Chapter 80: Shut Up, Charles
Leo’s grip on my wrist was tight enough to bruise, but I wasn’t about to complain. Not when his touch sent sparks skittering up my arm, not when his stupidly perfect face was all sharp angles and barely contained fury as he dragged me down the hallway.
Charles trailed behind us, his usual smirk replaced with something darker. "You realize this is exactly what I warned you about, right?"
Leo didn’t slow. "Shut up, Charles."
I rolled my eyes. "Oh good, the cryptic family drama is back. I was worried we might actually have a conversation where someone says something straightforward for once."
Leo shot me a glare over his shoulder. "You shouldn’t even be here."
"Yeah, yeah, I’m a liability, a distraction, a walking target—pick your favorite guilt trip and stick with it, Annison." I yanked my wrist free, but only because I wanted to, not because he let me. "But newsflash—I don’t care. You don’t get to kiss me like that and then pretend you’re doing me some noble favor by pushing me away."
His jaw clenched. "You have no idea what you’re—"
The lights went out.
One second, we were standing in the dim glow of the Belmont mansion’s hallway sconces, the next—total darkness.
I blinked, waiting for my eyes to adjust, but the blackness was absolute.
"Well," I said, "that’s not ominous at all."