Page 70 of Reckless Hearts

He starts to turn away, which is when, if I was smart, I should just shut my mouth and get on with it.

“Do you keep in touch with many people from Knightsblood?”

So much for being smart.

He stops, his shoulders visibly tensing. “No,” he mutters without turning around. He starts to continue toward his office. But again, my stupid mouth just won’t stay shut.

“Me neither.”

Deimos stops again. This time, he chuckles a dark, low, cruel laugh before he turns to level a piercing gaze at me.

“No? You don’t keep in touch withanyone?”

My lips purse. “No. Everyone hated me there.”

Except one person.

“Noteveryonehated you, surely.”

Something cold slides beneath my skin, chilling my blood. I swallow nervously, my pulse quickening as Deimos’ lethal gaze flays me open.

“If I’ve heard the rumors correctly, you weren’ttotallyisolated, now, were you?”

My lips purse and my jaw tightens as I swallow back the sudden lump in my throat.

“Shut up,” I hiss quietly.

No. I wasn’t totally isolated. Ididhave one friend. One man who wanted to talk to me. Who saw all of me and understood me.

And the night I left Knightsblood is the night Deimos killed him.

Only I know what he did.

Run from this place, now. And if you ever speak of any of this, I’ll destroy everything you love.

“A real shame there isn’t a reunion in the cards for you, isn’t it?”

I blink back hot tears, turning away. I’ll be damned if I let him see me cry.

“Guess I rather squashed the possibility of a repeat fucking performance with the two of them and you, didn’t I?” he snarls lethally, his voice pure, honed steel, glinting with a malicious edge.

“Sosorry about that,” he hisses.

I whirl, heedless of the tears streaking down my face as my eyes flash dangerously at him.

“What the hell are you talking ab—”

“I’m talking about you beingexactlylike your mother, Dahlia,” he growls.

I bristle, the hairs on the back of my neck standing up as my pulse thuds directly beneath the surface of my skin.

“Excuse me?” I spit.

“You heard me.”

“And I think I need you to explain yourself,” I hiss.

Deimos’ lips curl dangerously. “Do you? Do youreally?”