Page 17 of Into the Light

“I’ll tell you anything you want, ask me a question.” He pulled out a small chair by his desk and sat on the bed while encouraging me to sit in the chair.

“No you won’t. Just like whenever I asked Ash for something, it was always met with some type of mystery around it. I am tired of asking questions you won’t be able to answer.”

He tilted his chin to look up at me. “That’s where Ash and I are very different. I am on your side. I think this whole war between our families is absurd.”

He paused. “Ask. Me. Anything.”

Chapter seven

When her voice came through the radio, I sensed trouble brewing. My instincts told me before I even laid eyes on her. As much as I held her responsible for Ash’s death, I also understood the deep pain she was going through. Our shared love for Ash was so fragile, and with that love came intense anger and frustration. We both carried the weight from questions about his death, and the idea that Ash might have taken his own life felt like a distant, implausible truth.

“Why are you here?” she asked as she settled into the chair.

She was undeniably beautiful, always capturing my attention, even though I had never had hers. Her affections had been reserved for my brother and best friend. It was hard not to notice she possessed a captivating figure, and in the past eight months, she had evolved her style, even though she was dressed casually tonight. Her hair was pulled up in a high ponytail, her lips full, and her eyes . . . God, they were fucking beautiful.

She’s not yours.His voice echoed in my head. The moment he found out I was the one working the door and she made out with me, he punched me square in the jaw.

“Are we going to have a problem with this, Rain?” Ash asked, squaring up to hit me once more.

I threw my hands up to shield my face. “No,” I muttered through clenched teeth, my eyes stinging from the previous punches.

He sneered at me, a malicious glint in his eye. “She’s beautiful, isn’t she?”

I nodded, cautiously confirming his statement before he landed another blow to my side.

“What the hell was that for?” I hissed, trying to control my anger.

“Don’t look at her again, Rain,” he growled, his voice dripping with possessiveness. “Don’t you dare kiss her. Keep your hands off her. She’s mine.”

I saluted him with mock obedience. “Roger that.”

Exiting the room, I couldn’t help but feel the weight of the sacrifice I was making. Despite the love I had for her, I owed it to Ash and his dad, considering all they had done for my mom. Even if it meant relinquishing the one girl who gave me the most earth-shattering kiss I’d ever had. The one girl whose taste on my lips could never be replaced. The one fucking girl whose body I’d never feel in my arms again. I was ready to let him have her.

Being here with her felt wrong, like I was betraying a promise to a dead man. It just didn’t sit right. I needed to address her questions, then get her out of here. Moreover, everyone downstairs seemed to harbor ill feelings toward her, blaming her in some twisted way for Ash’s death. Many believed she had tipped off her brother about Ash’s whereabouts that night.

“What do you mean?” I responded to her initial question, and she huffed, her lips curling in an unintentionally adorable pout.

“See! This is exactly what I mean.”

“Ember, I genuinely don’t understand your question.” I almost rolled my eyes because I had no idea what she was implying.

In an instant, I regretted barking at her because over the last eight months, all I’d been doing was yelling, being angry and pissed off at people. She was the last person I wanted to be mad at or upset with.

“I’m sorry,” I whispered, hoping she didn’t hear me, but her long lashes fluttered in my direction, captivating me.

“Like, what are you doing as the leader of all this? You didn’t want this role, did you?”

I let out a short laugh. “No, I didn’t want it, but I didn’t have a choice when Ash died.”

“But you do have a choice. That’s what I’m trying to tell everyone—”

“No. You’re just being naive,” I snapped, regretting my tone when her lip quivered. “I didn’t mean it like that.”

“It’s fine. Do you like being the President of the Den?”

“Hell no.” I despised it.

“Are you planning to work for Mr. Ortiz when you graduate next year?”

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