Fraud (Antihero Inferno #2) - Lily White Page 0,33
if I have to just to escape this evil jerk.
Behind him, the elevator dings, and I see a valet bringing my bags out on a rolling cart, my gaze cutting back to Gabriel.
“Let’s go.”
Pure triumph is in his eyes, the truth of it slapping me in the face.
Still, this game is not over. Not by a long shot, and as soon as I gather my bearings, I’ll find an inventive way to strike back.
Gabriel steps forward again and places a hand on my back to show me to the front door. My body tingles at his touch, yet every muscle tenses as well because allowing him anywhere near me is just asking for a nightmare.
Escorting me through the door and out into the sunshine of a warm Miami day, Gabriel tips the valet for bringing my bags and then waits for his car to be brought to the curb.
After packing my bags into the car, he opens the front passenger door, smiling at me while waiting for me to climb in.
On as steady a voice as I can manage, I say, “I’m surprised you’re letting me ride up front. I thought your style would be to tie me up and lock me in the trunk.”
He laughs at that. “As I recall, that’s more your style after stripping me naked beforehand.”
My eyes lift to his as I buckle my seatbelt, the spark that is always present between us still there despite how much I hate him.
Gabriel must feel it, too, because his eyes run down my body, taking their dear, sweet time on the tops of my thighs where my skirt has ridden up to show more skin.
Shaking himself of the fascination, he shuts the door and rounds the front of the car, not saying a word as his foot hits the gas and we pull from the parking lot out onto the road.
We spend the next few minutes traveling down the road in uncomfortable silence. Every so often, I glance Gabriel’s direction, my hatred of him only increasing with each look.
More of what my father said plays through my head, my initial shock subsiding enough for me to consider the events that occurred.
“Are you going to tell me what you did?”
The corner of his mouth curls at my question, but he keeps his eyes fastidiously on the road. Most people might drop the topic at this point, might accept their defeat and move on.
I’m not most people.
“Why does my dad believe I have a fiancé?”
Another twitch of his lips, the absolute silence on his side of this conversation maddening.
“Who is my fiancé?” I ask because it better not be him. Even the thought of a fake engagement between us makes my eye twitch and my stomach shrivel to an uncomfortable size.
“Are you planning on speaking to me again, or is it more fun for you to torture me in silence?”
His bright green stare cuts to me for only a second before returning to the road.
“Actually, the silence is nice. I’ve discovered that I prefer you when you’re not talking. It annoys me less.”
Smiling at that, I shift in my seat to stare out the side window. “Fine. I’ll never say another word to you.”
“Promises, promises,” he grumbles as we turn a corner onto an entry ramp for the highway.
On either side of us, Miami speeds past, the tall palm trees, bright sun and white, fluffy clouds slipping through my fingers as Gabriel drives me to the private airport to drag me back to hell.
I hate the city, always have, especially now that the Inferno is back from Yale and once again part of it. For years, I’ve been looking for an excuse to move away, and maybe this is one.
Sure, it sucks that my dad has cut me off, but is it the end of the world?
For a long time I’ve wanted financial freedom and my own career. I’ve detested the life he was slowly creating for me.
Maybe this entire thing can be a blessing in disguise. I can get a job with my business degree, work a full year to save up and then move to a place like this to find another job, my weekdays spent earning my keep, while my weekends are spent sipping fruity drinks in the sunshine.
All in all, Gabriel may have just done me a favor without realizing it, and with that thought in mind, I turn back to him.
“I think you just fucked up, Gabe. I might be thanking you after this.”