I tilt my head toward her, raising an eyebrow. “Do you think he’s enjoying himself over there?”
“Maybe,” she replies while shrugging. “But unlike me, he’s not getting to sit here and chat with the charming villain of the hour.”
Her smirk widens.
I snort, shaking my head. “Charming? That’s a generous label.”
She leans forward slightly, just enough to make the air between us sizzle. “You don’t think I notice, do you?”
“Notice what?” I ask innocently, though my pulse picks up at her question.
“The way you get all tense whenever he stares too much.”
I pause a moment.
That infuriating little curve stays plastered across her face, and I have to remind myself to breathe.
“You’re reading into things too much,” I say.
Her grin widens. “No,” she says slowly, dragging the word out. “You’re just at odds with how well I read you.”
I lean forward slightly, the mattress dipping more so under my weight, enough to assert presence, to remind her of who still controls this game. At least who controls it while we’re still in the warehouse. “Careful,” I murmur lowly.
She leans back just enough to give herself space, but her eyes never leave mine. “Careful is for boring people.”
I shift slightly, running a hand along the edge of the mattress, just to keep from touching her. The air between us feels charged, each of us very aware of the tension building.
“You’re walking a thin line, Leigh.”
She tilts her head, watching me. “I thought there were no lines, Dante.”
The corner of my mouth twitches as I lean back against the wall, a heavy exhale leaving my lungs. I am doing my best to reclaim the little control I have.
Finnic’s timing couldn’t have be any better. His figure comes into view on the camera as he steps back into the warehouse.
“Get some rest,” I say.
She lays down on the mattress as I get up. “On this mattress? No way.”
A true smile makes its way onto my face as I pull the mask back over.
This girl is going to be the death of me.
Chapter Eighteen
Finnic
It takes longerthan it should to make myself step back inside.
The cold had built goosebumps across my skin, so when I finally cross the threshold into the warehouse, it greets me with a slight change in temperature. It’s warmer than out there and that is all that matters.
With her father already in Viktor’s hands, this should be done. Whatever answers we’d needed are being carved out somewhere far from here. Keeping her now feels absolutely pointless.
I round the corner to see Dante retreating from her room.
“You good?” he asks, adjusting his gloves.
“I’m not going to fuck this up, if that’s what you’re actually asking.”
