Page 58 of Property of Necro
“But…” I attempt to stall, hoping Coffin will give up and get on with his day with his lady friend. Fat chance, I know.
Rot sees straight through my ploy and nudges me again. “Be a good girl and go with Coffin.”
“Do you know what he has planned?” I ask instead, refusing to admit defeat. Why? I don’t know. It’s not like I have a choice in the matter. If I don’t leave willingly, he’ll come after me, and with the goose egg now living on the back of my head after this morning, I have no desire to fight him.
“Yes,” Rot tosses out, more evasive than ever. He’s the sharer. The fact that he won’t has my stomach tied in barbed knots.
I swallow thickly. “Will I be safe?”
“Would I let you go if I thought otherwise?”
The wordduhtingles the tip of my tongue, but I go with something a little less harsh. “Maybe?” Side-eyeing him, I lift a shoulder and drop it dramatically.
It’s not like he’s ever stopped Coffin before—tried, maybe. But actually interfered? Not so much.
“You don’t get it, do you? You’re mine, and I protect what’s mine. So does Coffin.”
“He has Tiffany,” I reason. He seems to like her. Maybe not like her as a person, but her body. How am I supposed to know how much he’s into her? It’s not like we’re friends. Staying away from Coffin is my daily goal. The less I see him, thebetter.
“No. He doesn’t. Open your eyes, baby girl. Pay attention,” Rot admonishes.
“I am,” I grumble.
Rot scoffs low in the back of his throat. It sounds like he doesn’t think I’m paying enough attention. “And no matter what you see, don’t scream.”
Oh. Super. Duper.
Everything great in this world starts with the words “don't” and “scream.” This is already shaping up to be the best day.
Or not.
Squeezing my eyes shut for half a beat, I release a heavy breath and ask, “Why would I scream?”
“Go with Coffin,” the sexy biker replies, evading my question.
“Rot.” I shove the side of his leg, sick and tired of him trying to dismiss me. “Why would I scream?” That doesn’t sound promising.
“Trust me. Put on the shoes and your shirt and go with Coffin,” he urges, and I hate it because I don’t want to go.
Swinging my legs off the side of the bed, I shoot Rot a dozen nervous glances, hoping he’ll tell me something as I right my beloved Crocs and slide my feet into them. A private smile graces my lips as the familiar rubber curves to the contours of my toes from years of use. Even my cute charms remain.
I knock my heels together.
Oh. How I’ve missed you, old friend.
“Move your sweet ass, Sola,” Coffin hollers from the hallway.
“Have fun, Red.” Rot waves from the bed, smirkinglike he knows something I don’t, as he snuggles back under the blankets to finish the rest of our movie without me.
Ugh. Fine.
I pick up my t-shirt off the floor and tug it over my head.
Coffin did say he had something he wanted to show me this morning. After the kitchen incident, I helped Mama with meal prep for the day and spent the rest of the time with Rot. Necro is still nowhere to be found, which has me concerned. Irrational? Maybe. But we have a pattern. As much as that pattern might be vanilla-ish and boring as of late, I know what to expect.
His lack of presence is… I don’t know what, but I don’t like it, and the fact that I dislike it is problematic. This place is starting to screw with my head.
In the hallway, I find Coffin resting against the wall, arms tucked across his bare chest, covering the sprinkling of blond hair. When he sees me, he pushes off and starts down the corridor. Keeping a safe distance, I follow him to a door with the wordexiton a brass plate tacked into the wood.
