Ember X (Death Collectors) - By Jessica Sorensen Page 0,46
do you know this guy? And did he mess with my brakes that night? Because he told me someone else was messing with my car, and I’m starting to wonder if it was him and maybe he was also the tailgater.”
He slips his hand from mine and places it on the shifter and it feels like a glove slipped off my fingers. “Ember, have you ever heard of the Anamotti?” he asks and I shake my head. “Well, it’s this term that got thrown around a lot in the neighborhood I lived in New York… It’s kind of like this hush-hush secret society thing.”
“What kind of a neighborhood did you live in?” I wonder.
He hesitates, holding my gaze. “The Upper East Side.”
“So it’s a secret society for rich people.”
“Kind of.”
“I’m confused,” I confess. “What does this have to do with Garrick? Is he part of it?”
He fiddles anxiously with the air freshener on the rearview mirror, twisting it around. “Yeah, he was… He is part of it.”
“So Garrick’s from New York too?” I ask. “I don’t mean to sound rude, but I’m not sure I believe that you, Cameron, and Garrick all moved here at the same time and from New York.”
“Garrick didn’t move here from New York,” Asher discloses in a subdued voice. “I said the term got thrown around a lot in my neighborhood, but it doesn’t mean every member from the Anamotti lives there.”
“But then, how do you know Garrick is part of the Anamotti?” I wonder, peeling away at the black nail polish on my thumb, a bad habit of mine.
“That X tattoo he has,” Asher makes an X motion over his eye with his finger, “is the symbol of the Anamotti.”
“So what are they?” I recollect about what I read on the internet about X symbols. “What is their secret society all about? And why do they have X’s?”
He restlessly drums his fingers on the shifter, and then his chest rises as he exhales out a shaky breath and laces his fingers with mine again. “I’m afraid it might scare you, especially because Garrick is interested in you.” He brings my hand to his mouth and grazes his soft lips across my knuckles.
“No, he seems interested in Raven.” Unable to help myself, I caress his palm with my thumb. “I think he was with her that night when Laden disappeared.”
“Maybe,” he says sadly. “But I think he’s using Raven to get to you.”
“For what?” I begin to pull my hand away. “And how do you know all this… Are you part of this Anamotti?”
“I can’t tell you that right now.” His hand tightens on mine, his eyes pleading. “Trust me, I want to. Desperately. But not yet, okay? I need to… we need to spend some time together first. ” Honesty blazes in his gaze like smoke combined with fire. “Please, just trust me, Ember.”
It’s a strange answer, but not accepting it would be like the pot calling the kettle black. “Okay, I can wait, I guess.”
Letting go of my hand, he reaches for my face and runs his fingers through my hair, gently tugging at the roots and sending a shock of pleasure through my body. Dear God Almighty.
“Thank you for trusting me,” his voice perpetuates my body with heat as his fingers slide from my hair to my cheekbone.
We leave the sunnier part of town behind and enter the rougher side, leaving the old-fashioned shops and restaurants in exchange for old and dilapidated houses and warehouses. Rusted cars clutter yards and bars and smoke shops fill up the business sections. It’s frightening how much this side of town feels like home.
My concentration centers on Asher. “So where’s this mysterious place you’re taking me?”
He returns his hand to mine and then downshifts. “That’s kind of a surprise, but I thought we could get something to eat first. I mean, if that’s okay with you?”
I crack the window and let in a cool breeze. “Yeah, that’s fine with me.”
“Are you sure there’s nothing bothering you?” he asks. “You seem a little… sad. Or sadder than usual.”
The wind gusts through my hair and I shut my eyes, breathing in the cool air. “I’m fine. I promise.” I erase my sadness as much as possible, and open my eyes, summoning up a small smile. “I’m actually just really hungry.”
“Good.” He grins and turns the car into the crowded parking lot of Phil’s Shenanigans and Fun. “Hmm…” Asher observes the sign. “I wonder what kind of fun it’s