Fraud (Antihero Inferno #2) - Lily White Page 0,81
my mouth curls. “I don’t believe you.”
“About?”
“About either of the statements you just made.”
Ivy sighs, her body relaxing against mine.
“Damn it, Gabriel. You’re not supposed to say that.”
Slowly twisting my fingers into the strands of her hair, I pull her face to mine. Our lips brush, our breath colliding, our eyes dancing together as we both fight what’s always been true.
“Hey! Romeo and Psychobitch. Get the hell downstairs. Some of us have to get back on the road soon and don’t have time for you to fuck again.”
Both our heads turn to see Tanner glaring down at us.
“You two seriously need to get a room. This crap is getting really damn old, really damn fast. Now move.”
He marches off, and we stay in place until the sound of his retreating steps is gone.
Releasing a heavy breath, I lay the back of my head against the floor and stare up at a woman who shouldn’t be lying on top of me.
This conversation is not going to be fun. But it’s still a hell of a lot safer than the one we were having.
Ivy
I don’t care how much Tanner bullies me. He can scream and yell and threaten me for hours, but it won’t make a difference. I’ve never admitted to knowing anything about my dad, therefore they don’t know for a fact that I have information to give.
Pulling a shirt over my head, I take my time getting dressed alone in the bathroom. Gabriel took off to grab his spare clothes from one of the cars where he’d left them, which has given me time to get back in character.
I’ve spent a lifetime lying and playing games. I’m a damn expert when it comes to them. This one is no different than all the others, except for the potential disaster of a shitty result.
I have no idea what I overheard that day outside my father’s office. Do I believe it was shady? Yes. Do I have a sneaking suspicion he could get in trouble for it? Also a yes.
But do I know that for a fact?
No.
Still, I feel a duty to protect him.
Obviously, the guys have crawled closer to the truth of what I know. The question Gabriel asked me in the car the other day was right on target. What connection does my dad have to a tech firm in Georgia?
I’m not entirely sure, to be honest. And that only helps me with the dumb act I have to play now. It won’t be the full truth, but it won’t be a complete lie either. Technically, I know nothing.
A knock sounds on the bathroom door a second before it swings open. Gabriel stands in the hallway looking damn good in a slate gray t-shirt and dark jeans.
His hair is wavier than usual, a disheveled mess he hasn’t tamed since we stepped out of the shower. I look him over and ignore the pang in my chest.
Like this, he reminds me of the person I knew in high school. Only he’s broader in the shoulders and chest, his body fully filled out now that he’s a grown man.
“The casual look works for you, Gabe. You should try it more often.”
Grinning, he reaches up to grip his fingers on the upper doorframe, the posture makes him larger, more intimidating. He fills every inch of that open space, owning it and trapping me in place.
“Are you ready to go downstairs?”
I’ll never be ready, but I won’t admit it.
Cocking a hip, I tilt my head. “Are you my official warden now? If so, I’d like to file some complaints about the conditions of my prison.”
“We don’t accept complaints from prisoners who make escape attempts. You’ll have to behave for at least a full month before you’ll be allowed an opinion.”
Fraud.
I can see the difference in him immediately.
Most people wouldn’t notice. It’s a subtle shift in his behavior, a smoother edge to his voice that obliterates any trace of who he really is.
Ten minutes away from me and around them. That’s all it takes for Gabriel to retreat back to the bullshit persona he uses to hide.
It’s probably for the best. Especially when I have to be a fraud just as much.
Stepping up to him, I run my palm down the hard plane of his chest, my hand pausing over the ridges of his abdomen.
Gabriel stares down at me with an expression I can’t interpret, with a mask that disguises every thought behind that emerald green gaze.