Page 188 of One of Those Amnesia Stories

“How does it feel?” His voice was smug, savouring. “When someone disrupts your plans? When someone appears out of nowhere and fucks up everything you worked for?”

My feet moved slightly, searching through the debris. They found it. A shard of glass from the liquor he’d dropped earlier, sharp enough to catch faintly against the sole of my shoe.

I kept my eyes on him. I didn’t look down. Didn’t let my expression change. I simply nudged the shard forward, a little at a time, until it rested precisely where his next step would land if he came toward me.

I didn’t answer his question.

Instead, I decided to give him a glimpse of his future.

“Naija spent one day at the hospital.” My voice came out so calm it surprised even me. “I’ll make sure you stay locked up in a room for much longer.”

I turned before he could answer and reached for Cassian’s hand. His fingers closed around mine instantly, warm and firm, as though he’d been waiting for me. We walked away.

Behind me, I heard it. Footsteps. Angry, hurried, exactly as I’d predicted.

Then the crunch. The sharp intake of breath. The scream.

“Fucking bitch!”

I didn’t turn around. Didn’t stop walking. But I paused for half a second, just long enough to let my voice carry back over my shoulder.

“Don’t blame me for your cheap shoes.”

I kept walking, hand in hand with Cassian, toward the door.

Then I stopped one more time. Half-turned. Let him see my face—the calm, the absolute lack of fear.

A smile spread across my lips, slow and certain. “Oh, and Baylee?”

His eyes, wide with pain and rage, locked onto mine.

“Between Quinn and Sterling?” I let the words hang for just a moment. “Quinn is a much better last name.”

Chapter 30

Iwas still holding his hand.

I hadn’t meant to. Hadn’t even realized it until we reached the car and I reached for the door handle, only to find my fingers tangled in his.

I pulled away quickly. Too quickly. Dropped his hand like it had burned me.

The door handle didn’t move.

Locked.

“Unlock the car.” I didn’t turn around. Just tried the handle again. Nothing.

“Cassian—”

“No.”

My jaw tightened. I turned to face him. His eyes were on mine. Sad, intent, searching my face like he was looking for something I didn’t know I was hiding.

“Give me the keys, then.”

He kept staring. Then, slowly, he shook his head.

I nodded, accepting. “Fine. I’ll get a cab.”