Page 71 of Ensnared

“Idiot.”Itwist up my towel and whip it so it cracks against his ass.Heyelps, cackling as he spins to face me, andDomsnorts.

“Whatdoes that make mine, then?”

Silky.Indolent.Thewords slice through the levity in a single, neat cut.Despitehis still-pink cheeks,Jasper’sglittering eyes warn of poisoned waters and blackened, roiling skies.

Luckystraightens, andIdon’t know why it strikes me now, butIrealize for the first time how much older he is than whenIfirst met him.There’sa seriousness and a hardness in him that seems suddenly obvious now he’s stopped smiling.

HelooksJasperover. “Thatmakes you the one getting saved,Iguess.”Heshrugs and picks up his bottle again. “Especiallyif you’re letting yourself get pinned four times in one morning.”

Oh, shit.

Ifreeze, glancing between the two of them.WatchingJasper’sface is like watching an avalanche descend, wintry and ruinous.Luckycasually sips from his water bottle.

Forthe four years we’ve been atBristlebrook—and years before that, even—the two of them have circled around each other with gravitational force.Now, within just a few days, they’re on a collision course.

MaybeDomis right.Notabout all of it, of course, but there’s no pretending thatEdenisn’t stirring up a whole pot of emotions here.

“DidIor didInot see you writhing on the ground yourself just moments ago?”Jaspersnipes.

Luckytilts his head as if puzzled. “Whichtime?I’vebeen rolling around all night.”

DomandIexchange a loaded married-couple look.

Iraise my brows, and glance at them without moving my head.Shouldwe do something?

Domlowers his chin, then tilts it in a negative.Notour business.

“Don’ttest me,Lucien.”Jaspertakes a sharp step forward, andIease up onto the balls of my feet anyway in caseIneed to intervene. “Youforget,I’vebeen watching the cameras.Whatwere you andEdendoing out in the woods?Isaw the two of you leave together.”

Luckysmiles, maliciously innocent. “Ididn’t forget.”Hepauses, sliding a sidelong look atDomthat’s about three shades too casual. “Hey, did you spend much time in your room this morning?”

Thatcatches the boss’s attention, andDomnarrows his eyes. “No.”WhenLucky’slips roll in like he’s trying to hide a grin,Domdemands, “Why?”

Lucky’seyes widen, and he shrugs. “Noreason.”

Igroan.

Theman can be reckless to the point of stupid for a good adventure.Onetime he begged me to race him on a climb up the cliffside—only to realize it’s a lot fucking harder to climb down fifty feet without gear than it is to go up.Wewaited on a tiny little ledge, arms aching, for two hours beforeDomandJaspercame searching for us, and another hour on top of that while they worked out how to get belay equipment up to us.Andthe idiot laughed the whole time.Ofcourse, he wasn’t smiling overmuch after a lividJaspergot him back toBristlebrook.

Pointis,Luckyis not to be trusted.

“Lucky,”Iwarn, narrowing my eyes on him too. “Whywere you in the woods?”

Mischiefdances over his lean features. “Sorry,Doc, that’s need to know.”

Ijump to my feet. “WhereisEden?”Idemand anxiously... and immediately cringe.Isound like my ma after she learned a burlesque club was moving into town.

Domsnorts, and the derisive sound pricks at me like a thousand needles.It’snot enough to crap all over my chance at happiness, he has to mock me for it too?

“Eden’sinside.Shecame in through the caves ’cause she was afraid of—”Luckystops, eyes sparkling with fiendish innocence. “Youknow what, never mind.She’sfreshening up.”

ThankGodshe’s safe at least.

Myeyes drift back toDom, who seems to have lost interest in the conversation.

“Haveyou talked to her at all since we got back?”Iask him abruptly, apparently just as unable asLuckyandJasperto keep my mess contained today.

Hetenses but slings his towel around his neck like he’s unbothered. “I’vebeen busy.”

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