Page 33

“I think,” Quinton said, “our Ariel is coming into her own skin and isn’t going to be as shy and quiet as we all thought her to originally be.”

“Glad to hear it,” Dash muttered. “And I’m seriously enjoying watching it.”

I hated them.

Both of them.

They were devil’s spawn and I hoped they both choked on turds.

I clenched my hands into fists at my sides and took another deep breath. What in the hell was the matter with me?

A phone started ringing. It rang three times before Quinton answered. Of course, he was rude.

“What?” Quinton growled. I shook my head, that was no way to answer the phone. “You’re joking… They can’t be here right now… Do they know about her? Were they at Marcus’s house first? Shit, yeah, I’ll be right there.”

He hung up without saying goodbye.

“Who was that?” I demanded to know. “Was who at Mr. Cole’s house?”

Quinton looked nervous as he slid his phone back into the back pocket of his jeans. He squeezed the back of his neck and closed his eyes.

“Dash, can she stay here with you for a few hours?” Quinton asked in a strained voice. “Just until I can get rid of them, then I will be back for her.”

“She can stay the night,” Dash told him.

Yikes.

I wasn’t ready for a sleepover with Dash.

“I’ll go with you,” I said as I walked towards Quinton. “You can drop me off at home.”

I stopped in front of him and still he did not open his eyes. Something was seriously wrong here.

“Who was on the phone, Quinton?” I asked quietly. I wanted to know what was going on, why he looked suddenly defeated.

He dropped his hand from the back of his neck and his eyes snapped open. His dark eyes bored into mine, attempting to crawl into my soul so he could have a look around and see what was inside of me.

I took a step back, to get away from him and that look, but his arm shot out and he grabbed ahold of my forearm, stopping me mid-step. He jerked on my arm, pulling me forward until I collided with his chest. His big, warm hands pressed into the middle of my back, caging me in.

I was trapped in Quinton’s arms and this time I didn’t really want to be there.

“What’s happening?” I asked in a small, panic filled voice.

His eyes bored into mine, still searching for a way into my soul. I had an urge to close my eyes tight and hide from him.

“Do you trust me?” He asked in his deep, rough voice.

The question surprised me, but I didn’t even need to think about the answer and I wasn’t surprised by it.

“Yes,” I told him honestly and without hesitation.

His eyes lit up and he grinned at me.

“Thank fuck,” he said with feeling. “Some Elders showed up at Marcus’s house, probably just to check in on him. He’s been going through a lot lately with the death of his brother, your mother’s disappearance and now he’s moving away from where he’s lived with his f

amily for years. They don’t care that he pulled away from them years ago. If you have magic, whether you want to be a part of our world or not, whether you want to be in a coven or not, the Council of Elders keeps tabs on you. Best case scenario, they are here to offer him condolences and a place back in the fold. Worst case, they are here because they know about you and want to meet you.”

“But-”