le. Her vision blurred. The humiliation was a physi

se sparked. A raw, desperate fury.

and burst through the café door. She saw him a hundred f

him, her low-heeled boots click

ut her voice was swall

ramp into the garage. The air sme

a sleek black Porsch

an,

was glacial. "I believe our business is conc

. That final disregard br

bbed his sleeve, fingers d

h word with chilling precision. "This

lly constructed facade she'

tracking clean paths

nymore. I'm in trouble. Jake... he's not who I thought

speration, her fear, her foolish plan

ard lines of his face seemed

her tears track through the grime on her face, he felt something he hadn't felt in years. Not sympathy. He didn't do sympathy. Something mo

seemed to be fightin

is thumb brushed away a tear from

dn't touch people. He managed them, assessed them, dismissed them. He didn't reach for them in parking garages because

an Reynolds didn't have gentle moments. They had strategies. She just couldn't figure out what his was. And that not-knowing was more dangerous than any cruelty he'd shown her so far. Cruelty she could predict. This-the

hifted be

UN

uiet. Someone had slammed their

amed, spinn

"I knew it," he snarled, pointing a trembling finger at Kassie. "Yo

ed towa

assie behind him with one hand while the other

ying whisper. "You will get in your car and drive away. And

went out of him, replaced

at Kassie, but his eyes w

ful shove. Jake stumbled back, ki

his car sped up the ramp. The

the side of the Porsche, arms wrappe

was gone, replaced by ice. He looked down at her with

his hallway. But as he watched her tremble against his car, the clinical detachment he relied on refused to come. S

he passenger side and

t i

e wheel, never once looking at her. The

building, he left the engine run

glove co

small white p

ke

d the bag

left h

ce. "Make sure you clean up any poten

e end. That wa

led out, slamming it behind her. Th

de down the side of his car, when he'd felt her tear against his thumb, he'd known he would give it to her tonight. Not because she was a loose end. Because she was bec

that seeped into your bones and made you forget the difference between anger and surrender. He'd protected her. He'd humiliated her. He'd done both in the span