Page 71 of All Your Bloody Lies

I pull out my phone and tap away before sliding it over in front of her. Her moonlit eyes meet mine. She doesn’t look down, even though I’m eager for her to.

“Why?”

“Why what?”

“Why me?” she presses, and while that isn’t the question I thought she was going to ask, I have my answer.

“Why not?” It isn’t all I’ll give her, but it’s where I want to start. “I don’t think you want the answer to that question, because if you did, you wouldn’t be sleeping in your bed alone. You wouldn’t be using your toys on yourself, I would be.” Her pupils dilate, and I’m pretty sure I’m beginning to see a shade of red filter under her cheeks. “So, I’ll give you the creepiest answer so that you can still feel disgust when you look at me.

“You are a challenge I know that I will never conquer. A battle that will go on for countless centuries. A never-ending back-and-forth that will only die when one of us, or the world itself does,” I say, noting her efforts to keep her breathing steady, though her accelerating heartbeat betrays her. “I’ve never enjoyed life more, chasing that tight ass around this city and across state lines.”

Seeing her roll her eyes and scoff makes me chuckle before continuing, “Look at the phone, Xera, and let’s talk.”

She releases a breath through her nose and peeks down. I can see her reading quickly, and when she picks up the phone and begins moving the page down, I’ve done the one thing I didn’t think possible. I’ve given her something she needed beyond sex and feeding.

I’m not sure why, but that feeling of elation swells in my chest.Fucking Beyond, what have you done to me?

“Dominic and Dante,” she whispers, “they reported to Ansford before Mortars… ten years ago…” Her swallow is rough, and I can see her hands tremble ever so slightly. “They were a part of… Oh my Gods.”

Isabella had given me enough information for me to do some further investigation on my own. These files were not easy to get, but to see her react this way, it was worth the trouble I could get into if they found out. There is a plethora of emotions written on her face, but I swear she’s happy.

“They were part of a group called The Clektic, with three other unidentifiable individuals. No names?” Her tone doesn’t mirror the feelings I know she has. Inconvenient that the names were missing, but there was absolutely no trace of them. I shake my head, and she nods. She quickly looks over at Sydni, as do I; they are holding hands and laughing with one another.

“Okay.” She continues reading over the information, “I knew Ansford had something to do with this, but they are so far up each other’s ass it’s impossible to get close to anyone. Kit was the first person from the Ansford Hause I’ve ever been able to meet. At least, knowing he was employed with them.”

Kit Morrison, the one she had gone on that date with, wouldn’t have been able to provide her with much anyway. She likely knew that, but an in was an in. I do feel bad about that, but I can provide her more anyhow.

“It’s because they sign a death contract upon accepting a position within even the ranks of their cooks,” I say, reaching out and putting my hand on her wrist to steady her shaking.

“You once asked where Mathas was before coming to Achille and the Hause Sidence. He was a bodyguard for Desiray Ansford.” Her eyes widen. “Who is the daughter of—”

“Kor De Linos Ansford, the fucking head of his Hause.”

I nod. “I want you to tell me what happened, but I already know you aren’t ready.”

“I’ll never be ready. You aren’t my thera—”

“I don’t want you to tell me because I’m a fucking shrink, Xera.” Her eyes shift slightly from the phone to my hand, but she doesn’t move to separate us yet. “I’m not here to argue with you about telling me. Go to my texts.” She sets my phone down and gently pulls away from my grasp. I don’t fight her, just watch as she goes to my messages.

I don’t need to instruct her to open the one from Dominic, clearly labeled as such. “Their father’s birthday, it’s tomorrow night.” She reads over the details of the invite, and when she looks up at me, she narrows her eyes. “Why are you showing me this?”

“We should go.”

She doesn’t respond immediately, and I give her a moment. I sense her mind assessing and calculating. It’s written in her eyes, gently moving between mine.

“No, we shouldn’t. I should.”

I can’t help but laugh, and just as I’m about to call her an idiot, I feel her hand on mine. “You need to understand something, Kai.” Her firm tone and the physical contact she made makes me pause. I’m not to speak over her, and that is clear in this moment. “I didn’t need you before, and I would work another ten years not to need anyone… ever. However,” I see her nostrils flare and the irritation between her brows, “connections are all I’ve ever worked for. It’s how I get to where I need to be, and you… You’ve just become a valuable connection.

“That being said, because I can see you’re about to start smirking.” I was, and the fact she grasps that makes me smile anyway. “With you there, you take away all my power. I have to betheirsfor them to becomemine.”

My cock is fully at attention, fucking Vayl, she’s one powerful woman.

Once more, she casts a quick glance at Sydni before returning her focus to me, locking her gaze with mine. “I need you to text Dominic and tell him that you won’t be attending. Tell him that we had a falling out and that you’d already extended the invitation to me well in advance—I noticed he sent it over a week ago to you.”

I don’t like the sound of this plan, not one fucking bit, but I hold my tongue for now.

“That I may show up tomorrow, and that if I do, he needs to text you to come collect me.”

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