Page 9 of Wonder

Her eyes open at my caustic tone. “That’s none of your business, Chess.”

Like hell it isn’t. I don’t say anything as I lean against the opposite counter, watching her closely. She spots the card, leans forward. “What’s this?”

She scans it.

And her whole body freezes. Alyss looks up at me with eyes of pure ice, her tone cooling. “Where did you get this?”

“Why don’t you tell me?” I hold her stare. “I found it next to your window. Right next to the handprints on the glass.”

Color flares on her cheeks. “This isn’t funny, Chess. You know I’ve been looking—,”

“I’ve been looking.” I stalk forward. “You’vebeen hiding here.”

Leaning forward, I snatch the card from her shaking fingers.

Alyss slides off her stool, storming around the counter to me. Her finger rises to jab into my chest. “You have no fucking right—.”

She jerks as my hands rise, one still holding the card, to grab her face and tilt it to the side. “The fuck, Chess?”

But I’m staring at the marks on her skin. Her pale neck is riddled with them, deep red marks and edges that look suspiciously liketeeth. “Tell me who.”

She tries to dodge away, then, but I hold her. Anger is a hot flush curling in my chest, tightening, squeezing. “Tell me who, Alyss. Right the fuck now.”

She can do what she wants.Whoshe wants, even if it feels like a fucking knife in my chest.

Alyss Lidell has made me no promises, even if I promised her a lifetime years ago.

But if someone hurt her, all bets are fucking off.

Her leg kicks up, but I dodge it. Alyss slams her head forward, and my hands drop from her with a curse as she backs away.

I gesture to her neck while gripping the bridge of my nose. “Your damn neck looks like someone took a grater to it, Lyss. So tell me, or I’m going to start fuckingyelling.”

“You’re already yelling.” She crosses her arms. “It was a one-night thing. That’s all.”

But her cheeks are scarlet, something flickering in her eyes that makes my heart still. “You sure about that?”

“Yeah.” Her voice is hoarse. “Give me the card, Chess.”

I stare down at it, crumpled and forgotten in my hand.

Wonder.

And an address.

She’s breathing faster now. “Youknow. You know how long I’ve been searching for that place.”

My own eyes narrow. “How lucky that it just fell into your lap, then. Who was here?”

“It doesn’t matter. Give me the fucking card!”

My fingers close around it. She reads the stoniness on my face, the refusal, and her own expression twists in sudden anger. “You can’t fucking do this. You answer tome, in case you’ve forgotten.”

“Wrong.” I make my way to her and she backs up. Her robe swirls around us as Lyssa hits the wall and I cage her in.

Leaning down, I murmur the words. “Ididanswer to you. But since you’re refusing to take up the role, I don’t have to do a single damn thing you tell me.”

She’s breathing heavily. “I fucking hate you.”