Page 68 of House of Soot

"Shit." I check my ammunition. “Come on, we need to get out of here.” I reach for her to lead her out the tunnel.

She jerks away like my touch burns. “Don’t touch me.”

"You're not safe here anymore. Ronan knows you helped me. He'll make you pay for it."

“I didn’t help you?—”

“He’ll think you did. Just like I thought you helped him.”

“I didn’t.”

God, how do I make her see? “We don’t have time to discuss this. You’re in danger.”

“You could kill me?—”

“If I wanted you dead, you’d be dead. I don’t kill women. The Keans do. You know it now. They killed my mother, so many of the staff who worked for us.”

“What about my mother?”

“I’ll protect her too. But we have to go. Now.”

Shouts echo from above, growing closer. We're out of time.

"What do you care?"

"I don't want you dead. I've never wanted you dead. I know you hate me right now, but I can protect you. Your mom too. We'll send for your mother once you're safe." I reach for her again.

“Are you acting like you care now? Using me like you’ve done this whole time?”

"That's not—" I cut myself off. What can I say? That I fell for her despite my best efforts? That every moment wasn't a lie? She'd never believe me now.

"I trusted you." Her voice cracks. "I gave you everything. My heart, my body…" She presses a hand to her stomach so briefly I almost miss it. "And it was all just part of your revenge plot."

“That is all true. But right now, you have to decide if you want to go with the asshole who broke your heart or face a murderer? Do you want to live or die? This asshole can keep you safe.”

"Safe?" She laughs bitterly. "You're the most dangerous person I've ever met.”

"Jenna—”

"No." She cuts me off and jerks away again. "I never want to see you again. Ever."

She turns and flees out of the wine cellar, leaving me alone in the cellar. The sound of her footsteps fades, mixing with the approaching guards’ steps.

I should run. Every survival instinct screams at me to get out while I still can. But watching her disappear feels like losing my family all over again.

27

JENNA

Istumble through the dark halls of the mansion, my cheek stinging from Ronan's strike, but the physical pain is nothing compared to the ache in my chest. The world I thought I knew has shattered around me.

Ronan. I'd been so eager to please him, to show him I could be useful, hoping he'd see me as more than just the gardener's daughter. But he only wanted information he could use to hurt people. To kill people.

And Blaise… Every touch, every kiss, everything was a lie. He used my loneliness, my desperate need to be loved, against me. Just like Ronan did. The memory of giving him my virginity makes me physically ill. I duck into an alcove and retch, though nothing comes up.

How could I have been so blind? So naive? Twice now, my foolish heart has led to tragedy.

The Ifrinn family. They were good to Mom and me, just like she always said. And I helped get them killed without even knowing it. Their blood is on my hands because I was a stupid girl with a crush.

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