Page 34 of Cursed Encounter
Did we just pull this off, or does Andre know what the heck is going on?
I guess I’ll find out tomorrow.
THIRTEEN
Donovan
I stop talking when the screech of the wrought iron gate at the front of the house swinging open hits my ears. I swear I’m holding my breath as I watch the shadow dance down the hall that leads to the courtyard below me, only finally taking in air the moment I see Astra’s form step delicately into view. The world around me is quiet, and I can’t even remember what I’d been talking about.
Andre trails behind Astra, his arms loaded down with bags, though I don’t shift my attention to look at him fully. It’s odd how I find comfort in the whole image, but I can’t say why I do. I don’t care if she has shit to wear or little comforts most might find they need. I don’t care if she’s happy or feels somewhat settled here.
Yeah, right. Just like you don’t care about how the ache in your chest loosened the moment she came into view.
I’ve never felt any sort of anxiety or frustration like this. I blame her and the fucking curse for making my head a mess. If I’m honest, there’s a tiny amount of fear lingering in the background, too. Fear of what will happen if we stay away from each other for too long. Yet, I can’t help but wonder how long, how far, I can push that boundary.
She’s been gone for hours, and I haven’t been able to focus on anything during that time. Torrin picked up my slack, andnow he’s here, filling me in on what I need to know. I think he’s also checking on me. I hate him for it as much as I am grateful for it. He knows me too well. Which means, when I started to feel the pull of the curse’s symptoms, it didn’t go unnoticed by him.
I stare down at her, wondering if she can feel it too.
As if she senses my eyes on her, she stops halfway through the courtyard and tilts her head back. Her doe eyes connect with mine, pulling me in with such force that I have to lock my body so I don’t jump over the railing to get to her. Her lips part.
All I can think about is claiming her mouth.
I’m thrown back to that night. The sounds she made when I slipped my tongue between her lips and tangled it around hers. The way her body felt under me. The way she gave me a part of herself.
But it wasn’t real.
It’s not real.
It was just one fucking night. One fuck, then I was supposed to walk away. She wasn’t even supposed to be a memory, let alone a fixture in my life. Part of me wonders if she had been playing me that night. If her father didn’t put her up to something, and now we’re just both fucked.
The anger floods my veins, and I can feel my features twisting and pinching before they turn to stone.
The color drains from her face as she snaps her mouth shut. Her feet work quickly as she ducks her head again. I don’t take my eyes off her until she disappears below the floor under me. Even then, I listen for her soft footfalls, finding myself annoyed and shaky when I don’t hear them.
“Are we going to talk about it?” Torrin’s amused voice cuts through the silence.
I clear my throat and stand tall, mentally shaking off whatever the fuck is going on with me as I try my damnedest to remember what I’d been saying before.
Right. Paulie. I had him in my grasp yesterday, and I let him fucking go. If only I knew then what I know now.
I resist the urge to pull up the video my team sent me. Paulie got into the fucking casino. And how did he do that when I have a pretty fucking good security staff? By dressing up as one of the barbacks and keeping the hat pulled over his eyes. I’m still seething over watching him put the bright green poison in Sonny’s water.
Paulie said he has the mayor’s protection, so that only leads me to think that fucking Greely Aubert is somehow behind this.
He’s trying to get to me.
But how far will he go?
My mind goes back to Astra. Then back to Aubert. He wouldn’t… would he?
“We can’t let him get away with—”
Torrin cuts me off with a laugh.
“That’s not what I meant,” he says as he crosses his arms over his chest. He’s not playing around. And I have a feeling what he’s talking about is something I most certainly don’t even want to think about, let alone get into a conversation about.
I grunt, turning my attention back to the darkening courtyard. The lights begin to flick on, their dim glow making the space below feel more inviting. I want to grab a glass of bourbon and head down there. I want to sit in one of the plush chairs and look up at the sky. I want to smoke endless cigarettes and hide amongst the foliage until I figure out what the hell I’m supposed to do.
