Twisted Lies by Nora Cobb
Chapter 16
Astrid
The colored lights inside the warehouse flash through the cracked windows like a heart hitting every beat. A dull thump escapes through the closed doors as I jump out of my Uber ride and hurry across the packed parking lot. My expensive camel hair coat is safely tucked away in my closet. I’d never dare show my face in here dressed like I own the town. Instead, I wrap my team windbreaker into a tight ball and then slip my wings onto my back. My halo is missing somewhere on the dining hall floor.
“Just in time,” laughs Teeny as I rush up to the metal door. “There are a lot of folks in there that need saving.”
I smile as he pulls the door open. “I’m probably too late. Damage is done and dusted.”
The partying crowd is dressed in homemade costumes as other angels, vampires, superheroes, and gangsters sway to the steady beat. After I shove my jacket into a locker, I return to the floor and squeeze into the throng, blending in as if the Pit had been my only choice for tonight. My fee to the Investors Club is paid for, and by rights, I could strut into the office and claim my space, but I head for the catwalk instead. The office is probably empty, and I could flex my status, but all of those stuck-up losers are probably at the ball. They got me good, but my payback will be better.
Astrid: Changed my plans. I’m here.
Nova: Went elsewhere. Have fun tonight.
I stare down at her text as a mix of feelings wells up inside of me. Her text is like a sharp blow to the gut. I deserve it, and I get it. I don’t want to, but I understand. Nova isn’t saying where she is tonight, and it sends a clear message that I’m not invited to hang out with her. I slip my phone inside my tiny purse and let the earsplitting beat lure me back to the full-force party. Soon everything that happened tonight starts to fade away as I swing my hips in the crush of bodies.
Instead of slaying opponents, the ring is filled with people gyrating to an electric fast rap. At the railing on the catwalk, Grinder stands above us, smiling with a beer in his hand. Wyatt stands beside him, and neither one is in a costume as they stand close in deep conversation. With his middle finger, Grinder gestures toward the office, which has to be empty. No one else from Stonehaven is around, or they’re concealed behind heavy makeup, probably imitating a demon. The two men notice me staring and nod in my direction before returning to their intense conversation. Curiosity prods me as I move with the beat, but my eyes stay on them. By now, Grinder has to know that Wyatt is from Stonehaven. It’s obvious that Wyatt is Mask even though he’s dressed in jeans and not his fighting gear. Well, obvious to people who really know him. Soon, the new bouncer isn’t around, so no one stops me from dancing upstairs.
“Hey.” I smile at Grinder, then my gaze lingers on Wyatt. “No fights tonight.”
Grinder shrugs, but Wyatt answers. “There was one earlier. People who want to fight were auditioning.”
My jaw drops, and then I speak. “They’re letting new people onto the roster?”
In an instant, the conversation takes a nosedive as I remind them that they’re not the ones in charge. I backpedal a little, hoping to resuscitate the conversation and get it started again. “Nova’s not around? Or Derick?” I ask as Grinder stares past me.
“Nope. He was here earlier,” Wyatt answers again. “But he took off after the fights. Nova didn’t show up at all.”
Wyatt doesn’t make eye contact as each word from his tight jaw sounds like a warning and builds a barrier firmly between us. An awful feeling of dread starts to gain traction in my gut. I turn, looking out at the crowd and rocking my body to the fast beat. From the corner of my eye, I watch them standing together, but they don’t pick up the conversation again.
So, I only thought I was back in the clan tonight.
“You wanna dance?” Wyatt taps my shoulder, so I know he means me.
I nod casually, pretending that it doesn’t matter when it does, and we head downstairs. Wyatt hops up onto the edge of the ring and then pulls me up with one hand. The music makes me bounce, or maybe it’s a relief as we step in the center and dance like we’ve lost our hang-ups and sanity. I place my hands on his shoulders as we sway our hips in sync to the pounding beat. Wyatt spins me on my toes, and the air whooshes around me as I giggle like Cinderella returning to the ball for another dance.
Wyatt grabs my hand and tugs me hard against his muscular body. I shimmy against his hip, and then he spins me to his other side. We move our bodies but not our feet as we stare into each other’s eyes. Every time Wyatt looks at me with that intense gaze, I feel a chill race around my spine, and it always happens when he looks at me that way.
He smiles. “You really know how to dance.”
I play it like I’m humble. “I can manage a few steps.”
Wyatt grabs my waist with his firm grip and dips me low to the ground. I kick my leg up in the air. I come up and wrap my other leg around his hips. My body presses hard against his chest as the electricity sparks around us. If we were alone, the things I would do. I moan, wrapping my arms around his shoulders. But the kiss I crave doesn’t happen. Not here.
Wyatt loosens his hold, and I come back down to earth. He grabs my hand and leads me through the crush of people toward the ropes. We slip out between them and head toward the back changing area. No one’s in there; the lights are dim, and I’m glad to be alone in the semi-dark. Wyatt pulls me into a kiss, and I kiss him with every ounce of feeling that possesses me. Wyatt means so much more than the other boys. I can feel it in my heart, but I wonder if he would understand about Justin.
“Can we talk?” I ask, pulling away.
Wyatt pins me with his dark gaze. “I think we should.”
My heart clenches in my chest, and I don’t want to stop the conversation again. I want to talk about how I feel, but I’m not sure how far I can go. Backing off becomes my default as I step away. “You go first,” I whisper.
The shadows play across his face as Wyatt arches his brow. “I think you should.”
“I don’t feel like I belong here anymore.” I turn away, but I can feel his eyes on my back.
Wyatt’s leg brushes mine as he sits down on the bench. “You don’t, and maybe that’s not a bad thing.”
Why his words surprise me, I don’t know. “In what way?” I ask, searching for an answer in his meaning, but I ignore his tight gaze on purpose.
“Maybe you’re outgrowing the place?” he replies, sighing as if I should know by now. “Were you here the other night?”
“What night?” My wide eyes answer the question that I want to avoid.
“With Justin?” he continues, coolly leaning his upper body back against the lockers.
“We talked about the club.” My cheeks flame as my voice falters, and I hope he doesn’t see my weakness in the darkness. All these years, I pretended I didn’t give a fuck what other people thought, but that was far from the truth. Now, every word uttered makes me second-guess my strength.
“It’s okay, Astrid,” he scoffs. “I don’t have any claim on you.”
Dumbly, I shift beside Wyatt, careful to make sure that our thighs don’t touch again. Our gaze locks, but I don’t have the nerve to say the words I want to say. Instead, I stare deeply into his eyes, trying to see if he really cares. But I can’t tell how he feels—not while his defenses are protecting him from me.
“You could if you wanted to,” I whisper.
Nothing changes in his eyes. If anything, his severe gaze blocks my way in. “Can anyone claim you and keep you?” he asks.
My hand grazes his thigh, but Wyatt doesn’t move his leg. “You could if you wanted to,” I repeat.
“But I won’t,” he whispers, “I’m not your best bet if you’re going to belong at Stonehaven.”
I suck in my breath and stop myself from confessing. Maybe I should tell Wyatt how I see us riding away together from that soul-sucking place, but I don’t. My guard is raised and keeping my heart in check. “What do you mean?” I ask.
“Did Justin show you the books?” he asks.
I watch him closely. Wyatt must know more. “He did. Did he tell you that?”
“He didn’t have to,” he replies, moving his leg away. “Justin was holding a book in the video. The changing area is the only place that doesn’t have a camera.”
Startled, I move to stand, but Wyatt grabs my wrist and pulls me down again. I made a fool of myself again, and this time, I have no excuses. I can’t blame Justin and say he tricked me into it. I willing parted my legs. I can’t say I didn’t want him to touch me. Not when my body tingles, thinking about his mouth between my open thighs. But he tricked me with cunning, sugary words that he’s probably practiced on every girl.
“I doubt he knows about the cameras, Astrid,” he replies coolly, “Pierce and Bryce limit what Justin knows. I don’t mind if you want him. I doubt we would’ve gotten farther. You should hook up with him.”
My body shifts as if it’s bobbing out into the waves and taking me further from safety. “Don’t you want me?”
His gaze remains firm. “I want you to learn the books. Isn’t that what you’re doing?”
I nod, ashamed to be so transparent and even more ashamed to lie. “That’s the only reason why I did it.”
Sighing, Wyatt looks at the floor. “Then why do you look like you’re about to cry?”
My chest lifts up with my emotions, and I say what I have to say for myself, more than him. “I feel like I’ll never get ahead of them. I’m not doing this just for me. My father is a cruel and controlling man, and now, my mother and I have to rely on him. He made it that way. If only I could get far enough ahead that we wouldn’t have to.”
I sniff, and Wyatt presses his leg against mine as I continue. “I used to be able to rely on myself, but not anymore. My bubble has popped. And that world was deceitful anyway. I can’t get it back, but at least I felt like I was in control.”
“I understand,” he speaks softly and then lets out a long breath. “More than you know.”
“I do a lot of stuff,” I blurt out, wiping away my tears, “but I’ve not done that. I promised my mother I wouldn’t end up with a kid. Sure, I’ve done other things, but I can’t risk a baby. Not now; not when I have a chance of leaving Weymouth.”
Wyatt stares at me, stunned into silence by my confession as he realized what I was telling him. I’ve done plenty with guys, and sometimes far more than what other girls have. None of them ever complained. After all, how many girls have they met that offer anal as the first option?
But my virginity—my real virginity—had always been off-limits. I’ve lived my mother’s life right alongside her, and I know what she’s gone through to take care of me. I know what she might have had if I hadn’t shown up to take it away from her.
I made a promise to her, and I intend to keep it.
My face heats up, but I will the tears down. I didn’t come here to cry, and I don’t give a shit what he thinks of me.
Wyatt sits up, moving closer. His expression shifts to a warmth he always hides. “You okay?”
I nod and lay my head against his shoulder. “I needed that cry. I’ve been holding it in for too long.”
“We could work together,” he says, wrapping an arm around my shoulder. “We could change both our worlds.”
“I have an idea,” I whisper as my knee begins to bounce. “Monarch is starting up its club again. I think Nova’s there now. If I knew the books, I could help make it profitable.”
“We could help make it profitable,” he corrects me as his arm drapes over my shoulder. “I know the books, but you know the players. It’ll be our secret.”
“We’ll do it together,” I tell him.
Wyatt hugs me close. “Together.”
