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