Hooked (Never After, #1)

by Emily McIntire

“Please tell him,” I beg again. “I don’t want to be the one who does.” He nods against me. “I’ll tell him in the morning.” Blowing out a breath, I allow his words to wrap around me like a blanket, relief swallowing up the sadness—at least temporarily. But in the morning, he’s gone. And Jon still doesn’t know.

“Just remember that whenever things feel bleak, all situations are temporary. It’s not your circumstance that determines your worth, it’s how you rise from the ashes after everything burns.”

“Control your date,” Tina hisses at me. I grin, leaning back against my chair. “Now, why would I want to do that?”

Peter’s jaw tightens and he leans in, his eyes pleading with his daughter. “You have no idea who you’re sitting next to.” Her jaw stiffens. “I know exactly who he is. It’s you I’m beginning to question.” My heart stutters, his phrase cementing what I’ve been theorizing for the past few minutes. She doesn’t know about her father. And that means she never betrayed me at all.

“You want to watch the world burn?” “Let me guess, you’ll set it on fire?” I ask. He chuckles, the sound vibrating through me and settling into my bones. “No,

darling. I’ll hand you the match and stand at your back, watching you become queen of the ashes.”

“Your name is James Barrie?” Peter asks, tilting his head. “It is,” I reply. I have imagined this moment for years—the look that would cross Peter’s face as he realizes just who I am. But now, I only feel hollow. I force my feet to move as I walk toward my knife, grunting from the pain of bending to pick it up, a gush of fresh blood spurting from my wound and seeping through my shirt. I’m not sure how deep the puncture is, but my body is becoming chilled, and I’m sure I’m losing more blood than what anyone would deem a reasonable amount. “You look just like your father,” Peter continues. “And your brother looks like you.”

He looks back at me. “Can you not see the resemblance, Wendy?” “Resemblance to who?” Tina pulls on my hair, making me wince. “To Jon!” he snaps. “The bastard child of your mother and my old business partner, Arthur.”