No use in lying.
“To see Grim.”
He pushed his tongue into his cheek, looking me up and down. Finally, after what felt like forever, he said, “Nah, you’re not. You’re gonna stay right here.”
I yanked my arm free. “Like fuck I am.”
He slammed his hand against the wall as I tried to leave. “You don’t go anywhere without one of us. You don’t piss without us. If for some reason we’re not with you, be back at your house before nightfall.”
I think I did a double take. “Excuse me? A curfew?”
“I’m guessing that’s something your spoiled ass has never had.” He craned his neck to stare at my ass.
I turned away because, no, I’d never had a fucking curfew.
“If one of us texts, text back.”
“And if I break these rules?” I stepped to him. “I already know the worst thing you can do to me, and I don’t care.”
He grabbed me by my hip bones, bruising. “You haveno ideathe things we can do to you.”
I sucked in a breath.
He smiled, then let me go and walked back to my bed. Raze leaned against the wall, pulling out his phone.
They were settled in. Comfortable. Like they were planning tostay.
“So, it’s late,” I said. “You’ve made your point. I’m thoroughly terrified. I’ll be a good little girl now.”
Wraith sat down on my settee, his scary mad dog vibes totally at odds with the cream velvet.
I blinked. “You’re not seriously thinking you cansleephere.” Silence met me. “Grim knows about this?” I tested.
“All that fancy boarding school learning and they didn’t teach you basic vocabulary?” Lock asked. “As far as you’re concerned, Grim is dead. But don’t worry, we’ll be there for you, princess. Every day.”
EIGHTEEN
GEMMA
The Horsemen left my room, but their shadows frosted the glass on my double door. I was trapped in my own fucking room. It didn’t make any sense. I stared at their three unmoving shadows, trying to put pieces of the puzzle together, but there are too many gaps in the board.
I don’t remember falling asleep. I woke up in the same position, a crick in my neck from having slept sitting up all night. The shadows at the door were gone. Rubbing my neck, I went out to my living room?—
“There you are, sweetie.” My mom stood in the living room, arms folded.
Sweetie?
Normally, my mother’s kindness would elicit a bone-chilling dread. Today, I barely registered it past the fear screaming in my bones that she would see the Horsemen. She would know what I was hiding.
She wouldknow.
I looked around my living room.
It was empty, no sign of the Horsemen.
Maybe it was a fluke. Just another Horseman scare tactic, but nervous tension still slid through me, wired and jittery.
Satisfied there were no illicit men in my room, I was able to fully focus on my mother. She was still in her pajamas despite it being light out. I rubbed my lips together. Tansy Crowne didn’t stay in her pajamas past 5:00 a.m., even if the entire goddamn globe was on fire.
