With Every Breath (Slow Burn #4) - Maya Banks Page 0,14

her off? Yeah. And she tended to get red in the face then, so she would have no problem passing off her embarrassment as rage.

“Sorry to have offended your prudish sensibilities,” she said snidely. “Or maybe there is a drink limit I wasn’t aware of? You getting cheap, Sterling? Can’t afford free booze so you expect everyone to limit their intake?”

He shook his head, the half grin, half grimace back in place. Well, at least he was no longer prying or trying to pry into her thoughts.

“You are so full of shit, Eliza,” he said in what sounded like an exasperated tone but nothing seemed to fluster the man. Not that she’d ever witnessed. “Now, what were you thinking about a minute ago? Care to share?”

So much for him no longer being nosy.

“No, I don’t care to share,” she said in a frosty voice. “I don’t care to share anything with you, Sterling. Not your company, not your presence. I don’t want to share the same space or even the same air you do so get out of my way and leave me alone.”

He didn’t respond, instead turning as if to walk away. Oh God, please let her prayer be answered. Just when she thought her fervent prayer had been granted, Sterling snagged her elbow and deftly escorted her through the crowd.

Apparently God was occupied with far more important things than indulging in her cowardice. She could hardly blame him. After all, she’d rather save her prayers for when she really needed them, and she would need them soon.

“What do you think you’re doing?” she hissed.

He shot her a pissed off look—a look she was intimately acquainted with, having been the recipient of it every time their paths crossed.

“Taking you to your posse,” he said in a tone that matched his expression.

That brightened her considerably until she looked to the group they were approaching and saw that Gracie was in the middle of them looking stunning. Shy and overwhelmed but drop-dead gorgeous and deliriously happy. Her heart ached just to see the group of people she worked with, called friends, people she loved and people who had one hundred and ten percent of her loyalty.

Inwardly she cringed because her thought had been in the present tense. She had been loyal to them. Until now. She’d never lied to them. Until now. And she’d never deceived them. Until fucking now.

“Gracie will be thrilled you’re here,” Sterling murmured.

Thank God Gracie hadn’t looked away from her husband to see Eliza yet. Eliza stopped in her tracks, nearly tripping because Sterling was still in the process of his long-legged stride and well, her legs were considerably shorter.

He frowned, rounding on her, purposely positioning himself between her and the DSS group, something she was grateful for even though she knew he hadn’t done it for her. He’d done it so Gracie wouldn’t see Eliza and realize that Eliza had no intention of speaking to her.

“What the fuck is wrong with you?” Sterling snapped, his eyes blazing with anger and judgment. Oh yeah, he’d judged her and found her lacking all right. He thought her the worst sort of person and an even worse friend.

Eliza closed her eyes, so miserable she wanted to do something that appalled her. She wanted to cry.

“It’s not what you think,” she choked out, her mind churning to come up with a plausible excuse.

“What I think is that you’re being a selfish bitch and shitting all over someone who risked her life to save you. Someone who took a fucking knife and was slashed because she was trying to get to you, to do whatever she could to protect you when you were helpless.”

“Don’t you think I know that?” she yelled, thanking the heavens that the music and the huge group of people mingling and conversing drowned out her passionate outburst. “Don’t you think I relive that moment every fucking night? Every goddamn day for that matter. Do you think I would have ever wanted Gracie, Ramie or Ari to risk themselves the way they did to help me? I would give my life for them. All of them,” she raged, gesturing to where the rest of the DSS group was standing.

Sterling looked genuinely perplexed as he studied her. Almost as if he had some built-in “Eliza truth detector” able to ferret out what was truth and what was lie. Then sudden realization dawned on his features. She could practically see the “aha” moment in his eyes and on his face.