ass exploded through the s

ped around his waist, his fingers still slick between

again from downst

! Get o

uth before she could answer. His

a s

y but kept his body covering hers, shielding he

ken glass below. Multiple s

rt from the floor, yanked it on without buttoning, then reached for the small black pist

yes w

arry a

ps and moved to the doorway, positioning himself

e from the chair, pulled it over her head. No bra. No time. Th

nd him, peering o

eams sliced through the

ible logos, but the way they moved-coor

hands zip-tied behind him, blood trickling from

?" the talles

nto the tarp. "Gon

ullshit. Her phone pinge

urched. They were

hers-squeezed once, hard

he

t. Le

rs like liquid night,

ribs. She should have stayed hidd

et silent on the creaking wo

ttom step just as th

la

f the pistol cracked against the ma

her tw

shouted, rais

-clean through the shoulder. The

ged at Mason-

didn'

ing-a heavy metal easel st

th the back of

rump

er ears-deafening

-blood on his knuckles, gun

l gripped like a club, hoodie ridin

m the floor. "Har

to her in two strides, and cupped her face with both ha

" Voice ro

. Couldn't

ard, possessive-then pul

their wrists with their own restraints

. Harper dropped beside h

them?" she

ou're the one tagging their sites. They wante

snapped up

e repeated, l

eloper circling the waterfront. He's been pay

froze

information. Money for the cause. Then tonight they showed up asking where you

s Mason loom

entence," Mas

d burn the studio. With

ched so hard she

something darker than lust now. Rage. Own

auled Ethan to his

thing Langston knows. Every na

dded fra

him, then tur

ct wall. His body caged hers. One hand braced above her head. The other s

aking," he

line,"

rside of her breast-slow c

opped to gravel. "You swung that ea

. Defiant even n

ntil their for

etly. "Langston. His men. Anyone who

stuttered

i

rgued. Should hav

ilted her chi

shed hers-on

he blood and broken glass. "After I make sure no one ever threatens you again... I'm going to

re cle

ep, claiming, tasting

back, his eye

t Ethan, at the shattered door. "We clean this up

ned her

a finger

Negoti

Ethan. "You. Sta

op points, Mason pulled out his phon

nd of the chaos he hadn't cre

oulders flexed under t

on her the entire time-like sh

blood drying on her knuckles, his promise still burnin

n't wan

anym

Vs screeching up outside-her phone buzzed on

en l

wn Nu

e your sister's address. 48 hours. Fin

blood tur

ad snapped

w her

the

ge before she

ossessive protector to som

der

strides, plucked the phone

at her-eyes

your

e cracked on

seventeen. Lives with our

d around the phone un

lose-voice for

your family. No

ain-brutal, brie

ed to his ar

e men to the warehouse on 5th.

coming too. You ta

bag. Light. We're

at him-hear

are we

humb stroked the pai

safe. Somew

, then lower-lingering on th

to a dark whisper. "I'm going to remind you e

epped

minu

glass, broken men, and one very dangerous bil

zed again in

t it. Smiled

the screen un