Page 177 of Axis of Fire

I hated that.

Hated the fact that I suddenly cared what he thought of me.

Why did I care?

The car continued moving toward our friends.

“So all of this was because of a painting?” Airis asked.

“No.”

The answer left me immediately.

Without hesitation.

Without doubt.

“Because of betrayal.”

Silence settled between us.

This time I felt Airis glance at me.

Really glance at me.

As though he was comparing that answer to everything else he'd learned so far.

Then, from the corner of my eye, I noticed some of the tension leave his shoulders.

A small shift.

Barely visible.

But unmistakable.

As if he'd just found a missing piece of a puzzle.

A piece he'd been searching for without realizing it.

Or maybe a piece of me I hadn't meant to reveal at all.

And somehow, that realization made me more nervous than the approaching car.

Chapter 16

By the time Airis hit the brakes, Ethan and his two friends had already stepped out of their car.

I got out immediately, instinctively studying their posture and checking whether they were armed.

They looked harmless.

At least physically.

My friends had already moved closer to them, and relief washed through me when I noticed Lars, Camille, and Justin positioning themselves around the group.

Protective.

Strategic.