Page 99 of Liars and Liaisons

Except Violet’s death isn’t something I will recover from.

* * *

“You can absolutely not gowith him.”

I’m bent over, lacing up a pair of oxfords. Violet stands directly in front of me, rage vibrating off of her in hot, palpable waves.

We came back to the estate so she could grab a few things before going to stay at her cousin’s house again. At least for the time being. I don’t feel good having her here even if…

Even if I’d rather be the one to protect her from my piece-of-shit family. I don’t deserve the right, but all the same, my chest aches to keep her tucked into my side at all costs.

“Someone has to fund the sudden trip,” I joke, trying to ease the tension from her shoulders.

“Kal has plenty of money, and you’re takinghisjet.”

“He asked me to go.” I sit up, grabbing her hips and spreading my legs, pulling her between them. “I think I owe the man after defiling his baby sister, don’t you?”

“No.” She frowns, tears welling up in her eyes as I tuck a piece of hair behind her ear. “You don’t owe anyone anything.”

“Not entirely true. I owe you a lot of things. At the top of that list, orgasms.”

My skin heats, and she blinks her tears away, liquid desire filling those beautiful brown, gemstone eyes instead.

“Then, stay here and give them to me.” She shifts, pressing her tits to my chin, and I’ll admit, I’m tempted.

I don’twantto go at all. I’d much rather throw her back on my bed and never let either of us leave the comfort of my room. The world could surrender to flames all around us, and the only thing I’d give a shit about was that she was with me, and I, her.

That way, when our souls inevitably exited this planet, I wouldn’t have to search for hers.

We’d go together.

And that’s exactly why I need to leave now. To make sure the world she lives in is safe and ready for that kind of commitment. So I can keep her around much longer, without the threat of harm from the people we know.

So, I let her lean in and kiss me. Even let her tongue sweep across mine, and I taste her like it could be the last time. Her hands tangle in my hair, and mine fall down to cup her ass, grinding her into me, even as I know nothing’s changed.

When I pull away, she blows out a long breath because she knows it too.

“If I’m attacked while you’re away, the only person you have to blame is yourself.”

I chuckle, watching her as she makes her way to my bathroom and starts disrobing for an afternoon soak. My dick stirs, temptation clawing a deep path through my sternum, but then I think about the meetings that Nate and my father are in back in New York and Violet’s belief that her father is in danger, and I shake it off.

We can take care of that when I return.

“The only things that’ll get you here are the ghosts.”

34

“I don’t thinkyou should stay there alone.”

Rolling my eyes, I shift so Cora can get a full view of my bedroom. Micah’s on the bed, painting her toenails a bright yellow, and Willow sits beside her, scrolling through social media on her tablet, occasionally tilting it to show Micah something she finds funny.

Micah almost never laughs, though she insists it’s because Willow’s sense of humor is terrible.

The way Willow watches her, with a soft little glint in her warm brown eyes, makes me think she’s just trying to get her to smile. They’ve both been on edge since finding out about Nate’s true intentions, and Willow’s self-appointed responsibility is easing the younger girl’s discomfort.

She hasn’t even said anything about the color of Micah’s nails, which will undoubtedly wash her pale skin out. Just sits close by in case she needs anything.

Glancing back at my phone, I raise my brows at my cousin. “As you can see,Mother, I’m not alone. Grayson’s also got a well-equipped security detail, and he had the system itself checked for bugs and firewalls before he left. This place is a fortress.”

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