Fraud (Antihero Inferno #2) - Lily White Page 0,92

It’s not a lie. Even if she should be done. I’m not willing to let this go yet.

“Why not? I told you what I know about my dad.”

Slipping my hands into my pockets, I stare at the metal doors, waiting for them to open.

“What you told us isn’t something we can use against him. So it doesn’t count.”

She grows quiet, the doors sliding open a second later. After we step inside and the car lifts, Ivy breaks the silence with another aggravating question.

“Do you know what Tanner has on me? What I did that left me with no choice but to go to him for a favor?”

Of course I know. I’m the one who set it up. The end of our senior year was fast approaching, and my hatred of her was driving everything I did. I needed one last slap, one last fuck you that would become a long game I could use to finally win this war.

It was the perfect game, one she never saw coming and hadn’t even known occurred after the trap snapped closed to catch her in it.

For ten years, I waited for the day the price for the favor would be called in. Tanner was the only other person who knew it.

I knew the day would come when I could look her in the eyes and explain how I did this to her. That I’d played a long game that was better than all the stupid and cruel pranks we’d played as kids.

And now that our relationship has twisted to become something other than the hatred it’s always been, I have no idea how to admit what I’ve done.

“No clue,” I casually answer, my eyes locked on the numbers at the side of the door, my hands sliding into my pockets again as we draw close to my floor.

“None at all? I find that hard to believe.”

Glancing at her for only a second, I grin.

“You weren’t exactly important enough for Tanner and I to talk about over the past ten years.”

I can feel her staring at me, and it takes effort to keep from looking back.

The elevator comes to a stop, the doors rolling open smoothly. Reaching out, I hold them open while waiting for Ivy to walk ahead.

I run into her back when she stops suddenly, my eyes lifting over her head to see what caused her to pause.

Warbucks steps up to stand in front of us with Daddy Dearest and Tanner behind him. My gaze cuts to Tanner wondering why the fuck he didn’t call to warn me they’re here.

My stare returns to our fathers. As usual, they’re dressed to the nines, their mouths held in disapproving lines as they glare in my direction.

My hand grips Ivy’s wrist to tug her behind me as I step forward, anger slicing down my spine at the way Warbucks slides his eyes her direction.

Both of these pricks see women as nothing more than a pussy to fuck or a pretty face to make them look good, and I’ll slice both of their throats if they so much as think about touching Ivy.

“I’m surprised to see you here.”

My voice is smooth as butter, my fake persona slamming down so hard, I can feel it rattle at my feet.

Warbucks’s eyes turn back to me, the same green as mine.

“Yes, well, I haven’t heard from you since you got engaged. Unfortunately, I also saw that engagement fell through. Imagine my surprise to discover both those details about my son through the news and not from his mouth specifically.”

“I’ve been busy.”

He grins, the expression cutting.

“I came to make sure you’re okay since the article I read mentioned how pathetically sad you are to have broken up with your fiancée.”

He glances back at Ivy, and I have to suppress a growl.

“Apparently you two have made up.” Eyes back to me. “How interesting.”

Rather than playing his game according to his rules, I return the bullshit smile he’s giving me.

“It was all very dramatic and sad, but-“

Ivy steps around me before I realize she’s moving, her hand extended to shake Warbucks’s before I can finish rattling off the crap I was about to spew. Voice dying mid-sentence, I resist the urge to grab her and drag her right the fuck back behind me.

Ivy’s voice is so sweet, it makes my teeth ache.

“Mr. Dane, I don’t think we’ve seen each other since Emily and Mason’s engagement party. You’re looking as dapper as ever.”

I’d almost forgotten how well-versed Ivy is in our social circle’s