Page 16 of Road To Runes

A swear word crossed my mind that I dared not utter. Then a few more followed. At the first opportunity I would direct them straight at Asher's face.

In that moment, I fully absorbed the fact that he was on top of me. All manner of inappropriate feelings of déjà vu returned to me in one violent flood that had me wanting to burrow further into him and tear myself away all at once.

But in one swift movement, Asher's weight disappeared, leaving behind a chill I couldn't quite describe. Before I could push against my hands to get up, Asher's grabbed my waist.

Desire exploded like little fireworks going off all over my body; where he touched my hips, in my core, and lower. I clenched my jaw as he helped me manoeuvre onto my knees. My reaction to his body smashed everything I had told myself every day since the break up that I was done with him. Gods, what did it take to properly move on from this guy?

The man on the bed snored again and a hand reached over and slapped him on the shoulder.

"Derrick, you're snoring again," a woman's voice said, as I crawled backward toward the hallway.

A bead of sweat trickled down my brow as the guy sniffed, but his eye didn't open. "Sorry, muffin," he grumbled.

I scrambled into the hallway, out of sight and leaned against the wall, clutching my knees to calm my racing heart. Asher stood on the other side of the doorway, glaring at me.

"Let's go. Now,"he mouthed.

My jaw cracked under the pressure.

I didn't just want to take this power to spite him; I had a job to do, too. Leaving without it would mean having to track down yet another undeserving asshole with the same power and then going to get it, which could take days, if not longer.

But I had little choice. With both of them now more awake than asleep, I stood no chance of taking the power without them spotting me. Arranging the scowl of the century on my face, I glowered at Asher before turning invisible and heading back to the stairs, where Hecate waited, watching with wide eyes.

I didn't look back once I got outside and stormed, invisible, back to my bike and took off with Hecate in her carrier. If Asher had gotten here without my help, he could bloody well get home the same way.

But when I walked into the kitchen at home, hoping to make a calming cup of tea before going up to my room to seethe, Asher was waiting at the kitchen table, scrolling on his phone. I wanted to walk out again and ignore him, but the second he looked up and his gaze met mine, all the rage that had simmered all the way home boiled up to the surface.

"You've got some nerve, I tell you that," I snapped, marching over to the fridge.

"If you had chosen somewhere else, I wouldn't have cared as much." Asher returned to his scrolling. "But we've got a contractwith those people now and they're expecting protection from thieves."

I wrenched a can of soda out of the fridge instead. No way was I sticking around here for a cup of tea to brew. Hecate jumped up on the counter and watched us, licking a paw.

"There he is. Mr. High-and-Mighty. Didn't take you long to appear, did it?" I cracked open the can. "Forget that you were all for taking from those less deserving less than a year ago."

"People change, Bea. Maybe it's time you did, too."

"If I do," I said, jerking a finger in his direction. "It won't be because of you and your snobby ideals, that's for sure."

I turned my back on him and dashed up to my room with Hecate on my heels. Once I was inside, I locked the door and put my can down on the vanity.

A fatigue I was all too familiar with enveloped me, and I rested my hands on my head and slid my back down the door until I sat on the floor. It wasn't the kind you could sleep off; instead, it wormed its way like a disease into every muscle and lulled them into a heaviness. Then it moved on to my soul.

Asher had transformed so suddenly it had given me whiplash. One day, he was his same old self; wanting to jump into a new, often illicit, adventure with me at his side. He had encouraged my business from its inception, when I first said I wanted to create grimoires with protective powers so supernaturals could keep their most treasured spells and potions safe. He had even helped me set it up, putting the word out to his contacts, which had given me a great start.

The next, he had solemnly announced he had a new job at the security firm and he was leaving. I had wanted to go with him, even if it meant shaking up the life I had built for myself. Thathehad helped me build. But he had turned me down and told me that our relationship was over. No talking about it and no answers why. We were just done.

Mostly, he had left me to get on with my life with little lecturing, even when he came home, although I tried to avoid him. But now Asher had apparently decided that his livelihood was more important than mine.

"Coward," I muttered, as a sheen of tears hazed my vision.

A smoky blob padded over to me and a moment later, I felt Hecate's paws on the back of my hand. But she said nothing. Instead, I lowered my legs and let her onto my lap. Curling up against my chest, Hecate's purrs soothed the edges of the torment roiling within me.

I wiped my eyes with my sleeve.

No matter how many times I convinced myself I was better off without him, the second Asher came back, it was like he had just broken up with me all over again. And my self worth could do nothing but shrivel under the heel of his boot.

Chapter 9

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