Total pages in book: 218
Estimated words: 209489 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1047(@200wpm)___ 838(@250wpm)___ 698(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 209489 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1047(@200wpm)___ 838(@250wpm)___ 698(@300wpm)
He crossed his arms over his impressive chest. “I like the anonymity.”
Oh. “But how do you do that? I mean, do that thing so nothing can get a shot of your face?”
He made a smug expression I didn’t like. Someone was back to his secrets, I guess.
But while we were on the topic of things he might not want to talk about…. “Is The Centurion your brother?” I blurted out.
“Yes.”
I almost fainted again.
What did his parents look like? Genetics were pretty amazing, and it did make sense. This was a State secret. More than that.
A thought came to me out of nowhere.
It made my throat start hurting even more as I flipped the thought one way and then another, looking at it at every angle.
And it only made it worse.
If I’d thought my voice had been small before, it was Hobbit-sized as I said, “Are you telling me this because you’re planning on killing me before I tell anyone?”
No. No. He wouldn’t have kept me alive this long just to kill me.
Would he?
His mouth opened just a little bit.
Then he blinked. I blinked. And his voice was totally flat as he asked, “What is wrong with you?”
Did he have to sound so serious?
I tried to smile but was pretty sure it was a total fail. “Are… you? Going to kill me?”
He gave me a look that seemed to last an eternity. “No.” He squinted. “I promised to keep an eye on you for the rest of your life. How does that make any sense?”
“It wouldn’t be a lie if it was a short life.”
A funny expression came over that handsome face. “That’s a good point.”
He sounded almost impressed. I wasn’t the only one who had something wrong with me.
“I’m telling you these things because you’re going to find them out soon anyway,” Alexander went on.
It was my turn to watch him dubiously. “Why?” It had seemed so suspicious when he’d gone from purposely ignoring me and glaring, to talking a little more, then a little more when we’d ended up in that cell, and now here we were, with him being willing to tell me a few things. With his sneaky, undercover kindnesses.
Why was he doing it?
“Because we’re going back to where I live.” His biceps bunched beneath the worn material of the clean hoodie. “You’re going to be involved in my life, and I’m not going to waste my time hiding the truth from you. It’s too much effort, and you’re going to find out anyway.” His eyes glowed that brilliant purple for a moment before his voice dropped. “And I’ll know if you tell someone.”
All right, that just made me think of at least ten more questions. “I see,” I mumbled, trying to put them in order of importance. “Was everything okay with your… sister?”
His sister! They were siblings! I was never getting over it.
“Yes,” he confirmed. “She spoke to Agatha and came to see what the problem was.”
I pressed my lips together and went for the next question, as carefully as possible, wearing imaginary white gloves and everything. “Is there? A problem?”
“You’re too weak to travel on my back anymore. That’s our biggest problem right now.”
Ooh, he’d hedged that well, but I was on to him.
She could have carried us both easily. Or he could have asked her to fly me back. She could fly faster than he could run, at least I was pretty sure that was the case.
There was more to this than he wanted me to see, but I was aware of it.
And I had a feeling it had to do with his flying. Or more.
I scratched my chin. “Did you tell her about me?”
That beautiful gaze settled heavily on me. “I didn’t need to. She figured things out.”
Okay, this mystery was starting to get way too big. “So, that’s not the first time you’ve said something that sounds really, really loaded. You just said something about me learning the truth, and you’ve made hints that you know things that you couldn’t have learned snooping through my mail. I really don’t think I had my birth certificate at my house. And now you just said that. About her figuring things out.” I paused. “What did she figure out?”
Someone went broody, and he huffed.
I waited, getting more and more wary by the second. I’d been dealing with lies my entire life. I’d weaved a thousand of them myself, as much as I’d tried to avoid them. I was a fucking pro. I was Gracie by day and the Sorceress of Secrets by night.
But I knew… I knew….
Alexander crossed his arms, confirming just what I’d thought.
I was on to something.
What the hell was going on?
He shook his head, his gaze narrowing again. “I thought you were being oblivious and secretive, but you aren’t, are you?”
I made a face. Secretive was one thing.