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1085 Words
Had he been watching my apartment building? Did he even know where I lived? It seemed far-fetched to think he’d put a general watch out for me with the police department, but I wasn’t sure how else to explain his presence. All I knew was that something was off. But then, nothing made sense in this whole crazy situation—the drugs, the police, and now Oran. My spine fused straight. The fine hairs on my arms and neck pulled taut. “Did you have something to do with this?” My question was no more than a whisper. My voice abandoned me as though I’d been punched in the gut. “I told you to stay away from him,” he said with a hint of irritation as he stood and shrugged off his coat. When he tried to drape it around my shoulders, I jerked away from him like a caged animal, shooting back to my feet. “Get away from me, you—” “Lina, listen.” His hands clamped around my upper arms, neutralizing my efforts. “You’re f*****g freezing. You can still be pissed at me wearing the coat.” “How could you?” I hissed in his face. He waited until my body stilled before lowering his hands. “What you should be asking is why.” I contemplated kicking him in the shins but decided to hold off for now. “You and your damn semantics. Who cares if I asked how or why? Are you going to explain yourself or not?” “I did it because I can, and because I can just as easily undo it.” I considered his words, but no matter how I looked at them, I didn’t understand. “Why would you go through the trouble of setting all this up if you planned to turn around and make it all go away?” “Because I can … if … you agree to my terms.” Blackmail. That was what this was about. Oran was blackmailing me. I should have known. They were all the same. How stupid did I have to be to think he might be different? “What do you want from me?” My tone sounded as hollow as my heart felt. “I want you to be mine.” Had I heard him wrong? I must have. “What?” I squinted my eyes as if it might help me understand. “I want you to agree to a fake engagement. It’ll be temporary, but it has to be convincing. Those are my terms.” My night was one big fun house, each room more confusing and unexpected than the last. Oran had set up my arrest—framed me for drug charges—in order to then blackmail me into being his fake fiancée. Had I been given a million chances to predict how my New Year's Eve would go, I never would have gotten it right. “But … why?” The word was saturated with disbelief. His hands lifted to cup my face, a thumb trailing softly over one cheek. “Does it matter?” He was right. It didn’t change anything, but I still wanted to know why all my efforts were about to be flushed down the toilet. He wasn’t going to tell me, though. His resolve was clear in the set of his jaw and the impenetrable wall behind his eyes. I was only a pawn in his grand scheme. What did that mean? Was he trying to show up Lawrence? Or was the show meant for someone else, and I was simply the unlucky fool he chose to play the part? “The clock is ticking, Lina. You need to decide. Are you walking out of here with me or not at all?” His hands fell to his sides, but he didn’t back away. We stood toe-to-toe as I weighed my options. I could have refused him. I could have hired an attorney with money I didn’t have and battled the charges for God knew how long. Chances were, I’d still end up convicted. Even I thought I looked guilty as hell. I couldn’t see even a remote possibility where that scenario worked out in my favor. Think, Lina. Think. And if I agreed? What would that mean for me and everything I’d worked toward? Oran was a member of Olympus, which might still be helpful, but I was almost certain he hadn’t yet joined the Society. They were too secretive to take on a new member so quickly unless he already had a connection on the inside. Someone who knew him well enough to unveil the group’s existence. Even then, I suspected he would have to be a member at Olympus for some time while they vetted him. Even if you were seemingly engaged to Oran, would that deter Lawrence from wanting more time with you? He was so morally corrupt that an engagement would probably enhance my appeal. If I still had access to Lawrence and could add Oran as a possible information outlet, maybe this wouldn’t have to be a total disaster. I hated that my choices were being stripped away from me yet again by an entitled asshole who thought he could have whatever he wanted. And to think I’d almost been taken in by his charm. I was embarrassed by my naivete and whimsical fantasy that a selfless, kindhearted man might swoop in to save the day. That type of mythical creature didn’t exist. “Only in public,” I demanded. “I’m not f*****g you.” If we were doing this, I wanted to be clear on the terms. “Assuming you don’t want to.” A fire lit his eyes. “Never say never, Lina.” “Honestly, how do you even fit through the door with that ego of yours?” He tipped the tiniest bit forward. “Very. Carefully.” Then he breathed deeply in through his nose, his brows knitting together as if savoring the flavors of a fine wine. “Now, get out your phone. You need to text Wellington and tell him you’re not attending the party.” “Why not? Don’t you want to show off your new fiancée?” “Not tonight. We have a wedding to attend tomorrow.” He wouldn’t. He couldn’t, could he? Look at everything else he’s done. What makes you think he wouldn’t? The world spun.
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