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Horror floods my body, locking my muscles. Slowly, I push from the bed and shuffle to the side. The closer I am to the door, the better.
“Jag?” I murmur. “What do you know about the Night Slayers?”
Jenkins was giddy when he learned about the MC in Rima sowing havoc and chaos throughout the city. He kept saying they’d be a great ally for the Guild. The leader, who he never met, wanted to do whatever they could to align themselves with Jenkins. Dante has never indicated he’d be a part of them, but it doesn’t make sense why Jenkins wouldn’t know about another MC.
“Going somewhere?” Dante’s voice from behind me has my breath stalling in my chest.
I turn, knowing I won’t be able to run even if I wanted to. And I really don’t want to. I may have told Dante I don’t know how to love, but I thought I could learn with him. It’s hard to wrap my mind around the fact he might have been playing me this whole time.
“What MC are you in?” I whisper, begging for him to tell me I’m wrong. That no matter what the signs point to he’s not one of them.
“It’s better if you don’t know. We talked about this, Aelia.”
“He’s in the Vipers,” Jag cuts in.
Dante glares at him, annoyance clear on his face. “Thanks a lot, fucker. What happens if they separate us?”
“Better than her thinking you’re a Night Slayer?” Avery retorts. “I don’t even know who they are and I can tell they’re bad news.”
“Avery, stay the fuck out of it,” Jag hisses, and she rolls her eyes.
“Like you just did?” she sneers.
Dante grabs my hand and leads me to the closet. I glance back at Avery and Jag bickering in the middle of the room. Sighing, I let him tug me inside. No matter what he says, I have a feeling everything is going to change. I’m not sure if I’m ready for any of it.
He drops his hold on me as soon as the door clicks shut. There’s not enough room to pace in here, but he tries anyway. Three steps away from me, pivot, three steps back. Running a hand through his hair, he finally stops, staring at the dark wood lining the back of the closet.
“Did you honestly think I was a part of the Night Slayers?” he asks harshly, and I flinch.
He spins around, eyeing me, and I shrug as I twist my hands together, refusing to meet his gaze.
“That’s fucked up, Aelia. I thought we knew each other better than that.”
I sniff, biting my lip. “We do, but I don’t know.”
“You don’t know.”
I throw my hands up, spinning around to escape his harsh gaze, then I fling my body around again to face him. I jut my chin out as all my insecurities fall away. How fucking dare he make me feel bad about this?
“You know what? I do know. I’ve spent my entire life second-guessing everyone around me. I’ve lived in a world where no one can be trusted. Then you waltz in, and I’m just supposed to, what? Turn that off? Because not only would that be a surefire way to get me killed, but it’s not possible. I won’t apologize for worrying that maybe I was too naïve.”
He drops his chin to his chest and crosses his arms, fingers flexing against his biceps. I don’t fucking care what excuses he has for his behavior. I won’t allow him to jump down my throat every time I question something.
I’ve lived so long without knowing someone’s true intentions, I don’t know how to fully trust. It’s one of the reasons I don’t think I can ever fully love Dante. If I could pick anyone to trust, though, I’d choose him every time. I want so badly to force my mind to stop second-guessing him, but I can’t.
“You’re right,” he murmurs, glancing at me from under his lashes.
I jump, taken aback by his sudden agreement. “What?”
“I said you’re right.I don’t know what it’s like to question everyone around you, even someone you think you should trust. Doesn’t make it any easier that the woman I love thinks I’m aligned with the Guild and actively working to keep her enslaved, but we’ll figure that out later.”
Startled, I stare at him with wide eyes. I’m always caught off guard when he mentions his feelings. He’s not overt about it, which just means I’m blindsided by it when he does. He covers his mouth, hiding his grin, but I scowl.
“What happened with the Night Slayers?” I ask, tipping my chin up in an attempt to get us back on track.
He reaches for me, pulling my body into his. “You’re cute when you’re trying to hold your ground.”
I push against his chest, grumbling under my breath. He tips my head up, then kisses me hard. I sputter, curling my fingers into his chest. I’m torn between pushing him away and pulling him closer.
