Page 91 of Phantom

“The Chatelains haveneverdone business on our side without our knowing it. Not even before the city was split.”

My brow furrows. “Okay… well they did for my dad, at least. Could you be mistaken—”

“No,” he cuts me off. “I’m never mistaken about the Chatelains.”

I exhale slowly. “Okay, let me go get my phone and I’ll sort this out right now. Rand says he’s been calling me—”

“When did you see Rand, Scarlett?” The curious edge to his voice makes me wonder if he already knows.

“I… I didn’t. It’s just an educated guess—”

“Really, Scarlett? You don’t think I know? That I’ve been waiting for you to tell me since you lied to me at the cemetery?”

My mouth falls open and my heart races. “Wait… youknew?”

“Of course I did. What did he say to you?”

“Nothing!” I lie, hoping to derail this line of questioning until I understand what happened myself. “It was barely a few minutes and he was just worried about me.”

“I don’t believe you…”

I scoff, trying to deflect and play it off. “Is that why we’ve played this game? So you could try and—I don’t know, catch me in lies or something?”

“Are there so many lies that I would have to trick you to tell the truth?”

My lips tighten. “I want to go.”

He scoffs. “You want to leave?Now?”

“Yes!” I admit. Or lie. Hell, I’m so confused, I don’t know what to do or why I’m even really angry right now, but I double down. “Let me go! I’m fine and I don’t need you anymore.”

“Alright then.” He stalks toward the living room door and down the hall. I follow his long strides, ready to fight more, until he presses his phone screen and flings the door open wide. My eyes widen and my heart thunders in my chest, but he just stands there with his arms loosely by his sides, seemingly unfazed by this argument.

“Leave if you’re dying to escape yourkidnapper, Scarlett. Go ahead.”

Cool air from the tunnels dries my teeth and I realize my jaw is hanging open.

He’s letting me go.

It’s not like I ever really felt like a prisoner, but after everything Rand said, I was beginning to question what the hell was going on and why I’m here in the first place.

But now that the door is open…

“Fine.” I glare at him. “I’ll just leave.”

“Go ahead.” Sol shrugs nonchalantly. And infuriatingly.

I hesitate for only a second more before I walk out the door—

And immediately get jerked back inside.

Scene 24

THAT’S ALL HE ASKS

Scarlett

The wall is at my back by my next breath and I watch, wide eyed, as the door slams in front of me. Sol cages me in, his hands on either side of my head and the left side of his face is nothing but hard angles and sharp jawline, set in rage. Even the bone-white mask seems to mirror his anger. All I can see is his glaring midnight eye, sparkling back at me. But more than anything, I feelhungerradiating from him. The way his chest heaves against my breasts and that intoxicating scent of his sends desire flooding to my core.