“Neat hobby. Any favorites?”
“Casablanca.”
He taps his nose. “Ah, so that’s why we’re watching the encore. That’s really cool.”
I continue to watch him, wrapped in my wool coat, knives strapped to my thigh, and gun on my hip. He scans the crowd, full of older, gray adults with the occasional young date likeus. When a girl laughs, his lips quirk, as if feeding off of her happiness.
After the attack on the café, Hayes used his resources to keep our names out of the police investigation, and Killian used Briar to wipe our digital footprint. No news media circuit flashed our picture, but the news sites were flooded with the attack. Innocent people were dead, and the community was grieving. The only explanation law enforcement could come up with was that the killers turned on each other after destroying everyone inside. Motive? Unclear.
Still, Reese doesn’t mention it. Doesn’t ask how I escaped harm. He left me there—he frequented that café, he said. It washisdate idea.
When Linwood mentioned no one would leave a pretty woman on a date in the middle of the afternoon, I thought it was his petty jealousy. Reminding me that he would’ve stayed.
But it kept churning in my mind. Normal men wouldn’t have left a date so quickly. Not after pushing for one all week.
Why did he ask me out, just to hurry away, back to the office?
Why was he at the storehouse right when Bruno was there destroying it? The back door was open. Someone opened it for him. I had a leak, but what if the leak… had an outside source?
“Should we go inside?” I ask, gesturing to the doors. A line has started forming, and the lights flash. Soon, the movie will start.
Shifting, he looks around silently. “Of course. Let me get the tickets.”
He said he got the tickets online.
My hand grabs the silver Eagle at my hip, finger on the trigger. My side burns, but it doesn’t distract me from watching his eyes scan the crowd again. Jumping from one face to the next. Searching, seekingsomeoneout.
The pieces are clicking faster than I can match, and my body tenses, adrenaline pooling in my belly.
“Are youfuckingkidding?”
The Reaper appears from the darkness. The crowd doesn’t see him, but they part, as if his rage is enough to push them away. He doesn’t look at anyone—except me. Those black eyes flicker furiously, and that sharp jaw clenches. I don’t need to see his hand holding his knife—I know he is.
He wants to kill me. Frankly, the feeling is mutual. He’s going to ruin everything by randomly showing up.I’m so close.
“Killian…” I warn, gaze narrowed. “Now’snotthe time.”
Reese turns, and the Reaper steps between us, hauling me close.
“I think this is the perfect time,” he growls. “You fuckingditchedme at the house to go on adate? After everything Isaid—I did.” His body practically radiates anger, lashing out at me like a whip. “You’re still recovering, and what, you needed a quickie in the movie theater? How’s that going to look when you fucking bleed all over the seats?”
“Good thing they’re red,” I snap. “It’ll blend in.”
Reese seems to hesitate. “I didn’t know you were coming.”
“He’s not staying,” I answer, glaring up at Killian. “You need to leave.”
“Likefuckam I going anywhere.” He pulls me closer, and my stitches yank. Wincing, he only releases the tiniest bit of pressure, but he doesn’t let me go. “I made it fucking clear, Princess. You don’t go anywhere without me. That includesdates.”
Reese steps between us and places a heavy hand on my shoulder. I fight the urge to cringe. His touch doesn’t feel right—something about it sets off all the wrong nerves.
My body has been trying to tell me something for months that I refused to listen to. Stubborn to the end, someone is going to put it on my gravestone.
“Is something wrong?” His eyes narrow, something flashing there. “You’re drawing attention to us.”
That screws with his plan, I’m sure.
Shoving Killian back, I glare, silently telling him towait. Exhaling, he pries his fingers from my arm and pointedly looks at the hand on the opposite side. Running his tongue over his teeth, his eyes go dead, and I know I’m seconds away from seeing that hand sliced off.
