Page 106 of Lured By Shadows

“No one except you.”

I scoffed because believing him outright felt stupid, like handing over too much of myself without a safety net.

“Lies,” I muttered, distrust bleeding through even as my heart tried to argue back.

Then he was back to his usual self, placing his hand on my head and patting it gently.

“I hardly have cause to lie to you.”

His distracting hand made me forget I was supposed to keep my walls up.

“You know you’re gonna have to prove that,” I said, lifting my chin and clinging to whatever dignity I had left. “Words aren’t gonna cut it.”

“In time, Ira,” he promised, his voice rich enough to make my knees misbehave.

He finally stepped back, granting me space I was getting less and less of when he was around. Still, he didn’t release my hand. Instead, he turned and tugged me along gently, a tether rather than a leash.

“Follow me, little lamb.”

With a frustrated huff, I bit down on my vape and let the familiar buzz settle into my lungs, the sharp nicotine hit grounding me for a second.

But my body had already chosen him, step for step, hand in hand, following his lead.

“Ira,” a bright, almost sing-song voice called from behind us, far too cheerful for the quiet stretch of hallway.

Culver sighed before he even turned, the smallest tightening in his posture giving him away. His voice stayed calm, but I caught the irritation tucked neatly beneath it, pressed flat and controlled. “What brings you here today, brother?”

Rupert didn’t hesitate. He practically bounced into view, light on his feet like gravity was more of a suggestion than a rule.

“I came for the two of you,” he announced brightly. “Come drinking with us.”

Us?

Right on cue, Soroush appeared behind him, moving slower and quieter, like he preferred to exist in the background even when he couldn’t avoid attention. There was something tired in his eyes. Not sorrowful exactly, just worn in a way that suggested he’d learned when resistance wasn’t worth the energy. Still, he carried himself with an easy confidence, graceful without trying.

I didn’t know him well, but I wanted to get to know him better.

If we were around other people, Culver couldn’t corner me emotionally the way he did, wrapping me up in an intense, singular focus that squeezed the air from my lungs and scattered my thoughts until nothing else existed but him. Not fully anyway, not with distractions to dilute the overwhelming stare.

A slow grin tugged at my mouth. Maybe this was perfect.

“Oh, Culver,” I said sweetly, swinging our joined hands just enough to be annoying. “Can we?”

I widened my eyes and leaned into my most innocent tone, the one that usually made men short-circuit.

He didn’t answer right away. His lips parted slightly, like he was tasting the shift, assessing the game I’d just initiated. A thoughtful hum followed before he nodded, smooth and unreadable.

“I had intended to keep you to myself today,” he said quietly, “but it appears you have other plans. Whatever you desire, precious lamb.”

“Yay!” Rupert clapped and spun, already dragging Soroush into him with unapologetic affection. “Let’s go!”

Soroush glanced at me as we started walking, offering a small nod.

“Hello, Ira,” he said, his voice soft but steady.

“Hey,” I replied comfortably. “Are you getting dragged into this without permission?”

His hands settled naturally at Rupert’s waist, and a knowing smile crossed his face. It was the kind that said he’d long since stopped being surprised by chaos.