Fraud (Antihero Inferno #2) - Lily White Page 0,77
the tone of their conversation friendly as if they’re not all here to corner me for information I haven’t yet admitted to know, much less agreed to give.
All I can do is keep playing stupid, but that doesn’t help the knot in my throat or the way my stomach is twisting. Gabriel might be playing nice right now, but as a member of the Inferno, all bets are off as to what he’ll do when reunited with his friends.
A deep sigh rolls over my lips as I take baby steps through the foyer. I don’t want to face them, and if I could turn around and run away, I would.
Gabriel must sense my thoughts, his hand pressing against my lower back to keep me moving.
I feel like a dead woman walking.
A convict being led to stand in front of a firing squad.
As soon as we step into the living room, everybody turns our direction and falls silent. Emily’s eyes widen to look at me, and Tanner’s dark gaze shoots straight to Gabriel.
“Again with this? Again?”
I don’t know what again is referencing, but Tanner sounds quite pissed about it.
Gabriel never removes his hand from my back. He doesn’t answer the question either.
Tanner’s dark gaze drags to me.
“It’s good to see you again, Ivy. You should sit the fuck down so we can have a little chat.”
Crossing my arms over my chest, I glare at him. Tanner’s bad attitude might shove other people to their knees, but it won’t work with me. It’s not like there’s much else I can lose. My father has disowned me, I have no money to my name, no car and no job.
I look away from him to see all the Inferno boys spread out over the couches.
Sawyer and Shane are obviously stoned, their smirks barely hidden as they take in the way Gabriel and I look. Beside them on another couch, Emily sits awkwardly between the twins, the shock on her face mixing with concern.
On another couch, Taylor is kicked back with his feet propped on an ottoman. Mason sits beside him, both staring at Gabe and I like we’ve each grown a second head.
Only Jase looks like he doesn’t give a shit. He’s planted in an overstuffed chair all by himself, his thumb moving as he scrolls through his phone.
When I glance back at Tanner, I see Luca sitting behind him, her eyes locked on Gabriel, a secretive smile stretching her lips.
My eyes meet Tanner’s.
“Actually, I’m going upstairs to get a shower. So you can sit the fuck down and wait to see if I might agree to talk to you when I’m done.”
His eyes narrow as Gabriel’s hand presses to my back a little harder. But then a slow smirk stretches Tanner’s lips, one I’m familiar with since it’s the very same look he gives every person he’s about to destroy.
Tilting his head, his eyes flicker between Gabe and me, the slow dance of attention finally focusing on my face.
“Do you think you’re safe now with Gabe? Is that the bullshit lie whispering in your head?”
Now that he mentions it, not really. I trust Gabriel about as far as I can throw him. I know where his loyalties lie, but I also know I won’t be shoved to my knees by the asshole staring me down.
What can Tanner possibly do to me? There’s nothing else they can strip away. I haven’t done anything -
“I still have it, you know?”
He takes a step toward me.
“I save everything when I do someone a favor. Since you’ve decided you don’t want to pay, and Gabriel won’t let us run a gauntlet on you the way it should be done, maybe I should take over convincing you that giving us the information we want is better than the alternative.”
Except that.
A hiccup of judgment in my past.
A mistake that shoved me to him in the first place.
The fear must be obvious in my expression because his mouth curls more, his eyes darting to Gabriel before landing on me again.
“I also have more information than you know about that. Something I highly doubt-“
“She’s getting a shower,” Gabriel insists, his voice loud enough to cut Tanner off.
The room goes silent. Like a morgue, really, everybody watching the conversation with renewed attention. Even Jase looks up from his phone, a shit-eating grin on his face because Gabriel just chose my side over Tanner’s.
What the fuck?
I freeze in place, not sure what to do now that I’m caught between the two of them.