ette

ck shattered

nfi

. Too

ass exploded behind us. My mind snapped into focus, years of training kickin

rom the balcony. A shad

ni

d steady. Asses

the space where my head had been. Luca was already moving, p

own," he

nored

incts overriding logic as I sprinted toward the wi

Two.

faintest glint of steel. A muffled grunt sounded as

e wasn

w exactly who he

h, my breath control

ed his attention from Luca to me. A f

as the

I was a

knife in my grip. "You go

sassin

y body just enough to feel the blade sli

t some h

either

d, gripping his wrist and twisting-hard. A sickeni

rely r

s elbow into my ribs. Pain flared, but I gr

two shadows l

nt. D

he

ared through

jerked. His bo

en he c

oke curling from the barrel. His dark eyes

hesi

on. It was an obser

y heart hammering beneath my

over me, slow and

dn't

irst time in my li

led like gunpo

, his eyes still open but unseeing. Luca stood over him

ng me. Waiting

he said again, voi

orcing my body to re

d closer.

ll down my spine-not because h

en there before. I could have finished the kill. I should h

y

my heart had raced for an entirely different re

sassin's blade was still dripping blood down my arm. Before I co

Si

breath. "I

, Jul

n't a r

ut then he pulled me toward the couch, guiding me

s pocket. His movements were careful as he pressed it agai

pped to mine.

e. "You don't get

ed-not quite a smirk, but cl

jaw ticked. Infu

d still, let

wound. But with every brush of his fingertips, with ev

cleaned up blood. But there was something about the way he was doing it now, the way his t

seeing me for

st people would be shaken after a s

around my arm, tying it in place with practiced ea

lieve

e aware of everything-the warmth of his hands, the way his knee wa

was a

stupid, dea

e reason, I

is eyes never leaving mine

t. Deceptively casual

arting to

ect. But for some reason, th

knee, light but deliberate. Hi

you my

pulse hammering

uld sa

him before he

pered, "Would it

his gaze dark and unreadable. Then

I'd want y

eath c

f I was more terrified o

act that I w

have wal

ad, I

like a curse, sinking in

I'd want y

l him he was a fool. But t

. This imp

oing to get u

t stop me this time, but I could feel his eyes on me as I paced the

ave. T

d, my phone buzzed

y knew wh

atching me. Calculating. I turn

have been

istorted-cold, d

remain steady. "There

Fix it. Or we'll

ine we

moment, the weight of the

ix

ll

ave been simple. I

something I had long

he couch, legs spread, hands clasped, studying me

the faintest idea who I real

etween my eyes witho

t... he

His voice was smooth, teasing. B

king the chaos inside

just slightly. "I've met enough liar

t

o give him a reason to pin me aga

s playing a g

feel the shift in the air, the way his attenti

lf onto his lap before he could react. His bod

brushed against my

shell of his ear. "And what do yo

a second-just a second-

is grip on my waist tightening. Not pulling

arely moved, but I felt

slammed against my ribs.

ainst my jaw in a way that felt almo

. "I just don't think you know

nt a shiver d

e he wa

nger this was. But I knew it w

me in my life-I didn'