Bridges Burned (Going Down in Flames #2)(44)

“Don’t you want to know?”

“Even if you find out someone had her killed, it won’t bring her back. It will just land you in trouble. What would’ve happened if I hadn’t been here to push those guards?”

Time for the gloves to come off. “Sorry you don’t approve. Since you ran out on me, I had to improvise.”

His friendly facade cracked. “I didn’t run out on you. You broke our deal.”

“What deal?”

“I told you our relationship had to stay secret.”

“Wrong.” Smoke shot from her nostrils. “You told me you’d fight to change the law so we could be together. Then you walked away from me.”

“I didn’t walk away from you when the theater building was attacked.” His expression softened. He reached out and brushed his fingertips down her cheek, staring into her eyes.

Bryn sighed. Memories of his arms around her and his mouth pressed against hers rose up and made it hard to think. Damn it, how could he still have this effect on her?

He moved closer. “I chose you that night.”

“Yes. You did.” Angry tears filled her eyes. “Then you proceeded to ignore me, again. My God, it’s like you have a split personality.”

“Do you have any idea how my actions hurt Nola? I wanted to find you afterward, but Nola warned me away. What was I supposed to do?”

“Stop whining and act like a man.” Jaxon’s voice came from behind them.

Zavien whirled around. “Don’t lecture me about acting like a man. You ran off and left Bryn with those Directorate lackeys.”

Jaxon made eye contact with Bryn. “Sorry. I thought they would follow me out.”

“They saw my book bag.”

“How’d you leave things with them?” Jaxon asked.

“I took care of it,” Zavien said. “I pushed them into thinking you were alone.”

“And why were you here in this secluded area of the library in the first place?” Jaxon asked.

“Good question.” Bryn crossed her arms and waited.

“Onyx asked me to meet him here.” Zavien frowned. “But he didn’t show up.”

The small part of her heart that had held out hope he’d been following her so he could talk to her, crumbled into dust. “So, you were here on business and just happened to run into me.” She took a deep breath. “If you’d never run into me would you have ever come to talk to me?”

“I—” His gaze shot to Jaxon. “Do you mind?”

Jaxon retreated a dozen feet back to the table, where he packed up his things.

Zavien sighed. “I care about you, but right now, things are complicated.”

Wow. He was doing great until the “but.” “What does that mean?”

“It means I’m beholden to Nola and her family. It means I can’t necessarily do what I want. It means I—”

“Sorry I’m late.” Onyx strode down the aisle with a determined look on his face. “Bryn, will you excuse us? Zavien and I have business to attend to.”

Bryn grabbed Zavien’s arm. “Finish what you were going to say.”

“We don’t have time for this. Zavien, come with me.” Onyx turned back the way he’d come.

“I have to go.” Zavien pulled away from her.

“Seriously?” He was going to leave her hanging like this, again?

He hurried after Onyx without looking back. She stood there, dumbfounded.





Chapter Eighteen


On the walk back to her dorm, she tried to make sense of the information she’d gained. Alec had wanted to end both the Westgate and Sinclair lines by murdering Jaxon, Lillith, and her in order to steal Ferrin’s and her grandfather’s future—just like they’d stolen his future with Analise, first by denying the marriage petition, and then by arranging her death in a car accident. That was one mystery solved.

Then there was the revelation about her dad’s parents’ suspicious deaths right after he ran off with her mom. The scariest part was, she could imagine her grandfather orchestrating the whole thing as revenge. What was she supposed to do with that information? As usual, she was left with more questions than answers. Funny how Zavien was the least of her concerns right now.

Could she do anything to help Rhianna? Who would Jaxon be paired with now that Rhianna was undesirable?

The last question brought her to a screeching halt. She prayed that her grandmother and Lillith wouldn’t have any influence over who Jaxon would be paired with.

“There you are.” Ivy’s voice brought her out of her nightmare haze.

“Hi, guys.”

Clint and Ivy walked toward her hand in hand.

“Where’ve you been?” Clint asked.

She should keep them out of the loop, but she wasn’t that strong. “I asked Jaxon to help me investigate some Directorate business.”

Ivy opened her mouth to speak.

“The reason I didn’t ask you guys was because I knew it could land us in trouble. And it did. Two of the Directorate’s goons showed up to threaten us.”

Clint’s brows drew together. “Threatened how?”

“They tried to intimidate Jaxon, but he went all Westgate on them.”