Page 233 of Stay Scared

“It should.”

For the first time tonight, Owen looks almost pleased to be watched.

Movement reaches us from farther down the corridor.

I do not need to turn yet.

I squeeze Owen’s hand once more before releasing it.

“Neon palm trees.”

His eyes narrow.

“That information dies with you.”

“Absolutely not.”

Movement reaches us from farther down the corridor. Cade looks past Owen, and Owen lets go of my hand.

Ash steps into the working light.

His face is bare, his coat gone, and the sleeves of his black shirt are rolled to his forearms, exposing the faint scars left from Rook’s knife.

The founder key in my pocket suddenly feels heavier.

He stops several feet away.

The distance is deliberate.

I hate that I notice.

“You brought lawyers into this.”

Ash looks toward my coat pocket. He knows where the key is.

“You opened the envelope.”

“I considered setting it on fire.”

“You kept it.”

“Barely.”

“The signature line is still blank.”

“Were you checking?”

“The attorney told me.”

“That is healthier than hacking my email.”

Owen glances at him. Ash ignores us both.

“I offered you half.”

“You offered me half of a condemned nightmare and expected that to seem romantic.”

“Romance was never the point.”