Page 21 of Was I Ever Real

Finally, I fist his shirt into my hand and drag him up close to me, his shaky breath fanning across my face.

“I don’t know what the fuck is going on here. And trust me, I’ll soon find out. But if I ever see you near… ” I pause for half a second, my expression still blank, swallowing hard, unwilling to call her by the word currently feeling like sandpaper on my tongue. “Heragain. I’ll skin you alive.” I release him from my grip—not before giving him a hard shove first and he staggers back. I spit on his shoes, stare him straight in the eyes and smile.

Shockingly, the idiot finds the nerve to point a shaky finger at Lenix and says, “You are dancing with the devil, Penelope.” Before scrambling to his car.

Penelope?

I don’t have enough time to wonder who the fuck that is before I take quick note of his license plate to relay to Bastian later. Finally, I turn slowly towards Lenix while I hear the tires screech behind me, the car pulling out of the parking lot in haste.

Her eyes are wide, rattled and flustered. But there’s also the ghost of a smile on her face. And just like a chameleon changing its colors, I watch as Lenix gracefully shakes the fear off and crosses her arms in defiance, her grin now wide and arrogant.

“What?” she says with a small innocent tilt to her tone.

My fingers flex, fighting the urge to wrap them around her throat and squeeze. Or maybe slam her into the wall and fuck her. Whichever quells the fire the fastest. Instead, I fix a blasé expression on my face, swipe my hand over my mustache and keep my voice steady. “Care to explain?”

She pushes her tongue into her cheek and raises her eyebrows as if thinking. “Which part?”

My restraint snaps and I stalk forward, her eyes going wide when my fingers find her throat. Her body stumbles backwards but I squeeze her neck just hard enough to keep her steady.

“Maybe the part about me being your husband?” I bite out.

She schools her expression as soon as her initial shock is under control, a condescending glint to her eye.

“Well,” she says, raising her hands up to my shoulders and giving my suit a quick sweep as if fixing my outfit. “Considering youaremy husband…” She then hums as if recalling something. “You remember, don't you?” My blood burns but her eyes burn even hotter before she continues, “Since you think it’ssofunny not to sign the papers, I figured I might as well get something out of the single worst trip to Vegas I’ve ever had.”

I could kill her. Ishouldkill her.

I let her go, no longer wanting to touch or even be close to her.

But the most aggravating part of all this is that she’s not lying.

“For fuck sakes Lenix, don’t be so overdramatic.”

“Overdramatic?” she says, her eyes wide in disbelief. “Connor, this isn’t a joke.”

“Darling,” I reply while walking towards my car parked away from hers. “You must be as delusional as me if you think I’ll go along with this for even a second longer.”

“Wait.” The sound of that one word holds more weight than anything she’s said since she showed up here. I stop, my back still turned but look over my shoulder and find her demeanor completely changed.

Nervous. Shoulders slightly hunched. Hands wringing together.

She takes a large inhale and closes her eyes before her stare lands back on mine.

“I need your help,” she says in a near-whisper.

Fuck.

That shouldn’t make me feel anything—including empathy. But here we are. Plus Byzantine would have my head if I left Lenix high and dry, considering that she’s Sunny’s best friend.

I tell myself this is the only reason and turn on my heels, walking back to her. “Are you going to tell me what the fuck is happening then? And why that asshole called you Penelope?” I hold in the urge to crinkle my face, the name not tasting right for Lenix’s explosive flavor.

She bites her lips, her shoulders dropping. “I’ll tell you everything, I swear. Just—just not here okay?”

I let the silence fall between us, letting it stretch for far too long, savoring the way she squirms before finally dragging a palm over my face, then stuffing my hands into my pockets.

Exhausted from this turn of events, I let out a long exhale. “Fine, let’s go.”

Chapter 15

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