A deep, insidious weakness spread through me like poison—eating away at the edges of my strength. I tried to hide it from Rook. Tried to hide that the fire might’ve returned to me, but it gnawed on my bones like a starving beast.
I was terrified she might sense that—
“I can feel your pain, you know.” Her eyes met mine, full of unspoken hurt. “You’re afraid you won’t have enough power to get me out of here safely.”
“That bond is a pain in the ass.” I sighed hard as the doors opened to reveal Brimstone Industries’ grand entrance.
“Why? Because you’d rather keep me in the dark than show me the truth?”
“Because I know what I’m doing, and Iwillkeep you safe.”
“Not if it costs you your life, you won’t.”
“Don’t worry,” I murmured as we stepped out. “I’ll be fine.”
“You better be.”
Her temper and concern flared into my heart as we stepped barefoot over glossy marble floors. The ginormous crystal chandelier, huge artwork, and towering windows framed the still dawn-starry sky.
I remembered the chandelier from my childhood. Iremembered it because when Marcus had brought me here to insert the vitalsync core, I’d been carried by two men—flat on my back and staring up at the ceiling.
A door slammed open as a torrent of guards poured into the space—all of them dressed in black with rifles.
Rook shifted closer, pressing against my side as I wrapped my arm around her waist.
The moment her body pressed flush to mine, a quiet surge of energy flowed through us. Her icy winter trickled into me like cool, life-giving water, soothing the gnawing ache in my chest and taming the feral fire.
I stood a little taller, my shoulders squaring as fresh strength filled me.
Thank you.I squeezed her as the lobby crowded with men and guns. I lost count after thirty, pretending not to care as they formed a blockade between us and the exit.
The blur of their heartbeats made my ears ring. The temptation to reach out and siphon their lifeforce had me gritting my teeth.
Just stay alive, alright?She didn’t look at me, keeping her eyes on the men as we all entered a good old-fashioned stare-down.
No one moved to shoot us.
No one shouted their demands.
We just stared at one another as another door slammed open to the left.
Two men and one woman appeared, marching toward us in neat suits and stern faces. Rook went stiff against me. An echo of her fears bled into me, followed by the violent desire to kill them.
My heart swelled with love that she was so vicious, so protective.
The fire swam in my veins, growing hotter for another battle.
Straightening my shoulders, I focused on the three board members who looked familiar.
The woman with mousy brown hair stepped forward, flanked by the two men.
She looked me up and down. “We finally meet again after all this time, Mr. Ashfall. I must admit, I thought you would look different.”
“Different?” I narrowed my eyes. “What? Like a monster?”
“Hey, if the description fits.” She smiled tightly. “After all, you’ve earned a pretty gruesome reputation killing so many women over the years.”
“You were the ones who threw those women in with me. Whatdid you expect would happen when half of them wanted to kill me and the other half wanted to get impregnated?” Leaning forward, I purred, “Perhaps you should look in the mirror and see the real monster.”
