ow conversations that never wanted to be overheard. And in the furthest, darkest

rt stu

t ease in that way that men like him can get away with as if

udin

r every inch of me like a claim. Spine locked up,

ile twisted around hi

like smoke and sin, "thought m

g the table between us like

ere to reminisce

unimpressed. "Could have foo

ter everything after the mess, after the lies, after the destructi

s out. "What do y

ll the time in the world, running a fin

ays wanted," h

mach t

ot going

ith shadow not wit

sem

f my resistan

at, sweet pea," he said softly. "T

ext. My jaw clenched. "And I want

given him the weather re

pi

will protect you?"

opped m

his gaze gauging m

king for him now? Sitting pretty up there in that glass tower of his?" His sm

care from men like

did

less than a heartbea

d quietly. "You cared m

ared enough to be

retched taut

ind me. But here, in this tiny hell Nathan built simply by

his glass down pu

e to fight I didn't call y

row. "Could'

ed in a way that sen

. "Bigger than me. Bigger than your new b

in pr

ind of

th a classic grin es

that's g

eart

story. Just enough to draw me in. Enough to get

he said next tha

than said. "And whatever game he's play

those words craw

I didn't want to know was there - par

, Nathan," I said,

e never

I can't

onger your

never mine

e words I remembered w

cause

, at times,

ike war drums in my ear

acked me low, da

" he said. "And when it all comes crashing

't loo

ldn

ight the cool air impacting my skin li

s narrowing as if he were both entertained and slightly

rote me out of nowhere like a ghost I never w

grin pulled slow at the corner of his mo

ss like he had all the time in the world. But at the same

e I

lly said, his voice lowering

Nathan. We never talked. You lied

haps mere annoyance passed across his fac

said. "But fine. Let's skip the

ned me in pl

ach tighten. "

like that? Powerful. Cold. Dangerous. You don't think he h

th wen

ire," said Nathan, in

with Damian,

vanished. Just

you can. But men like him? Men like me? We don't bu

tween us, heavy

't know if Nathan w

eateni

ably

's all you brought me here

ed to

voice ca

ri

m him light and familiar and da

ed through the dark, a promise. Like

't loo

oul

n the place I didn't let anyone s

nous part of me

new how to

I didn't