Page 82

“No, you don’t.”

Ezra steps toward him. “Neither do you!”

Silence drops between them. Even Rhett doesn’t have something smart to say.

I stare at Ezra. For the first time tonight, the fear on his face isn’t hidden behind anger or clipped answers. There’s nothing controlled about him now.

And that scares me more than I want it to.

“You don’t know?”

His eyes meet mine.

“No.”

Well. Fuck.

“That’s comforting.”

He draws the knife.

The sight of the blade immediately makes everything Malakai just said less theoretical.

I yank my wrist back. “Wait.”

His expression hardens. “You wanted it off.”

“Yeah, before you two started arguing about whether cutting it might summon Satan.”

“It won’t summon Satan,” Rhett says.

I turn my head slowly toward him. “Not helping.”

“Right.”

I look back at the ribbon. The satin burns beneath my fingertips. Not warm anymore. Hot—really fucking hot. The skin underneath throbs in time with my pulse as I dig my fingers beneath the knot and pull.

Nothing. It doesn’t loosen even a fraction.

“Let me try,” Mariah says, reaching for me.

Malakai catches her wrist before she can touch the ribbon. “Don’t.”

She jerks her hand away. “Excuse me?”

“Only Sage.”

Mariah stares at him. “Why?”

His attention returns to me. “Because it belongs to her.”

A chill moves through me.

I look at him. “You said that before.”

“Yes.”

“What the fuck does it mean?”