Page 46 of Deceit

“By Skyla?” I ask irrationally, unable to hide the jealousy in my voice fast enough.

Asher doesn’t think anything of it, or he doesn’t notice, as he continues texting. Liam, however, is watching me with a curious gaze.

“Yeah fucking right,” Asher scoffs. “That prude wouldn’t know the first thing about sucking a man off.”

Something in me would love nothing more than to put him in his place. Tell him how wrong he is, how she has a mouth that feels like heaven and a pussy that tastes like it too. Obviously, I don’t and for good reason. He doesn’t deserve to know those things about her. That’s only for me to know, it’s a privilege I will cherish greatly.

“Why do you hate her so much?” I bite out before I can stop myself. “She’s a nice girl, she doesn’t deserve your spite. She is just as much a victim in this as anybody, maybe more so. She doesn’t have the advantage of growing up in this world like you two did. She was a normal girl, who has now been dropped into the middle of Brethren business during one of the most crucial and dangerous points of our history.

Asher’s feet pause as he turns to face me, phone long forgotten.

“What do you mean? What’s happening?”

I blow out a breath as I shake my head. “You’ll be inducted soon. You’ll know more than you ever cared to.”

He doesn’t seem to like that answer. So, he turns back around and stalks off to whatever poor girl he’s basically using as a prostitute. I scoff at him, rolling my eyes before my gaze stops on Liam.

His green eyes are narrowed at me, a playful smirk tugging at his lips.

“So, you and her?”

“Me and who?” I ask, doing my best to keep my tone even.

Liam’s smirk spreads into a full on grin before he giggles almost excitedly.

“No fucking way! Oh my god. Asher doesn’t know, obviously. I’m assuming neither does your brother? Oh, oh, what about her dad?”

He continues his fit of giggles before I close the distance between us. Gripping his shirt in my hand, I ball it up and yank him towards me until we are nose to nose.

“Listen to me carefully, you don’t know what you’re talking about. If you spread bullshit rumors, I’ll fucking bury you. I’m not afraid to get my hands bloody, I’ve done it many times before. You’re just a Legacy and to your parents, you’re the disappointment, the letdown. No one will mourn you for longer than a day, so before you open that cock sucking mouth of yours, think about all you’re willing to lose, over alie.”

He looks stunned by my words. Honestly, I’m a little stunned by them. I didn’t mean to be that harsh, I like the kid a lot, but to protect myself, to protect Skyla? Yeah, I’d kill him in a heartbeat, and bury him right here in this cemetery, without a single ounce of regret.

I release my hold on him, roughly shoving him away before I storm across campus towards my car. I planned on sneaking into Skyla’s room tonight, something about holding her against my chest, her scent on me brings a sense of calm I haven’t felt in years. I’m too pissed off right now, though. Too terrified that we’ve both already signed our death certificates. If I was smart enough, I’d cut all ties with her and let her go on to live her life as it was planned.

There is no fucking way that’s happening, though.

Chapter Eighteen

Skyla

My arms slice through the warm water, my feet moving in perfect synchronization with my movements as I do. Nothing exists when I’m submerged in this pool of liquid dopamine. Not my father, not Salem, not Asher, not even Ronan.

Okay, to be fair, I may be overreacting a bit. He told me he might stop by last night after he had dinner with his brother. It was a maybe. I shouldn’t have gotten my hopes up. Yet, there I was, laying in my bed with a brand new silk nightgown that hit just below my upper thighs and made my tits pop. I waited for hours. Trying not to be so eager, and then disappointed when he didn’t show up. Once it hit one in the morning, I knew he wasn’t coming. I turned off my light and rolled over, more than a little disappointed.

It's not even the fact that he didn’t show up or didn’t let me know that he couldn’t make it. It’s the fact that he has so much of a hold over me. I don’t like it, not one bit. I need to try to rein in my emotions. I’m already too invested, especially for a woman in my position. I’m technically engaged, and I’d wager even the rapture wouldn’t have this arrangement broken. I need to keepRonan in a safe box, tucked away when we are able to steal a moment here or there. That is, until he gets bored of me. Which for all I know, could have been the very reason he didn’t come last night.

When I finish my last lap, I come up for air, my eyes landing on the man himself. He’s wearing a pair of black shorts and a black polo with the school crest on it. His hair is tousled in that perfect way and his piercing blue eyes are trained on me, shining in a way that has my stomach flipping no matter how much I beg it not to.

“Hey beautiful, how’s the water?” he smiles, those perfect white teeth practically glimmering.

I give him a tight lipped smile, as I begin slowly moving towards the other side of the pool.

“It’s good.”

I look back over my shoulder to see his smile dim and his brows knit together.

“Is everything okay?”

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