Page 265 of Stay Scared

Ash catches my wrist and pulls me hard against him. “That is because I am taking over.”

Heat goes through me.

Behind us, Cade laughs through the skull. Owen reaches the landing.

Nobody looks civilized.

Ash’s hand slides to the back of my neck. “You have spent eighteen months making this place answer to you.”

His thumb presses below my ear.

“Tonight, I want five minutes.”

“You already have my wrist.”

“I want more than your wrist.”

Cade steps closer. “Get in line.”

Ash turns his head. “I owned this building before you knew where the loading dock was.”

Cade comes down the final stair. “She owns half of it now.”

Owen stops beside him. “That means neither argument matters.”

Ash’s grip tightens.

I look between them.

The competition never disappeared. Neither did the possession or the ugly certainty each of them carries that wanting me should earn him more than the other two get.

We learned how to live with it.

We never killed it.

I pull my wrist from Ash’s hand. He lets me reluctantly, and I immediately take the front of his coat and drag him closer.

His mask touches my forehead.

“You wanted five minutes.”

“Yes, I did.”

“Catch me.”

I shove him backward and run.

Cade curses. Owen laughs once behind him.

Ash comes after me.

All three do.

I hit the lower midway with my heart trying to tear through my ribs. The dark opens in front of me, a skull flashing in the mirror to my right while white appears farther ahead.

The Voice moves somewhere behind both.

They are cheating.