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A slow, possessive smirk tugs at the corner of his lips. His brown eyes darken with a sudden, scorching heat.

“As much fun as tonight was. I need to fuck you properly in a bed before I can even think about adding any more blood to our ledger.”

At his words, a sudden surge of heat blooms deep in my core. A sweet, liquid ache blooms between my thighs. My lower belly tightens as my body instantly reacts to the raw promise in his voice. My damp panties grow slick all over again in anticipation of feeling his weight pressed against me on clean sheets.

We break through the final barrier of brush and step onto the gravel shoulder of the main road.

The sleek, dark sports car parked along the highway immediately captures my focus with its polished surface. A deep, jagged scar cuts into the side, ripping through the flawless paint from the front fender to the trunk, revealing the steel beneath.

I walk up to the driver’s side, running my fingertips slowly along the ruined metal path. I glance over my shoulder at Ryder. “Did you do this?”

With a casual shrug of his shoulders, his face remains an unreadable mask of complete lack of concern.

A laugh escapes my lips as I turn back to the vehicle. “Do you know how much this car is worth?”

“Not enough to keep me from destroying it to keep you safe. Your DNA is in that car, Harmony. Every hair, every thumbprint, every fiber of your sweater,” he reminds me, stepping onto the gravel beside me.

I trace the ruined edge one last time, letting out a dramatic sigh.

“I’m sorry, girl,” I whisper a quiet eulogy for the machine. “You are a beautiful specimen.’

I snap my gaze back to Ryder, my eyes gleaming with cold resolve. “We burn her.”

Ryder reaches into his pocket, his hand coming up empty. “Did you happen to grab the keys?”

I slide my hand into my jean pocket, pulling out the heavy key fob and dangling it in front of his face with a triumphant smirk.

Ryder reaches out to snag them, but my reflexes are faster. I pull my hand back, tucking the keys tight against my palm.

“Not a fucking chance. I’m driving this beast.” I give him the best sunbeam grin I can muster.

Before we leave the shoulder, we turn toward the dark, muddy ditch where the wooden cross stands in memory of Noah. The fog hovers low over the ditch, masking the tall grass in golden morning light.

I step up to the edge, closing my eyes for a quiet moment.

Thank you, Noah. Thank you for being the catalyst to my true nature. If it weren’t for you, I never would’ve found the strength to step into the dark.

Beside me, Ryder stands tall, his dark eyes fixed on the ditch.

“I hope you understand, brother,” he speaks quietly into the morning mist, allowing me to hear his thoughts. “I need her. Thank you for always having my back when we were kids.”

We turn away, leaving the ghost of our youth in the rearview as I hop into the driver’s seat of the Bugatti while Ryder follows closely behind in the stolen police cruiser.

Damn, it hurts to have to kill such a powerful beast.

I navigate the vehicle down a secluded, overgrown service road two miles out of town, pulling into a clearing surrounded by dense pine trees.

Ryder parks the cruiser behind me, stepping out into the gravel with a red gas can he grabbed from the cruiser’s trunk.

Together, we douse the interior and exterior of the luxury car in fuel.

I strike a match, dropping it onto the leather driver’s seat, and step back as the flames roar to life, swallowing the evidence in a violent column of black smoke and orange fire, knowing the wet forest won’t catch flame.

We scramble into the police cruiser, and Ryder guns the engine, tearing down the dirt service road.

As we speed away, the vehicle explodes in a deep, booming concussive blast behind us.

I lean my head against the headrest, watching the bright orange fire light up the morning sky in the rearview mirror.