Page 8 of Gravehouse

My mouth snaps shut and I turn away from him. No point pulling answers from him now. Not worth the risk of making a fool of myself. First, I need to process this, compartmentalize it, and then…and then what?

My finger drums against my thigh.

The car rolls to a stop at a traffic light.

My scalp prickles, and I scan the street. Convenience store, park, people everywhere.

Sweat slips between my breasts as I think over my options.

My phone is tucked away, but my only weapon lies at our feet. By the time this corset lets me bend to grab it, Asher will have me in a headlock.

Such a wholesome marriage already.

Maybe he’s distracted enough to miss it.

My eyes drift to him, and find him already focused on me.

Dark lashes fan over sharpened cheekbones, his features brutal against that perfect mouth.

And now I’m staring at his mouth.

“Go on.” He widens his legs and settles deeper into his chair. “Do it.”

“Do what?” I ask, feigning innocence. Only that never works with Asher. He reads between the lines and doesn’t care if he has to reach inside my chest and pull them out himself.

“Sinead!” he shouts, though his gaze never leaves mine. “Pull over.”

My pulse rattles through me, every second stretching into a lifetime.

He shifts his weight forward, resting it on his thighs.

“Well, go on then, Venom.” Sunlight catches the twitch of his lip. “Run.”

I could run. I want to.I’m definitely considering it…

His eyes darken. “I dare you.”

I sigh and lean back. There’s no point. He’d only chase me, or worse, allow me to think I’m free. There’s no running away from this, even if I was a runner. Which I’m not.

He nods at the driver through the rearview mirror, and the car once again pulls out onto the road.

“Are you going to answer any of my questions?” I’m stuck here. I may as well make it painful for him too.

He ignores me.

Perfect.

He flicks a wrist toward my vibrating phone, his other hand dragging down his face. “Might wanna get that. Your friends seem stressed.”

I scan every line of this man’s face like I carved them there myself. I know him like I do the Codex.I loved him.More than a human could love anyone, but I still shot him. I still watched him bleed out on the floor out of the sake of orders. I chose my loyalties in a split second, then s[ent a year regretting it.

I open the group chat.

Punk: I’m working on this. I have no idea what’s happened.

Has anyone heard from Nonna yet?

Jord: No, I think she’s on a job.