There are a few times I pass out from not eating enough. It’s an old habit. He doesn’t say anything—but he does take to eating his meals in my room. I’ll never admit it, but Killian is a damn good cook, and every plate looks better than the last.
Because I have no control—confined to the bed and weak—I take it out on him by stealing his food. He puts up a small fight, but ultimately, I win. I like winning.
He lets Collins check my wounds—but only when he’s there, and I’m fully covered. I can’t explain how thankful I am for such a simple act. I’m not ashamed of my scars—I’m a survivor, those are my marks that I fucking earned, but I don’t want Collins or anyone else seeing what I went through.
If they know, they’ll see what I did to give them a sliver of happiness. I don’t think I can handle the pity—thedisgustif they knew.
A horn to my left causes me to jerk, my heel slipping on an icy patch. Being outside for the first time in almost a week, the winter air burns my lungs. I embrace it because it’s better than the stale heat of the oppressive mansion.
As a child, being outside was my saving grace. I learned to adapt to the cold, to let it fill me and soothe the rage that always seemed to live inside of me. It still does—still waits to be unleashed. But here, the frigid temperatures give me peace—it numbs the voices and allows me to think, free of their torment.
Glancing at the overhead sign, lights flash. An old theater, they play classic films on the weekends. Movies aren’t my thing—they’re loud, claustrophobic, and completely unrealistic—but the films in black and white, full of heart? I can sink into those and disappear.
But that’s not why I’m here. I set up this date with Reese last night, and had to sneak out, avoiding Linwood to do it. He’s worse than a shadow now, and it’s only a matter of time before he finds me.
I’m not here because I miss Reese. I knew—somewhere—Reese was an outlet, a way to experience normalcy. He was never anyone important to me. No, I’m here for a more nefarious purpose than our date.
Something Linwood said burrowed deep into my brain, a carrion beetle consuming decaying flesh. I’ve been stuck onit since the attack—replaying the café scene from new angles. Fresh eyes.
Why would someone invite another person to a new establishment and then leave early? Not unless you had something planned.
Fucking Linwood.He might not have meant it, but he solved everything.
I won’t admit it to him. I’m having a tough enough job focusing on the pain of his absence, and not the blooming, reigniting love in my heart. All because the Reaper refuses to leave—refuses to let me scare him off.
He’s been there. Holding my hand when the nightmares take me. Shielding me when I was unconscious. Directing my clan while I recovered. Protecting me when I didn’t see the hits coming. Words are beautiful things—but I’ve always put more stock into being shown.
And Killian Linwood has shown me he cares by handing me his blood heart on a plate with his actions.
I’m hesitant to allow it—him, us—to fully. I want to believe in what he says. My heart, the soul that’s been branded by his touch, wants to desperately believe he means what he says. That’ll he’ll be here until the days grow dark and the sun dies out, but there is still a small part of me that won’t give in.
It’s not a matter of attraction—or chemistry. But the final deed will show me he truly plans on staying. Forever.
Later. The plan comes first—the clan always comes first. My emotional turmoil will be there when this is over.
Stopping before the theater, I tilt my head in greeting toward the older woman behind the ticket counter. She smiles widely, recognizing me. When I wasn’t stalking the streets, I spent time here, hiding in the red bucket seats. She doesn’t know who I am—and that’s safe. It makes this place sacred.
Also, the perfect spot for what I need.
A woman could never lead us.
Such a pretty thing.
I shake my head. Those fucking taunts. Every time my confidence rises when I make a decision, those ghosts are there, ready to tear me down. They won’t die, they won’t rest, and they’re slowly eroding my mind. Hammering at me until I finally snap.
Be the captain I know you can be.
Rubbing my temples, I exhale, holding on to the confidence the Reaper’s words fill me with. The man people run away from, and yet, his respect banished those evils from my mind.
He’s always been my stability in the chaos.
“Maeve!” Reese waves to me across the street, and I straighten, the stitches pulling at my side. Crossing the street, he rubs his head, dusting the snow away. “This place is packed. I couldn’t find a parking spot!”
That’s why I chose it. It’s on a busy street, with no way for a clear shot of an assassin overhead, due to the mismatched heights and awnings. There are back alleys, but they’re all dead ends with no way to enter them.
“This is it, huh?” He shoves his hands into his pockets, looking upward. Whistling, he nods. “Classy. I didn’t take you for a classic film chick.”
“An old friend got me into them,” I reply slowly, watching the snow catch in his eyelashes. “He and his wife are really into them.”
