Page 62 of Liars and Liaisons

I’m certain our father wasn’t aware of his ventures up the mountain. But my brother never was very good at keeping his nose to himself or sating his curiosity in other ways. Now, they’re likely rethinking his involvement, assuming his attendance at my parties also means he’s participating in the insidiousness. Because he’s never been able to help himself from indulging in anything that might make his ego feel good.

Still, he levels me with a look of cool disdain. “What are you doing to them, Grayson?”

One corner of my mouth twitches. I almost let it curve up. “Killing them.”

The room goes utterly silent. A few seconds later, chaos erupts like a volcanic explosion. I excuse myself and slip into an adjoining room while they argue over the merit of my “joke,” lighting a cigar in the hopes that it might do something to calm my nerves.

The smoke invades my nostrils, pulling me back to the matter at hand as the irate chatter quiets through the door. A glance at the fireplace reveals that horrific, mangled face among the flames, and I curse under my breath at the realization that Sydney’s ghost hasn’t fucking gone anywhere.

Like everyone else, she’s just biding her time, and I’m quickly running out.

The door to the room opens and closes softly, quickly. I swear, the temperature drops at least three degrees, and the lights flicker when Ian Crane enters, hands shoved in the pockets of his black slacks.

He wears a long coat, its collar pulled up against his neck. At first glance, he doesn’t even appear to have a head, but then his carefully coiffed black hair reveals itself. Almost violet blue in the flames’ glow.

Behind a pair of circular, wire-rimmed glasses, the copper eyes tracking my movements appear red the closer he gets. His gait is meticulous, as if every step he takes requires conscious thought. He has several inches of height on me, tall as a fucking tree, so I almost have to tilt my head back just to look up at him.

Years ago, I found that comforting. He has an essence of darkness around him that allows you to hide your own within, and when we were just starting out at NEAA, I thought that was what I needed in a companion.

For someone’s shadows to blanket the stars in my vision.

Until I realized darkness like his will swallow you whole and leave you with nothing. That not all night can coexist. That’s the difference between dusk and dawn—the gradient of evil.

And I didn’t want darkness to add to my own.

I wanted light to snuff out.

“What blackmail does my family have on you?” I ask finally, setting the cigar on the obsidian-colored glass ashtray by my elbow.

He chuckles, the sound deep and throaty. “No blackmail. There’s this thing called free will—maybe you’ve heard of it?”

“Heard of it. Not the biggest fan of its execution.” I lean back against the bar, taking his lean stature in against the background of the dark room.

“Your being here right now is the very definition, my friend.” He takes the cigar, puts it between his lips. A plume of smoke puffs into the air between us, the cigar butt glowing a fierce red with his next inhale. “I’m supposed to be here to report back to the dean. Either tell him why you’ve not been communicating or tell him you’re doing great.”

My eyes meet his, but I don’t say anything. Waiting.

“Guess I’m not the character witness everyone thought they were getting.” He smirks. “I’m not your judge, Grayson. You don’t answer to me.”

“Glad to hear it. Not that I need your validation.”

“Sure, sure. Just the validation of the girl you’re hiding on the property.”

Violet. Fuck, the complete shit show of my family drew my every thought away from her for the first time since I’d laid eyes on her.

I glance toward one of the windows, at the night sky and the lake beyond, squinting to see if I can make out any sort of movement out there.

I wasn’t thinking when I threw her clothes into the water. Around her, I’m never thinking. That’s only a fourth of the problem where she’s concerned.

Still, I did it to keep her from coming back to the house while my family was inside. The reveal is supposed to be in stages, and I want to be able to sit back and watch her presence utterly destroy my brother from the inside out.

Clearing my throat, I look at Ian and narrow my gaze. “How do you know about her?”

His smirk grows. “Priya tells me everything.”

“Priya’s soon to find herself unemployed.”

“Ah, don’t be too hard on her.” He stamps out the cigar, clearing his throat. “Ididask how you were. Thought I’d at least be polite. She seems to think you’re smitten with your brother’s ex, and I told her that sounded just like you. Lecherous and deviant.”

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