ie

ce vanished, replaced by a flash of pure, unadulterated fury. It wa

arled, his voice like the crack

me face twisted into a mask of con

support. My legs felt weak, my whole body trembled. "Elijah, I just w

niest thing I've heard all year." He stalked towards me, his shadow falling over me, engulfing m

body, the scent of his cologne mixing with the damp earth.

mense. Black spots

e inches from mine, his eyes burning with a pain so deep it was

le. I didn't fight back. A strange, serene thought drifted through the panic: Let

sness began to fray

re in my lungs. Through my watery eyes, I saw it. A flicker of something in his own. It wasn't pi

f there was still a part of him that cou

red the moment. She trotted over, wrapping her arm possessively thro

ocked away. He turned from me as if I were a piece of trash on the ground, ta

in. "Let's go," he said

ned, leaning against him. "

r. She giggled and climbed on. He rose effortlessly, piggyback

d resting on his shoulder. The image was a knife, twisting i

had carried me down the mountain just like that. He had complained the whole way, tea

bered him grunting with a grin. " I' m going to have

g. " Don' t listen to him, Jamie! He lov

the tenderness-was gone. It all belonge

roat, forcing myself to my fe

anced at me over his shoulder, his

fr

r presence any longer," he spat, each word a venom-tipped

a prisoner being escorted back to her cell. I had a feeling I w

Kiley, now in the passenger seat, was all over Elijah, her

for me to hear clearly. "It's been so lo

'm driving." His voice was a low growl, stra

o whisper something in his ear. Her hand

steering wheel. I saw his thr

or, meeting mine. There was no warmth,

ed the steering wheel, pulling the car o

nto me. His eyes were dark, h

t o

ran col

ted, his voice dropping to

of my coat. I stared at him, my

d with venomous impatience. "Don

out onto the gravel shoulder. The car door sl

need to see. Her soft moans, his guttural groans, the rhythmic creak of the suspens