Page 151 of Boys Who Hunt

I can’t breathe.

It doesn’t register with me until it’s too late.

My eyes nearly roll into the back of my head.

Knock. Knock.

Suddenly, he pulls back and looks at me. He unfurls his fingers from my veins, and my lungs suck in the oxygen.

Fuck.

Another knock on the door follows.

“Silas? Ivy? Are you okay in there?”

Max.

Silas and I look at each other. I can still feel his hot lips on mine, my tongue tracing his taste.

Another knock.

“We’re fine,” I reply, my eyes still fixated on his.

“We should go. We’re sitting ducks here,” Heath adds.

I swallow as Silas finally averts his eyes, and I put the box back into the cabinet along with whatever just happened, then open the door.

“I just had to clean up his wound. That’s all. Finished.”

“But … he’s still bleeding,” Max points at Silas who waltzes out too.

“I’m fine,” Silas says.

“You two keep saying that, but I don’t think it means what you think it means.”

“Max,” Silas grits, shutting him up.

I immediately search for Cora to make sure she’s safe. She’s standing on a stool in the kitchen, grabbing three glasses. “Cora? What are you doing?”

I hurry to help her.

“I wanted to give them something to drink. Mrs. Schwartz always asks me.” She pours water into the glasses.

“We don’t have to—”

“I’m thirsty as hell,” Max says, grabbing one of the half-filled glasses out of her little hand, and he chugs it down in one go, making Cora giggle.

I roll my eyes at how easily he’s won her over already.

“You said hell,” she says, giggling even more. “That’s a bad word.”

“Oops.” Max covers his mouth with his hand. “Did I say that?” She giggles again as he pokes at her. “I bet you’ve never said a bad word in your life.”

“Poop!” she screams at the top of her lungs.

“Oh fuck me,” Silas groans.

“You said a bad word too!” Cora points at him.