“I wonder what could possibly have you all spooked,” I pressed. “Maybe you’re afraid ofGrimbeing withme?—”
“You’re an ungrateful, selfish, spoiled brat.” Wraith was up faster than I could blink, scary tattooed eyes glaring in mine. I wasn’t afraid, too stunned by what he’d said.
“Ungrateful—”
“You’ve spent the last five years making our lives hell for a contract you tricked Grim into taking.”
All the air left me.
I stared at him, brain short-circuiting. By the time I spoke, my throat was dry and scratchy. “What did you say?”
“You think we can’t see through you, see through this,but we can. Unfortunately, we’ve known you our entire fucking lives, Gemma.”
I smiled at him. “And what is it you see, Wraith?”
“A spoiled little brat ripping off her dolls’ heads because she’s scared no one loves her.”
My lips parted, but no words came. It felt like my chest had been hollowed out.
If Wraith felt any satisfaction on getting a reaction, he didn’t show it. He sat back down, pulling out his phone as if I wasn’t there. I stared at them a moment longer, then went back to my bedroom and slammed the doors shut, maybe too hard.
I fell back against them, hands still holding the knob behind my back, trying to steady my breathing.
Tricked.They’d thoughtI’dsomehow managed to trickhim.
If anyone had trickedanyone, it was fucking Grim.
Tricked.
I walked over to my balcony, looking down two stories to the sand. I’d never had to sneak out of my room before, but… I leaned over, spotting a possible exit. If Grim could figure a way to sneak into my room, why couldn’t I find a way to sneak out?
I glanced back at the doorway, to the three shadows.
Why would he lie to the Horsemen?
What does that mean?
Is it some kind of game?
It has to be some kind of game.
That restless, hurricane energy innervated my blood. I let that feeling carry me over the balcony, nearly slipping on the stone, before landing with a thud on the sand. It carried me all the way down the beach, to a packed club, through a packed dance floor, past thewomen lining up at the stairs, and to theoff-limitssecond floor.
I’d played the Horsemen’s good little slave for five years because we had an unspoken agreement: stay the fuck out of my world.
I gathered curious looks as I went. After the world just learned about her drug problem,Gemma Crownewas in a nightclub, wearing an oversize T-shirt, without any fucking shoes. All I needed was to shave my head.
If I had a plan, any semblance of it disappeared the moment I hit the top floor.
Grim was there, on a couch with two women, kissing them.
Huh. I guess this is what it feels like to be so mad you want to kill.
So first he all but promises to fuck me, then ignores me and installs guards, keeps me prisoner for no fucking reason, lies to everyone aboutwhy, and he was just…kissing someone?
I didn’t feel jealousy, people felt jealous ofme—so what was this hot twisting knife in my gut?
Grim must have known I was here, must have been told the minute I came into the club. There was no way I was getting upstairs without him knowing.
