roth to go into any situation and not piss people off so bad that we don’t get any information.”

He was quiet as we circled the house, heading for the garage. “Do you know how hard it is for me to entertain the idea of you going off with him?”

Chewing on my lower lip, I didn’t say anything to that.

“I know he was goading me today and I took the bait.”

Well, I totally agreed with that. For whatever reason, Roth had wanted to get under Zayne’s skin and he had excelled at doing so.

“But he allowed you to get hurt in the process,” he continued as he eased the Impala into the garage, parking it near the fleet of SUVs. When he killed the engine, he turned to me. The conversation was back tohimonce more. “And you smell like him now. So, I want to hit him again.”

“You can’t hit him again.”

His brows rose in doubt.

“My getting hurt wasn’t his fault.”

“He coaxed you down there when he could’ve gone by himself, and the moment he saw that cocoon or those Nightcrawlers, he should’ve gotten you out of there. He didn’t. And not just because he wanted to get at me. He wanted you there, with him.”

I laughed at that. “I’m pretty sure he just wanted to mess with you because he knew I was going to tell you about everything.”

He shook his head as he pulled the keys out and opened the door. “That’s not the only reason, Layla.” He eyed me from the other side of the car after I climbed out, leaning his arm against the roof. “I see the way he looks at you.”

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