Fraud (Antihero Inferno #2) - Lily White Page 0,29

it to piss me off, but all it does is turn me on.

Nobody, and I mean not one other woman that I’ve ever known, has affected me like she does.

We all have an ultimate in life.

The ultimate career. The ultimate home, the ultimate vacation, or car or lover.

Yet, for me, none of those other things have ever really mattered as much as the ultimate conquest I’ve always sought:

The complete destruction of Ivy Callahan.

In body, mind and soul.

It’s within my reach now, and I’d spent the past month preparing. Meanwhile, she’s been traveling around enjoying a superficial life with no real substance or meaning.

In the end, this will all come down to finishing the task my father set me on, but for the time being, I can finish a task I’ve wanted to accomplish for what feels like a lifetime.

A bell dings to signal the elevator has arrived, the doors sliding open with a smooth motion.

Ivy steps inside and moves to a far wall on the left, while I take up the wall on the right.

For fourteen floors we stare at each other, her eyes brimming with distrust and speculation, while mine simply enjoy the sight. I don’t miss the tension in her body, the way her arms cross over her abdomen before she untangles them again to hang at her sides.

She has no idea what to do with herself while I’m staring her down.

“This is ridiculous, Gabriel. What do you plan to do? Follow me to my car and chase after it like the dog you are? Isn’t that just a bit beneath you at this point?”

I grin and say nothing. It’s insane how much I love the sound of my name on her lips.

The doors open as we reach the bottom floor, and I swing out an arm.

“After you.”

She laughs. “Such a gentleman.”

“Only for you,” I murmur, her eyes flicking to mine for only a second before she crosses the lobby to approach the front desk.

Standing back, I chuckle to see the female desk attendant’s face light up. Her excitement will be short lived. It makes her just one more innocent victim who had the unfortunate luck to get between Ivy and me.

Practically bouncing on her toes, she glances between us and down to Ivy’s finger. Not finding the engagement ring I’d used to lie my way into Ivy’s room, her expression falls, and her eyes seek me out again.

I wink and shrug. “Can’t win them all, I guess.”

The poor woman looks broken-hearted.

I hadn’t actually planned on this, but her eyes narrow on Ivy next, the friendly desk clerk now hating the beautiful blonde staring back at her.

“I take it you’re checking out?”

Chuckling at her snappish tone, I cross my arms over my chest and wait.

Flinching at the woman’s voice, Ivy pastes on a wobbly smile, clearly still off balance with me standing nearby.

Normally, someone snapping at her would have no effect. Our prep school was practically wallpapered with spoiled, bitchy people. We’re used to this.

Which only makes seeing her knocked back by the clerk’s anger even more hilarious than it should be.

Fuck, I’m enjoying this.

Perfecting her hundred-watt smile, Ivy rounds her shoulders and drops her purse to the counter, becoming little Miss Congeniality right before my eyes. It won’t help her, but it’s fun watching her try.

“Yes, I’m checking out a little early, so I hope that’s not a problem.”

The desk clerk’s eyes shoot to me again, and I shrug and feign a sad face because the sympathy is fun, and it only pisses her off more.

When her gaze locks back on Ivy, there are a thousand knives shooting out of it.

“Normally, we’ll work with our guests who have to check out unexpectedly, but in your case, that won’t happen.”

Tapping her fingers over the keyboard, she slams her pissed off eyes back on Ivy.

“You’ll need to pay for the full two weeks.”

“What?”

When Ivy’s jaw drags the floor in shock, she loses the fake facade, her eyes narrowing on the woman in return.

“But I was only here for one night.”

The clerk shrugs, her eyes darting to me again as she flashes a conspiratorial smile.

I’d expected to reap my own revenge eventually, but it’s nice to have someone conspiring with me.

Eyes back to Ivy. “Full two weeks. That’s how long you reserved the room for, and that’s what you’ll pay. Give me the card that you placed on file with us so I can run it.”

Ivy opens her mouth, an argument right there on the tip of her tongue. It