PTE
's
thought as I looked at the
ppea
ad been holding him and fi
small for him. His black shirt stretched across his chest and arms covered in tattoos that disappeared beneath t
is left eyebrow and
is eyes that
. And fixed on the m
med to hold its b
ss. The pool cue lowered. The drun
for a laugh and missing. "
ked at him and Rafe took one s
ell. Not fully. Because now Cai
ow, that
k at me like t
ot look
not loo
e he had been
ght. Why was he loo
und the strap of my bag
om for him with
ong his knuckles and the black ink curling around his wrists. One tattoo nea
when it cam
u l
mouth. Nothi
e a sympathetic look
o my lungs. "My
he
ide t
w f
ow. Two mil
Cain's gaze was sharp, assessing. My thin sweater.
much and I
?" he
ea
ar
o de
back of the room. Someone wa
round. "You find so
r stopped i
have been
my fear g
ould silence a room wit
ag again. "You got
," I
nder snor
n't move from m
n. "That's not
he bar mutte
feet away, let out a low wh
lightly. Just slight
stumbled
hing that walks into my bar ble
ot ble
say yo
eck. "I just need
lifted a landline receiver. An actual landline
r long distan
red a
supposed
. Definite
ome. Damian knew
as why I was running away. He hasn't even technically broken the law in a
ted too long a
en," he sai
n't sa
dn't ha
ent. Not because he was wrong bu
g me again. "Maybe she needs a ride, C
said imm
ponse. Rafe's grin returned
door again. "I mean, no, th
dark?" C
es
a dead
es
n you don
eth. "I said I'l
iately, I took one step back eve
his voice lowered as h
thing in me so hard I
not
parted
id not rep
flicked between us wh
men. The leather. The smoke. The wolf symbols.
spoke, "You don't kn
But I know what ru
it sounded broken
ange and somehow, t
nderstood cruelty. Cruelty gav
is man looking at me as if he coul
y not. I coul
have come in
briefly toward the w
Then w
you
for the do
n's hand shot out. He didn't touch Rafe. He didn't need to. His
" Cain sai
dened. "I wasn'
y looked at
d sit
tare for one se
away and droppe
o me. "You walk out that door, you won't ma
y it. My stomach tur
me," I said, hoping I
e steady. "I'm tel
"I don't need y
sk what y
d the handle. "You don'
s his face. It was not anger. Pain, maybe
id quietly.
steppe
to the do
ld hav
ed to
. My car was dead. My phone was dead. Damian was somewhere behind
erous man was now watching Cain
laced the recei
ame, sweethear
ven as Cain w
ld hav
lanned
ifferent names on the r
es fools of
," I
barely enough for anyone e
the one at his side, c
's expression
om me to Cain.
ood c
?" I
y ans
ain. "Why did
e had gone
ame," h
N
va
made my breath catch.
d. "No, you don'
harpened.
me like yo
er murmured
nored
me," he
head. "I'
ow. He pushed the curtain aside
e room seemed t
Grim asked f
ald, heavy and had tattooed hands folded o
the cur
SUV," h
stopped i
o
no
my bag sudd
ne hea
pped to my bag
ing fingers, I pu
th one message and f
have gone int
just then. I c
ealized he had moved. His voice dr
huntin
and clenched around the
hts swept across
e question that m
you runni
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