Ruthless

58

At a little distance from them stood the same Asian man, eyes sharp and unblinking. Obviously, he was going to inform his boss. Why the hell didn't I think about that sooner?

My heart sank as I realized just how deep in trouble I was. First, I lied to sneak into a prohibited area, and now I'm caught red-handed with one of his men. Edward has every reason to doubt me now.

I glanced back at Edward. His gaze wasn't on me or Colten directly, but somewhere in between. Following his line of sight, I realized our hands were still interlocked.

As if my fingers had been scorched by acid, I jerked my hand away from Colten's and moved to the left, putting some distance between us.

"What are you doing here?" Edward's voice cut through the air, thick with anger, his tone demanding and cold.

"Nothing," I replied quickly, my heart hammering in my chest. "I was just passing by, and he helped me when I almost slipped and fell," I lied, forcing myself to meet his eyes.

Edward's brow furrowed, suspicious and unconvinced.

"That might make sense, but why were you lying to the guard?" Faith asked.

"I-I..." My voice faltered, and I felt the sting of panic. There was no lie that could cover my actions. I was trapped with no possible escape route.

A cold sweat broke out on my forehead, trickling down the side of my face.

"Faith," Colten's voice cut through the tension, and I turned to look at him.

He was gesturing subtly with his eyes, signaling that it was okay and that he would handle it. I prayed silently for him not to make things worse.

"Actually, Faith and I know each other. She saw me and followed me there. Please don't be angry. I know she lied, but the last time we saw each other, it wasn't under the best of circumstances.

She probably thought I was dead, and seeing me alive must have been a shock," Colten explained quickly, his tone light but nervous.

"Yes, exactly," I added with a nervous laugh, hoping to back up his story.

Edward remained silent, his expression unreadable. Before he could speak, Faith's voice chimed in from behind him, cutting through the tension like a blade.

"Oh, come on, Edward, don't be harsh. Faith couldn't help herself when she saw her love alive. I'd have done the same if I thought you were dead for so long and then saw you again," she teased with a smugness that made my blood boil.

I forced myself to stay calm, even though her tone was triggering every nerve in my body. We never got along but we had always managed to keep a thin peace between us, ignoring one another's existence. So why was she trying to stir trouble now?

"We are not lovers," I shot back defensively, trying to maintain my composure.

Colten, standing beside me, nodded. "We're not," he agreed, but then, with a mischievous grin, he added, "But who knows what the future holds?"

Is he out of his mind? Does he have a death wish?

He seemed oblivious to the tension, finding amusement in the chaos he was creating. I sent him a furious look, which only made his grin widen. A single eyebrow arch, finding my frustration entertaining.

Someone, please kill me, I thought.

Realizing this idiot wouldn't back down, I turned my gaze to Edward. He looked livid, his jaw set and eyes burning with anger.

I wanted to say something to defuse the situation, to make it less severe, but my mind was blank. Every possible excuse led to a dead end. So I stood there, frozen to the spot.