Page 58 of Bend

Draygon looks between them.

Then back to me.

Then at Wolfe.

Then Thorne.

Then understanding slams into him so hard I can actually see it happen.

“No,” he says.

Wolfe drags a hand over the back of his neck.

Thorne goes very, very still.

Draygon laughs once, sharp as broken glass. “Oh, you have got to be fucking kidding me.”

I consider faking my own death.

Again.

Wolfe’s eyes meet mine for the briefest second, and the bastard looks fucking amused.

Not cruel and smug. Just… like part of him can’t help appreciating the spectacular disaster of all this.

Draygon’s eyes narrow. “So that’s why you kept dodging me.”

“Kind of,” I look up. “And I was not dodging you.”

“Bullshit.”

“Fair fucking play,” Wolfe says under his breath.

I stare at him. “Fair play?”

He gives the tiniest shrug, like what else is there to call this?

Draygon points at him. “Don’t.”

Wolfe lifts both hands. “Chill dude, I mean if she had a cock we’d all be giving her props,”

“Bloody hell,” Thorne snaps. “She fucking played all of us?”

Everyone turns to Thorne who is clearly fucking hurt.

And there it is.

That sharp little ache in my chest I knew would come but I absolutely did not order with my coffee this morning.

Draygon looks at him. Then at me. Then back at him. “What do you mean all of us? You too?”

Thorne rounds on him so fast his helmet nearly slips from his grip. “What d’you mean, me too?”

“What the fuck do you think I mean?”

“Jesus Christ,” I mutter.

Talon’s head whips toward me. “You do not get to ‘Jesus Christ’ this.”