," Jaxon said, not

hind him like a playground he owned and ruled. That stupi

idn

coat on. A

," I replied. "Not

rned around.

s, the kind of face you wanted to punch or kis

he said. "You walked throu

talk. Not

ime to run. Or maybe he just liked the w

himself. His finge

touch was fami

unwa

I told

ing the coat on a chair like it was his. "And

. The n

sen

er he told me I didn't kn

No note. No box.

re m

fts buy loyal

lose. His vo

k possession br

se stu

close. To

dn't affor

't told me what

own my spine not touching skin, but clo

mart," he said. "Sh

need pr

are you

owing me too well. For knowi

r, poured two drinks. E

nded

d that won't just ruin your car

lass, but I

you drag

or a long time. N

the t

What you know is the surface. Inve

underneath

his glass. Sw

thing

ait

what I di

built it on blood. My father sharpened it. I " he met my

art p

elling me

cide," he said. "Are yo

It was sh

choice? After drag

n. "You crashed into my world like a match. I sho

. His eyes were sof

terri

u want from

eane

th brus

ryth

k at t

body s

he hallway, jaw cl

y he

I di

oll

of that hallway, in the di

a

oling on

cognized carved

y n

melled of iro

rs, and stopped behind Jaxon. His body bl

ties. Blood-soa

th

. Deep. Ri

vanish was the thing c

e le

A-

t finished

"Is this a

s jaw was clenched so hard

s he?"

replied. "Security

s wasn't

ce was ice. "

of his men Enzo, I rem

allway flooded with s

t. Loyal

everything he touch

t just a businessman. This...

hed his. And something unspoken pass

truth?" he ask

k I des

es. His fingers found the chain around my neck, the one he

les. The blood on that floor? That's a

y m

e," he said simply.

have pu

've sc

m in. Letting that possessive a

t did you do?

an

isse

ike apology a

I le

beat harder for this man even as he dra

that n

arble was cleaned. But t

dress, staring at the fireplace. Jaxon stood nea

ur enemies

dn't

your f

y. "You ask too

ou lie t

and walked toward me

to su

I'm supposed to ju

supposed to decide if I

shut

re, my comebacks, my

I whispered. "But yo

usted anyone," he said, kneeling in

o his chest. His heartbeat po

tect. I burn for the one

am I?"

. "You're the one I'l

ghts cut out.

le red laser dot appea

ip

me to th

nf

expl

down," h

the dark, chasing the ghos

heart pounding

e silence afterward was worse. I

m the marble floor. One corner of the window was shattered

" I whi

ans

ves. The echo of that laser

hey h

teps.

ra

wasn'

as O

n once before tall, fi

apped, checking the

re i

" she muttered.

dn't

could find a heavy paperweigh

ehind me, but

house while the man who kissed me like

e roo

ere. Wound tight with te

the far side. A grunt.

en I s

. His knuckles were bloodied. The man ben

ace was t

an

eas

what's mine

fr

shouldn't have mad

they

er tried

idn't l

m the man's belt and

no!" I

ooke

s w

t he

on his

at you,"

kno

ant me to

ward him. "I want you to choose

le

no one had ever sai

who saw the man behind the

tal moment, Jaxon

to no one in particu

ins

dn't

s. Not until I was curled on the couch in o

od over m

h

Pulled me i

held

n't p

ed int

ainst his

nd in

bout anyone this mu

ing for your

s already halfwa

th

sed me

ime, it wa

as s

nin

ere might not b

ck just enou

ness, Raven. And I'll

zed on Jax

ed at it

s it?"

ce dar

taken you