Page 102 of Depraved

He tightened his hold at the back of my head, gripping my hair tight. “Neon. She’s alive.”

CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

ALYX

Naked and cold, I stood in the corner of the bathroom glaring at Granite, his big frame occupying the doorway. “Could you…um…could you say that again?”

Granite tossed me a towel. “Get dressed. Then we talk.”

“Is Neon alive?” I caught the towel, but I didn’t have it in me to care that I was naked.

“First clothes. Then talk.”

I locked my jaw, my chest rising and falling as anger and confusion poisoned every breath. “Did I hear you correctly, Granite? Is Neon alive?”

“Get—”

“Goddammit, Granite,” I snapped. “Just tell me!”

Granite roughed his hand through his hair before stretching his arms, holding his hands against the doorframe, head downcast. “Yes, Alyx. Neon is alive.”

“Dear God.” My legs shook, and I grabbed the side of the tub, steadying myself as I sat on the edge. “Neon is alive? How…how is that possible?”

Granite brushed his fingers across his forehead then finally managed to look me in the eye. “Neon isn’t dead, Alyx.” He visibly took a deep breath. “I lied.”

“What?”

Two simple words, yet I couldn’t wrap my head around it. “You lied?”

He placed his hands on his side, the leather of his cut creaking with the movement. “Yeah. I lied.”

I narrowed my eyes. “Why? Why would you⁠—”

“I had my reasons.”

“Like what?”

Granite stared at me from underneath his lashes, watching me like he was waiting for me to break at any moment. “What they did to her, Alyx, it was⁠—”

“It couldn’t have been worse than killing her.”

He snorted and shook his head. “Believe me. I think she’d rather be dead.”

A sudden fit of rage swept through me, and I launched myself at him, fists balled and ready. My fists slammed against his chest, and I kept screaming. Cursing and beating him, I wanted to hurt him like he had hurt me.

“You son of a bitch! You lied to me!”

He didn’t even try to fight me. He just stood there, allowing me to punch him, taking every hit and facing my anger.

I couldn’t stop. I couldn’t stop from wanting to hurt him. All I saw was him, her, the lie. It was slamming against my ribcage, clawing at my insides, shredding me into nothing but slivers of rage.

“You lied!”

“I had to.”

“You fucking lied!”

“Alyx, stop.” He took a step forward and grabbed my arms, keeping me from hitting him again.