pte

Vitiel

blouse into a small duffel bag when

s 3:0

snatched a book from the nightstand, arranging myself against the

Dante kicked the

him. His knuckles were split, the skin raw and weep

nd more like a demon who had jus

hest heaving. He stared at me, his eyes

awake,"

house feels like a bunker," I

h a heavy, final thud against the mahogany. He began to strip

said. "Rival gang. T

the room

she

ospital. Minor

across his back. It was shallow, but bleeding

I hadn't read. I got up, walked to the b

I had made in that foolish letter year

" I o

nd with antiseptic. The smell of alcohol mixed with the metall

was shattered by light. His phone, sitting

l notif

irmation: S

been careless. I hadn't

per, grabbing the phone before I co

en left

e still threaded through the skin of

ced my heart to beat

e art for the new gallery opening in the Bay Area. The return flight is b

msy lie. A t

. He put the pho

the concept of me leaving was an impossibility. I didn't have agency. I

and cut the thread wit

fading, leaving him with a different kind of energy-da

his voice rough like

long time

n. It was a discovery, a trophy he had just

ping the first aid kit shut.

r, sweat, and violence. He reached out

voice dropping an octav

," I said, meeting his

to validate the ego boost he had gotten from that resurrect

arply. His lips bru

" I

frown marring his handsome,

. And you smell l

But it was the only

ed at me-searching for the submissive gir

vaguely to his back, his tone borde

ng to the other side of the bed. "

nd turned my back to him, pu

eeding, and there won't be anyone here to pat

muttered, turning off the light.

at radiating off him was immense,

ver my waist. He pulled m

orpse. It was the last ti

he didn't even know h