Page 59 of Anathema Codex

Which reminds me.

“Hey, kid?” I say, glancing into the rear-view. The boy who thinks he’s hot shit because he got the best part of the family tree glares at me.

“My name is Aftyn.”

“Great,” I reply with a chuckle. “I’ve got a question for you.”

He grunts as he looks down at some little strappy thing on his wrist then back at me. If that means something to him, and I’m sure it does, then I have more leverage on him. I shake my head as a smile starts to form on my lips. He gives up his weaknesses way too easily—I guess the Vegas bitch rubbed off on him.

“What was that exchange you had with Ichabod on the way out of my house?” I ask, my tone growing sterner. I don’t mind fucking around and having a good time, but if he’s been telling stories he shouldn’t be, then I’ll have to deal with that when I get back.

The kid shrugs as a shit-eating grin takes up half his face and I grit my teeth.Is this how Ichabod and Trixie feel when I do that?

“Cute,” I say sarcastically. “But one thing you should know about me is that I donotlike being lied to. So, whatever comes out of your mouth next had better be the fucking truth.”

“I never lie,” Red pipes up next to me. I glance at her for a moment and scoff. Her eyes are so wide and fucking adoring right now that it’s all I can do not to push open the truck door and let her little ass tumble out onto the pavement.

“Ichabod? Oh, you mean your boyfriend, Pops? Well, how much time do you have? Actually, since no one seems to know where the fuck we’re going, I’ll give you the cliff notes version in case you decide we’ve gone far enough.”

Call him my boyfriend one more goddamn time, you little shit.

“A few weeks ago, I started getting these weird emails. I was shopping online for Willa—I wanted to get her something nice because she’s always been good to me. Not that you would know what it’s like to be good to anyone from what I understand. Granted, that was Mom’s version, but I will tell you that I paid forallof your fucking sins growing up. Anyway,” he continues, as he sits up and leans on the back of Red’s seat. “I decided to reply to the emails one day and the very next one I got a day or two later was a name, a few different addresses to try my hand at, and a dare.”

I roll my eyes and reach for another cigarette. Clearly, he wasn’t listening when I said I don’t appreciate being lied to, or maybe he was and just doesn’t give a fuck, but I’ll listen to the rest of his horseshit and decide what to do when he’s done.

“I finally managed to talk my best friend into this road trip thinking it would be the most amazing thing to happen to me. I figured, ‘Hell, my father can’t be worse than my mother,’ and she agreed. I’ve never been more wrong in my entire life about an assumption, but that’s not the point. The point is that when we left New York, the emails turned into text messages. Then I tried calling a few times and all I heard was heavy breathing, like some kind of fucking pervert. I’m sure he learned that from you though, right? To make a long story short…”

Too late.

“After this bitch killed the only person that’s ever given a shit about me in my entire life—and I still owe you for that one,” he says, smacking the back of Red’s headrest. “You decided the best thing for us would be to get into my dead best friend’s truck and head out to fuck-knows-where to meet some bitch that probably ditched your ass for a reason.”

I suck my teeth.

“And where in all of that babbling did you tell me what the exchange between you and Ichabod was?” I ask in a bored tone.

“’Almost like looking into a mirror,’” he snarls at me.

“Huh?” I ask, turning slightly to steal a glance at him.

“That’s what your fucking boyfriend said to me on the way out, and if you don’t believe me, then here.” He digs his phone out of his pocket and throws it in my lap missing my dick narrowly and I smirk. “Read it and weep, Pops. Looks like your guy there has his own secrets that you don’t even know about.”

Before I have a chance to tell him how full of shit I know he happens to be, Red’s hand darts across the way and retrieves the kid’s phone from where it landed between my legs. I roll my eyes at the interior roof when she uses the chance to let her fingers graze my dick. I’m no stranger to having chicks throw themselves at me, but she’s beingtoodesperate for it.

That’s a no-go in my book.

I’ve never been a fan of nice and easy—I prefer to take what the fuck I want.

“Done copping your feel there, Daphne? Save some for his boyfriend. I’m sure he’ll be sad to know that Pops stepped out on him again,” the kid says cheerfully.

I lean over and backhand him in the face. He immediately looks shocked, then angry, and places a hand where I slapped him. Probably to ease the stinging sensation.

Not that I particularly give a shit.

I don’t care about the fucking barbs he takes at Red, but he’s gonna learn his place when it comes to me come hell or high water.

“Oops!” I say, mocking his cheerful tone. “Guess my hand slipped.”

“I hate you!” he shouts at me as he throws himself back against the seat like a toddler having a temper tantrum. And if that’s how he wants to behave, I’m not above belting him. But not right now. First, I have to set him straight.

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