Page 28 of Filthy Liar

“I’ll hurt you,” she panicked, but I kissed her to shut her up and dropped her butt down on a set of drawers close by. “Ander, stop.”

“You won’t hurt me.”

“Stop,” she said again, my forehead dropping to her shoulder as I did what she asked. Her hands slid around me and we stayed like that for a minute or two before she spoke again. “I don’t want to sleep with you. I’m angry, even though I’m worried about you, but that doesn’t mean I’m happy to just pretend like I’m okay with everything. Can we just?—”

“Finish getting dressed,” I murmured, kissing her forehead and stepping back, shoving on my clothes from yesterday that were sitting on the chair in the corner.

“Are you mad at me?”

Her question threw me, and I turned to look at her to find that she hadn’t moved from the drawers.

“No. I’m mad at myself, and for the situation we’re all in. Never you,” I promised, grabbing her shirt and walking towards her, holding it out for her.

She took it, pulling it over her head and hopping off the drawers. “Where are the others?”

“Probably downstairs. I haven’t seen them this morning,” I shrugged, opening the door and letting her step into the hallway first. I didn’t have to worry about her safety, not here.

“Did you mean it last night? If Dante’s betraying us, you’ll turn him over?” she questioned as we descended the stairs, my heart squeezing painfully.

The thought of losing Dante tore me apart, but if he was lying to me, I’d do it.

Especially if he was putting Raven at risk.

“I swear. He’s dead to me if he’s lying.”

Her fingers entwined with mine, and my legs almost gave out from under me in relief.

“I really hope for your sake that he’s innocent,” she murmured, peering up at me as we reached the bottom of the stairs and made our way into the kitchen.

It was mayhem. The massive table was surrounded by people eating breakfast, while some stood with their coffees. Frank and Lara were eating pancakes with a pile of fruit, and Noah was slouched in his seat in his Ashburn Valley Academy uniform, the tie loose and his white shirt rumpled with the sleeves rolled up.

His eyes moved to Raven like she’d screamed at him, then they slid to me and widened.

“What the fuck happened to you?” he blurted out, taking in the damage to my face.

Everyone seemed to go silent and looked over at us, but I chuckled and tried to shrug without wincing.

“This is what happens when you don’t go to school to make a good life for yourself. People want to beat on you.”

Skeeter’s posture relaxed at my words, and he checked the time on his phone with a sigh. “Noah, you’re going to be late. If you’re old enough for coffee, you’re old enough to drink it on the go.”

“I’m not a kid, you know?” Noah huffed with embarrassment, his eyes flicking back to Raven. She wasn’t paying him any attention as she let go of my hand and walked towards the guys, taking a coffee from Reid.

“Adults have jobs in this house,” Skeeter grunted, getting to his feet. “I have somewhere to be. D, Holloway, and Ty, you’re with me.”

Diesel and Caden stood without a word, but Tyler grumbled as he downed the rest of his coffee, apparently not a morning person.

I went to walk past them to find my own coffee, and Skeeter moved in front of me, speaking in a low voice. “Thanks.”

I knew he didn’t want Noah knowing he’d been the one smacking me around, so I simply nodded and walked around him to Raven and the guys, where Zavier had a coffee waiting for me.

He handed it over and gave me a look, silently asking if I was okay. Personally, I felt like I’d been hit by a truck, but I gave him a smile that I hoped said I was fine, before taking a mouthful of my coffee.

“Time for school,” Rory warned from her place at the table, motioning to Slash. “You can take him on your way to meet Hendricks.”

“He pushed the meeting back. He’s visiting Ry and Tempest this morning,” Slash replied, and Reid jiggled his keys.

“Want me to take him? I need to go on a run for smokes.”

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