Page 62 of Lovers Fate

“Careful,” Kaden interrupts, “Watch how you talk to her.”

Mia glances between me and Kaden, jealousy spilling from her eyes.

“What, she’s your girl?”

I shake my head. “You’re deviating, Kevin. Clowns cry, not because they’re sad.” I step close and lower my voice. “They cry because they smell fear. They feed off it. The same way I’m feeding off yours right now.”

He scoffs, “I’m not scared of this piece of shit.”

Kaden pushes Kevin, making him stumble backward. His friends rush forward to grab him, but I move faster, placing the palm of my hand on Kaden’s chest, preventing him from doinganything that could attract further attention. “Don’t…” I glance at Kevin, Mia, and his friends, then back. “You’re right. They’re not worth it.” I can’t have the cops show up. “Let’s go,” I push Kaden gently back toward his truck.

I don’t know what came over me, but all I wanted to do was hurt Kevin. Not for me. Not for what he said, but for Kaden.

TWENTY

“What was that?”When we finally get inside the truck and head out of the parking lot, Kaden asks, “What was that?”

“What was what?” I am trying to find out for myself what the hell came over me. I felt like I was someone else back there.

“I mean, I appreciate you trying to defend me all.”

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done that.” I look over my shoulder to see if anyone is following us. Kevin or the cops, but there’s no one. The only thing visible is the dark road and the moon’s reflection on the back bend of his truck. “No one is following us.” I face forward in my seat.

“He won’t,” Kaden says quietly.

“How do you know?”

“Kevin is all talk, and he knows I work at the carnival. My kind of crowd isn’t his.”

He means Draco. “I can see why,” I tell him and smile to myself. Wondering what Draco would have done, but I know the answer. Draco would fuck him up. I’m not sure about the rest of them.

I glance at him briefly, wanting to thank him for sticking up for me. It’s the first time in my life someone has done that. Especially knowing what I did in the past. “Thank you.”

“For what?” he asks, looking straight ahead.

“Thank you for taking me out to eat.” For not judging me because…” I trail off.

“We all have a past, Athena. Some are just darker than others. It doesn’t mean we have to judge people for them. And you don’t have to thank me. It’s just food.”

“I’m not used to people being nice to me.” I glance out the window when I notice the road getting darker and the trees getting bigger under the shadows of the moonlight. This is not the way to the motel. I look out the rear window and then back out the windshield.

“This is not the way to the motel.”

“I know.” A wave of dread snakes up my spine. “Where are you taking me?”

“I’m not going to hurt you... we aren’t going to hurt you.”

“We?” Alarm bells start ringing. “Take me back.”

“I’m not going to take you back to the motel. I can’t sleep knowing you’re there alone, and I hate the way men look at you.”

What if he’s one of the people behind the killings? My palms sweat. My heart pounds inside my chest. Dread swirls inside my stomach.

Relax, Athena.

“Why do you care?”

Why would he? Besides, Draco doesn’t want me around his circle.

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