Page 46 of Amber Gambler

The pillow earned another suspicious glance before he nodded agreement.

“Lay your head here.” I masked my amusement over his distrust of the pillow, convincing me the down stuffing must have freaked out Badbandhim. “This pillow is made of memory foam. Not feathers.” The news did nothing to ease his rigidity. “Are you too warm or too cool?”

“I’m fine.” He locked his muscles in place. “This is…nice.”

“Start out with the sheet on.” I kept my apartment as cold as the grave, according to my siblings. “You can always kick it off if you get hot.” His hesitance convinced me this would go smoother if I tucked him in, but he was barely breathing by the time I finished. “You know what?” I reached for the sheet. “You do you.” I tugged, but he held on. “You don’t have to do things my way.”

“I want to try your way.” He forced himself to sink his head into the pillow. “It’s…nice.”

Nice.

There was that word again.

Something told me if I walked away now, I would find him in this exact pose come morning.

“Maybe this will help.” I fetched the sparkly cat bed and set it at his feet. “Badb can give you a lesson on the art of relaxation. She’s a pro.” I scanned the room but didn’t see her. “Where did she go?”

“She’s outside.” Kierce’s gaze drifted to the ceiling. “She’s got a bad feeling.”

As dread trickled down my spine in cold drops of sweat, I forced myself to ask, “About?”

Please don’t say Harrow. Please don’t say Harrow. Please don’t say Harrow.

“She’s not sure.” He tilted his head, listening, then returned his attention to me. “She’ll come in soon.”

Had exhaustion not left me swaying on my feet, I would have pushed harder for answers to her escape route, but her secrets would live another day. “I’ll be right over there if you need anything.”

Determination to enjoy his bedding hardened his resolve. “Good night, Frankie.”

Resisting the urge to ruffle his damp hair, I plodded back to my bed. “Good night, Kierce.”

The world tilted as I mashed my face into my pillow, and darkness swallowed me down in one gulp.

“He can’t help you,” Armie whispered in my ear. “He’s as bound to his god as I am to mine.”

“He’s nothing like you.” I shivered in the shadows of my dreamscape. “He’s a good person.”

“We are neither good nor bad.” He chucked me on the chin. “We simply are.”

“Evil always believes it’s just.” I withdrew from him. “That’s what makes it so dangerous.”

“Quite a leap from bad to evil, Bijou.” He clucked his tongue. “Funny how you see me so clearly, but him? You don’t see him at all. You have no idea who he is or what he’s capable of. He’s not the ally you want.”

“Maybe he’s not, but neither are you.”

“You might change your mind.” His voice dropped to a sultry rumble. “After he takes off his mask.”

“I’ve seen his true face.” Triumph flared within me. “I don’t judge others based on their appearances.”

A mirror can’t show your worth.

Kierce told me that, and I believed it. I trusted him. But, a tiny voice reminded me, I had trusted Armie too.

“Not that mask.” Armie faded away. “The other one.”

The brush of his fingers across my collarbones left me panting hard as I rocketed free of my nightmare.

“I got you, Mary.” Matty gripped my shoulders. “You’re safe.”

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