Read Online Edge of Desire by Rhyannon Byrd - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Rhyannon Byrd
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life. He’d been wrong, and Ian had damn near paid the price for Riley’s stubbornness.
He’d made so many mistakes already, he couldn’t afford to make any more. Which meant he had to see this through to the end. Do what good he could for his family, while there was still time. He’d find the Marker, take out as many Casus as possible, then put the issue to rest, once and for all.
He just had to keep Hope safe till it all played out. Then the danger would move on to wherever the next Marker was hidden, and he’d be out of her life. Forever.
Doing his best to ignore the sickening feeling that came with that thought, he leaned his shoulders against the rough bark of the trunk behind him. Breaking the heavy silence that had settled between them like a thick, weighty presence, he finally said, “So.”
He watched as her mouth twitched with the shadow of a grin. After a long, dramatic sigh, she said, “Uh-oh.”
He quirked one brow. “What?”
“It’s just that that ‘so’ is such a leading kind of word. Tips you off right away that something bad is coming. Something deeply personal. Like, so, how long have you been into ritual sacrifice? Or, so, why did you decide to become a raging lesbian? ”
The corner of his mouth curved, his own grin feelingforeign on his face, as if the muscles had almost forgotten how to do it. “Huh. So you’ve become a raging lesbian?”
“Unfortunately, no,” she offered with a low laugh, shaking her head. “Though I sometimes think life would be infinitely more simple if I had.”
This time he arched both his brows. “How so?”
Rocking back on her bare heels, she said, “The female mind I at least understand.”
“Men aren’t such a mystery,” he countered.
Hope snorted, rolling her eyes. “So says one of the most complicated men I’ve ever known.” A moment of tangible silence settled back between them, the playful exchange fading as their gazes locked into one another. Drawing in a deep, shaky breath, she seemed to force herself to say, “At any rate, I know what you were going to ask and, no, I don’t want to talk about him.”
There was something in her tone…in that haunted look in her eyes that made the hairs on the back of his neck rise, while a visceral, deadly rage twisted through his insides. “Did he hurt you?”
“No,” she said too quickly, and he ground his jaw, struggling to stay calm. Even though Riley knew her answer was a lie, he bought it. He didn’t have any other choice. It was either swallow the sugarcoated pill she was shoveling at him, or risk releasing that part of himself that he always struggled to contain.
But inside, under those layers of emotional concrete, he was roaring, ready for blood. To take the bastardapart with his bare hands and make him suffer. He’d seen how much damage a man could do when he wanted, and he knew just how defenseless a woman could be when facing such a prick.
“At least tell me why the asshole is in prison,” he growled, struggling to keep his breaths deep and even.
She crossed her arms over her chest and looked away, staring into the thick, impenetrable depths of the forest. “If I wanted you to know, I’d tell you. But I don’t even want to think about him, much less discuss him with you.”
“Tell me anyway,” he growled, the words hard with impatience as he pushed away from the tree and took a step toward her.
Her head snapped back around, the look in her eyes warning him not to come any closer. “Drop it, Riley. It’s ancient history. One I’ve done my best to forget.”
He drew in another deep breath, studying her through his lashes. “I could just look into it, find out for myself.”
Hope snorted again, rolling one shoulder in a whatever gesture, while inside she was recoiling, shrinking into herself, hating that he would eventually learn the whole sordid story and know just how stupid she’d been. “To be honest, I’m surprised you haven’t already done it,” she
He’d made so many mistakes already, he couldn’t afford to make any more. Which meant he had to see this through to the end. Do what good he could for his family, while there was still time. He’d find the Marker, take out as many Casus as possible, then put the issue to rest, once and for all.
He just had to keep Hope safe till it all played out. Then the danger would move on to wherever the next Marker was hidden, and he’d be out of her life. Forever.
Doing his best to ignore the sickening feeling that came with that thought, he leaned his shoulders against the rough bark of the trunk behind him. Breaking the heavy silence that had settled between them like a thick, weighty presence, he finally said, “So.”
He watched as her mouth twitched with the shadow of a grin. After a long, dramatic sigh, she said, “Uh-oh.”
He quirked one brow. “What?”
“It’s just that that ‘so’ is such a leading kind of word. Tips you off right away that something bad is coming. Something deeply personal. Like, so, how long have you been into ritual sacrifice? Or, so, why did you decide to become a raging lesbian? ”
The corner of his mouth curved, his own grin feelingforeign on his face, as if the muscles had almost forgotten how to do it. “Huh. So you’ve become a raging lesbian?”
“Unfortunately, no,” she offered with a low laugh, shaking her head. “Though I sometimes think life would be infinitely more simple if I had.”
This time he arched both his brows. “How so?”
Rocking back on her bare heels, she said, “The female mind I at least understand.”
“Men aren’t such a mystery,” he countered.
Hope snorted, rolling her eyes. “So says one of the most complicated men I’ve ever known.” A moment of tangible silence settled back between them, the playful exchange fading as their gazes locked into one another. Drawing in a deep, shaky breath, she seemed to force herself to say, “At any rate, I know what you were going to ask and, no, I don’t want to talk about him.”
There was something in her tone…in that haunted look in her eyes that made the hairs on the back of his neck rise, while a visceral, deadly rage twisted through his insides. “Did he hurt you?”
“No,” she said too quickly, and he ground his jaw, struggling to stay calm. Even though Riley knew her answer was a lie, he bought it. He didn’t have any other choice. It was either swallow the sugarcoated pill she was shoveling at him, or risk releasing that part of himself that he always struggled to contain.
But inside, under those layers of emotional concrete, he was roaring, ready for blood. To take the bastardapart with his bare hands and make him suffer. He’d seen how much damage a man could do when he wanted, and he knew just how defenseless a woman could be when facing such a prick.
“At least tell me why the asshole is in prison,” he growled, struggling to keep his breaths deep and even.
She crossed her arms over her chest and looked away, staring into the thick, impenetrable depths of the forest. “If I wanted you to know, I’d tell you. But I don’t even want to think about him, much less discuss him with you.”
“Tell me anyway,” he growled, the words hard with impatience as he pushed away from the tree and took a step toward her.
Her head snapped back around, the look in her eyes warning him not to come any closer. “Drop it, Riley. It’s ancient history. One I’ve done my best to forget.”
He drew in another deep breath, studying her through his lashes. “I could just look into it, find out for myself.”
Hope snorted again, rolling one shoulder in a whatever gesture, while inside she was recoiling, shrinking into herself, hating that he would eventually learn the whole sordid story and know just how stupid she’d been. “To be honest, I’m surprised you haven’t already done it,” she
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