Forbidden Fate (Crowne Point 3)

“That’s not dumb,” I said softly. “So then, you can use them for anything? Can they be used to reverse fate?” I attempted to ask the last question lightly.

“Snitch…” That was all he said for at least five minutes. His voice was so soft and tender, I wanted to curl up in it. “If I could have reversed our fate, I would have. I know my grandfather, and I know the du Lacs. They wouldn’t hesitate to challenge.”

“That’s not what I meant. I don’t…” I stammered, tried to backtrack.

His eyes met mine, voice stone. “I’d go to war for you Story, but I won’t let you be a casualty.”

And as though he’d just asked me the fucking weather, Grayson looked away, easily asking, “So, you have it now? Woodsy gave it to you?”

I think I’m having heart palpitations. “No…” I cleared my throat. “I didn’t think it was real. He said it was buried beneath a poem. I still have no idea what that means.”

He frowned.

I jerked my gaze back to his. “Wait, you said you’re missing yours. Did you give yours to my uncle? Why?”

My heart pounded, waiting for his answer. He could have left this world years ago. Instead he’d given the most valuable thing he owned to my uncle.

He stared into his whiskey a long time before he answered. “At the time, it was the only one I had. And it was the least I could give.”

This was such a bad idea.

“Get up here, Grayson.”

GRAY

* * *

“Get up here, Grayson,” she repeated.

I stared at my reflection in the glass. I missed her, my girl, my Snitch. Regardless of right and wrong. I set the whiskey down and stood up, taking a second to just stare down at her.

She stared back with those wide, mossy eyes.

Not breaking our gaze, I climbed into bed until I was in the center, then I slid down on my bicep, sharing a pillow. That feeling—the tight, ripping one I got every day, every minute I’m away from her—quieted. I could breathe again. The only thing left was an ache in my muscles from the urge to pull her closer.

It was almost like we were back in my bed, and she was going to fall asleep, and I would wake up to her.

Dangerous.

It took every ounce of willpower not to drag her on top of me.

“It’s been a while since I’ve seen your face like this,” I said.

Sideways. Softened in shadow. Looking at me in a way only Snitch could. I couldn’t resist running a hand along her naked shoulder.

Fuck.

It must be the whiskey.

“You have four coins,” she whispered. “What if I found my uncle’s, and you had all five?”

“No one has ever had all five at once,” I said. “It’s basically a fairy tale. Maybe we really could reverse fate…”

She sucked in a breath.

The gold locket I gave her glinted in the dark. I lifted it from her breast, trying to ignore the hard swallow at her throat.

“Have you looked inside it?”