Page 45 of After Our Kiss

“Don't apologize for attacking Lonnie. Or for running.” He shrugged. “You'd only be lying.”

Shifting uneasily, I reclined with my head on the rim of the tub. Steam condensed on the sink and single, small frosted window. “Where is he right now?”

“No clue. He does what he wants.”

It was weird to be sitting naked and talking so casually. But I clung to it. “He told me... that you told him all about me and the things I like. So he could use them against me.”

Black lightning slammed through his eyes. “I'd never.”

“I thought so, too. But he brought me candy... and lemonade... and a book.”

Conway leaned closer. “Where did you put them?”

His inquisition wasn't settling my nerves. I withdrew in the water up to my neck, eyeing him. “Me? I didn't put them anywhere. They weren't in my room when you brought me back. I guess he took them when he left. How did he even get out? I'd locked him in.”

“He called me. I released him before we went after you.”

I should have checked Lonnie for a phone. A spike of disappointment had me sinking lower. Water tickled my chin. “If you didn't tell him, how did he know? The Valley of the Horses is too specific to be a guess.”

Conway moved, sitting on the floor next to me. His head was level with mine. “Maybe he saw me bring it to you. I don't know. That was a long time ago.”

“It was,” I whispered.

We sat in silence. I wondered if he was reliving the same memories. Were they fond ones for him, or horrible? I knew where I fit into his present, but where did I fit into his past? I itched to learn everything about Conway. I knew where I had to start.

My arm dripped water as I swooped it out, catching his left hand, lifting it into the light. The notch in his finger reminded me of a crater on the moon. “How did this happen?”

He studied his own finger as if he'd never seen the damage until now. “My father was accused of cheating at poker. The girl who was bringing him his drinks was blamed. The other players thought she'd been slipping him cards. They took his money, then were going to take her whole hand... until I saidI'dbeen the one helping him cheat.”

My mouth went dry. “Were you?”

“Dad is many things, but he's not a cheater. They just wanted to bully him to make a point.”

I was hanging on his every word. “You risked your life to save her.”

He smiled wryly. “Please. Those big bastards over the border are all talk.”

“If they're all talk, why did you get involved?”

He frowned and slid his hand out of mine. “I said they were all talk, not that they're good people. Ultimately, they backed down, agreeing to just take Dad's winnings, and part of my pinky instead of a whole hand. It worked out for everyone.”

He acts like what went down was normal.“That's awful. I'm so sorry.”

“Don't be.”

“You said the border. Is that where Facile took you both? To Mexico?”

I could tell he was debating whether to answer me. Finally he sighed. “Yes, that's where we ended up. Little lawless town—well, mostly lawless. Dad made new friends and new enemies both.”

“It's dangerous around him,” I whispered.

“Of course. It's always been that way.”

“Why didn't you ever try and run?” The question came out in a rush. My tongue was working to keep up as I let my heart speak for me. “If you were smart enough to survive for so long, what stopped you from just escaping Facile?”

A wicked, spiky thing welled up in his eyes. His knuckles turned bloodless, and when the ceiling bulb flickered, I imagined it was because of the unseen darkness flowing off of him that looked for every source of light it could wipe out. “What makes you think Iwantedto leave his side?”

I was falling... slipping through the fingers of courage that had been cupping my heart. Conway couldn't mean it, he couldn't. I was so fucking confused again. “I don't understand.”

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