Page 26 of Anton

No. They would’ve said something by now.

I tread across the rooms, my eyes drifting over the entire place, checking for…I don’t even know what. But something feels off.

When I pass the kitchen, I freeze. The sink is empty.

“What the hell?”

I rack my brain, trying to remember if I did the dishes when I was here yesterday. I could’ve sworn I didn’t. Greer called, needing me at the farm for an emergency, so I rushed over. Maybe I washed them and forgot. It wouldn’t be the first time.

I open the cabinet and find the bowl and plate stacked neatly with the others.

Okay, weird. Really fucking weird.

I close the door and push the thought aside, turning my attention to the reason I came. Once I have what I need, I lock up and return to the car.

But even after I pull back onto the road, the unease follows me.

The farther I drive, the harder it becomes to convince myself I imagined any of it.

CHAPTER TEN

THORA

It’s been a couple of days since I’ve seen Anton, and I’m beginning to wonder whether I ever will again. He hasn’t shown up at the café or anywhere else in town. Maybe he grew bored with me and moved on.

I hate that the thought bothers me. He’s no one to me. Just a man from a world every bit as dangerous as my own. We aren’t even friends, no matter how much I wish we were.

Be honest. Friendship isn’t all you wanted from him.

So what? Friends with benefits could work.

Great. Now I’m talking with myself. What the hell has happened to me?

I abandon the argument and walk over to the full-length mirror, fluffing my hair before pulling a pair of high-heeled pumps from the closet.

I swipe on another layer of nude lipstick and check that my eyeliner hasn’t smudged. I’m already running late for my night out with Blair, and she’ll kill me if her favorite band starts before I get there.

Of course, that makes me wonder what kind of music Anton listens to and whether we have anything in common besides the dangerous families we were born into.

By the time I reach the foyer, I’m annoyed with myself for thinking about him this much. I pull my coat from the closet and slip it over my black minidress before reaching for the door.

“Be careful tonight, will you?” Greer’s voice stops me before I touch the handle.

I exhale before turning around, hearing the worry beneath her words.

They’ve all treated me differently since the incident, watching me as though I might fall apart without warning. Some days, I’m exhausted from having the worst thing that ever happened to me constantly on their minds.

“Stop worrying about me. I’m okay. I’ll be safe. Plus, I’ve got Blair, and she’ll knock anyone out if they even look at me wrong.”

Her mouth twitches as she steps closer. “Are you sure you’re okay? I know it’s been a while since⁠—”

“Just stop. I love you, you know I do, but I don’t want to talk about it. Ever. It’s in the past, and I haven’t really thought about it much. Until now.”

Which is a lie, of course.

“Fine.” She waves a hand through the air. “I’m sorry. You’re right.” The frustration leaves her face. “I just don’t want some son of a bitch making you afraid ever again.”

The words hit me right in the chest.