Total pages in book: 94
Estimated words: 91164 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 456(@200wpm)___ 365(@250wpm)___ 304(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 91164 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 456(@200wpm)___ 365(@250wpm)___ 304(@300wpm)
“Is that why the bruise?”
“You do seem to come up a lot in conversation lately.”
“What do you want, Jet?” I ask.
He considers, looks at his plate of food. I don’t think either of us are hungry anymore. He shifts his gaze back to mine. “Maybe I want to be the way we were the other night too.”
I smile, unsure of the chaos of emotions inside my body right now. I love Cassian. I know that. This Jet, though, this vulnerable version of Jet? He’s special. I just haven’t figured out how.
“Who did you trust who is untrustworthy?” I ask because I want to know about his scars, and I remember how he’d told me that.
His eyes narrow thoughtfully, and he must remember our conversation the other night because one corner of his mouth lifts up into a grin.
“My brother,” he answers and I’m not sure if I expected him to tell me or not.
“Your brother did that to you?”
He glances at my hand, the one without the bandage. “Sometimes family can be a real drag.” His mouth stretches into a grin that’s not remotely close to a smile. He eats a bite of pasta, leans back in his chair and studies me. “He promised to look after Vivi and Gage after Seth,” he says.
I raise my eyebrows.
“You asked me if he always jumps when she calls. I guess he does.” I feel my jaw tighten and glance away. “There’s nothing romantic between them if that’s what you’re worried about.”
“I’m not worried.”
“Don’t start lying to me now, Allegra. I’m giving you what you want. You gotta meet me halfway, because this whole truth thing is not a one-way street.”
He’s right. If I want him to be what he was the other night, if I want raw honesty, I need to do the same. “Okay.”
“That’s not so hard, is it? Last night, you never got to tell me what it was you did.”
A weight settles in my stomach. I look at my hand with its bandage and remember my mother’s ring. Remember it’s here in the house.
“Long story,” I lie. It’s not. In fact, it’s a very short one. “What happened to Seth?” I ask instead.
“Deflect. Good one.”
The study door opens as if on cue and Jet and I stare at each other as Cassian returns.
Jet leans toward me. “You’ll have to ask Cassian that question.”
“What question do you have to ask me?” Cassian asks, taking in the scene, the mood. Making me realize how guilty I must look.
I give Jet a glare.
He winks and eats his pasta.
“Who was that?” I ask.
“You know who it was, Allegra. What’s the question you have to ask me?”
Commotion at the front door interrupts us. We all turn. This is different than when Jet came in. This is soldiers and raised voices.
“What the fuck is he doing here?” Jet mutters, turning in his seat.
Half a dozen soldiers come into view then, two with huge guns strapped across their chests. Among them, not quite ahead and not quite behind walks a man. I’ve seen him before, and I see the resemblance between him and Jet and I remember.
That’s Severin Blackstone.
He’s the one who put those scars on Jet’s chest and back.
Severin’s furious, and he’s not alone. He’s shoving a man ahead of him, a man who’s clearly been beaten badly. I hear myself gasp when I see his swollen, bruised face.
Severin turns toward us. His eyes narrow on Jet like he’s unsurprised to see him here, but angry about it all the same. But then the beaten man tries to run, and Severin reaches out an arm to grab him, to shove him roughly toward Cassian.
“What the fuck is this?” Cassian asks, looking down at the man who is trying to scramble to his feet. Severin prevents him from rising, though, with a foot on the back of his neck.
“You wanted to know who sent that gun to your nephew.”
Cassian’s expression changes, his forehead furrows.
Severin points down to the man on the floor, gives him a swift kick.
The man grunts.
“How do you know it was him?” Cassian asks.
“Maybe I’m not as nauseated by violence as you like to believe.”
“Did he confess before or after you beat the shit out of him?”
“No, the beating came after.”
“If you’re fucking lying—”
“Question him yourself. He’s all yours. Do what you want with him. As far as the world is concerned, he no longer exists.”
Cassian’s eyes narrow, but he gestures to Enzo. “Put him with Rami.”
My attention snaps to Cassian, panic sending adrenaline rushing through my system. “Rami’s here?”
Cassian glances at me, but doesn’t answer.
“You,” Severin says, pointing to Jet. “Get home.”
Jet just gives him the finger.
Severin presses a hand to the back of his neck, shakes his head. He turns to Cassian.
“You keep your family’s trash out of my affairs,” he says to Cassian before turning on his heel to walk back out, shoving off the hand of the soldier who tries to take his arm.