The Peer and the Puppet (When Rivals Play, #1) (110)

I was almost afraid to know the answer. If anything had happened to her, I would never forgive myself.

“Vaughn is trailing us in her car.”

I exhaled, feeling some of the weight lifting from my shoulders. I also noticed the fact that Jamie was doing all the talking rather than Ever. “Thank you,” I meekly voiced with my eyes glued to Ever. My nervousness only heightened when he didn’t reply.

“I can’t believe that was you out there tonight,” Jamie said with awe and a shake of his head. Either he was oblivious to the tension surrounding us or ignoring it completely. “You have some serious skill, girl.”

“Thanks. I’ve been riding since I was eleven.”

“No shit?” he exclaimed.

I simply nodded before laying my head back against the seat and closing my eyes. Jamie caught the hint and didn’t speak again. The silence brought me a small bit of peace.




I woke up on top of a plush bed inside of an even more luxurious hotel suite with no memory of how I’d gotten there. “Lay low until morning to make sure you aren’t being followed and, even then, be careful. We’ll do the same.” I listened as booted footsteps moved across the next room. A door opened, and then the gruff voice spoke again. “Franklin will want to speak with you when you get back.”

Back? Where the hell was I?

I quickly sat up as footsteps approached, and a moment later, Ever appeared in the doorway. His mask was in place as his eyes emotionlessly roamed over my body as if searching for something. I did the same and was happy to see he was unharmed.

“Where are we?”

“Hotel.” He then turned away, and I stopped breathing when he laid a gun on the dresser.

“Did you kill those men?”

“Does it matter? Would you rather it have been you dead instead of them?”

“No, but you—”

“I didn’t kill anyone,” he bit out.

“Then who?”

“Thirteen.”

“Who is that?”

He turned and met my gaze with some reluctance and asked a question of his own. “Why?” The way he stressed the word let me know he wasn’t questioning my curiosity. This was something else entirely.

“Why? Why what?”

“Tonight,” he slowly pronounced as he stalked across the room, “was my one and only chance to get to Fox.” He stopped at the edge of the bed. “I lost that chance by saving you, instead. Why?”

I wrapped my arms around myself, wishing they were his instead. “I—I don’t know why.”

“Because I love you, Four, and that’s the problem.” His golden eyes glittered as he stared down at me. “If I didn’t, you’d be beaten and broken or dead, but at least then, so would Fox.”

“I’m sorry.” I should have been elated hearing that he loved me, but all I felt was guilt because clearly loving me had cost him a great deal.

“You’re not, but you will be.”

Sick of being bullied and threatened, the last shredded thread snapped. “What does he have that is so goddamn important?” I screamed.

“My mother!” he roared.

The room had fallen deathly silent as my shock pushed away the anger. I would have dropped to my feet if I had been standing as I recalled Jamie’s harsh words from two weeks ago.

“Don’t expect Ever to choose between you and his mother. Just because Rosalyn is a piece of shit doesn’t mean everyone’s mother isn’t worth the trouble.”

I’d been too hurt and too distracted to realize I’d had the answer all of this time.

“I…I don’t understand.”

“I never asked you to,” he shot back. “It was my fight. My demons.”

“I’m sorry.” I was starting to sound like a broken record.

“Why are you sorry, Four? This is what you wanted all along, right? To save my soul?” Slowly, he clapped. “Congratulations. You succeeded. Now who will stop me from breaking yours?”

His cruelty made my heart race as tears welled. “Don’t.”

“Don’t what?”

I crawled to the foot of the bed where he stood and tugged him close with my fists in his shirt when he tried to back away. “Don’t make me hate you again. Don’t become cold again. Just…don’t.”

“Why should I be the only one to lose something tonight?”

“Then take something from me. Whatever you want. All that you want. Take until it’s enough to make it right again.”

He didn’t respond, so I leaned in to kiss him and was mortified when he dodged my lips and took a step back. My heart sunk into my stomach when he retreated until his back was against the wall.

“Please…” The plea slipped from my lips involuntarily.

“Take off your clothes.” The determination I had a moment ago quickly fled. Noticing my hesitation, he said, “Take them off, or I’ll rip them off. Your choice.”

With shaking hands, I unzipped my leather jacket and removed it from my body. Standing from the bed, my boots and pants followed and then my thermals, until I was left in my green cotton bra and panties.

I imagined this moment before.

He’d run his hands over my body and tell me I was beautiful.