Page 22 of Dig Your Grave

Chapter 9

He guided me toward the door like nothing happened.“Let’s get out of here.Staff will be coming soon to set up for tonight’s event.”

We rode the elevator back up to the main level in complete silence.My lips and throat were sore.But I felt a strange satisfaction, regardless.And longing.

As we stepped into the lounge, I spotted a cluster of staff setting trays of champagne flutes on the bar, adjusting centerpieces, and hanging discreet black-and-silver banners.None of them seemed to notice us.We were ghosts floating through an underworld that wore the veneer of wealth and refined tradition.

Anubis steered me to a quieter corner near a decorative suit of armor that always struck me as ridiculous for a Boat House.He exhaled slowly, raking his hand through his hair.“My father’s going to be here tonight for some philanthropic event with major donors,” he said.“It’s a big deal.They’ll probably talk about expansions, new buildings, how wonderful Edenvane is.”

Bile rose in my throat at the hypocrisy.“Good luck,” I muttered.“Pretending everything’s normal.”

His eyes flicked to me.“You have something to say?”

“What was that back there?I ought to call the police.”

“That was humiliation.How they expect me to treat my casket.”

There was that word again.

“Use you.What they demand of me.I have to prove I’m cruel.And I am cruel.I get off on it.”

I rolled my eyes big time.“What an excuse… The skulls made you?”

“There are expectations of me, and if what we talked about the other night has a chance, I can’t be suspected.”

“Of what?”

“Of having feelings for you,” he said as quietly as he could.Then he changed the subject with an abrupt change to his tone.“Sophie will be here, too.But since you have that coffee meeting with her, watch your timing.She’ll probably show up later.”

I swallowed, my mouth dry not from Sophie but from his talk about having feelings for me.Was he fucking with me?“I’m supposed to meet her at seven.Maybe I can slip away before she heads here.”

He hesitated, then gently slid an arm around my shoulders.His warmth seeped into me, and I realized my hands were trembling from adrenaline and fatigue.Normally, I might resist such a public display, but in that moment, I felt oddly comforted by his touch, even after what he just put me through.

“You sure you want to do this alone?”he asked, voice low.“Going face-to-face with her, especially after what we found in those files?”

My heart beat a staccato.“I have to.If I back down, she’ll know I’ve been tipped off.I’d rather make her believe I’m uncertain, maybe even curious about her offer, so I can glean what she’s up to.”

His gaze lingered on my face.“You've got more balls than I thought.”

A strange tightness formed in my chest.Before I could second-guess, I leaned in, pressing my forehead lightly against his shoulder.Our body language was hidden in the corner, behind that silly suit of armor.

He stiffened in surprise, then relaxed, resting his chin on my head.“I promise I won’t let anything happen to you,” he whispered, so softly I barely caught the words.“I’m sorry I dragged you into this, but we’ll find a way through.”

I closed my eyes.Part of me wanted to stay pressed against him, ignoring the entire night ahead and the danger swirling around us.But we couldn’t hide forever.

At length, we broke apart, the contact making my skin tingle.He walked me to the door, where staff and a few early event arrivals shot us discreet glances.Stepping outside into the late afternoon glow, I inhaled deeply, determined to keep my composure.

Before I left, he caught my hand.“Text me as soon as you’re done meeting Sophie.If anything feels off, call.”

I nodded, my voice caught in my throat.“I will.”

Then I released his hand and walked away, the note in my pocket heavier than ever.The sky was tinted a purplish hue, a sure sign twilight was near.My mind whirled with a million possibilities of how tonight’s conversation with Sophie might go.

I considered telling Harry or even the campus police about the infiltration, but I doubted it would help.Sophie’s mother was the Dean.Any move I made would reach her ears instantly.No, I had to handle this carefully, wearing the mask of a naïve scholarship student looking for any chance to rise in Edenvane’s ranks.

Ascend or break.The phrase from the ledger repeated in my thoughts.Toccara had tried to ascend, and she’d wound up in the river.I’d be damned if I’d share that fate.

I forced steady breaths and hurried back to my dorm to freshen up, bracing myself for a night of deceit and tea-sipping diplomacy.

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