Page 62 of Scavenger's Oath
Did she let him touch her too?
My eye twitches as I shove that thought back down and wait a second until I can control my tone. Then I toss it out casually. “Ivy said you visited her.”
The silence clicks.
Phoenix doesn't answer, but he pauses. Like he heard me but hasn't decided whether to lie about it.
I smirk to myself. “Didn't peg you for the jail cell-visiting type. Realromantic.”
He doesn’t respond.Typical.
Spatula in hand, I turn more toward him, set on antagonising him until I feel better. “She said you weredifferent.Sounds like someone's got a soft spot.”
Phoenix finally looks at me, and it's the kind of glare that could cauterise a wound. “Don't start.”
“Oh, I'm starting,” I say, grinning now. “You went from ‘we can't keep her’to midnight rendezvous. What happened, huh?She flash those big blues and suddenly you're writing poetry? Gonna take her flowers next time too?”
“I'm not doing this with you.”
I raise my eyebrows, biting back a laugh. “C’mon, admit it. You like her.”
“I don't.”
“Phoenix.”
“I said let it go,” he snaps.
But I'm already too far in—chasing the relief of this distraction like a dying man clawing for air.
Leaning back against the counter, I cross my arms. “Look, it's fine. She's got that effect. Big eyes. That soft little voice. I get it. Hell, evenMylesisn't being a complete bastard lately.”
Lie. He’s taking the quick route to a beating.
Phoenix glares, but it's not rage, it's something worse. Panic behind the armour.
Oh shit. I wasn’t expecting to be right.
“You think you know everything,” he mutters, turning back to the coffee. “Always running your mouth.”
“I just think it's funny,” I say, tone slightly tightened as the fun of my ‘distraction’ thins. “You've got her locked in a cell and she’s still managing to pull your strings. That's talent.”
The kettle screeches once before Phoenix shuts it off with a snap. “Drop it, Zane.”
I sigh, turning back to the eggs. “Alright. Dropped.” But I'm frowning to myself as I plate the food.
Because now I know.
Phoenix might not have touched her… but he's not as uninterested as he pretends.
He’s circling thesame edge I am.
Chapter 21
Phoenix
Zane’s plating breakfast like this is a fucking Michelin restaurant.
The bastard actually knows how to make it smell decent. But that’s exactly why he took over food provisions.
