Case

g my knuckles in a gesture that was once comfo

ned guilt. "I should have been paying more attention. I've been so dis

s to my forehead. "You must be terrif

ated move in his twisted game. He wanted me broken, dependent, and grateful for his salvation. H

iar, derelict factory on the outskirts of the city, a place w

f the room. He was slumped and appe

me. I had never seen him before in my li

no recognition in it, only a dazed confusion. Then his gaze shif

a trickle of blood running from the

rouched down, forcing me to look at the broken man.

a deadly whisper. "You put your hands on my woman. Y

he man in the room began to struggle, his eyes wide with terro

ment from Conrad. A heavy silence fell over t

smile on his face. The contrast to the c

had just presented me with a gift. He concealed the

said, his voice a ca

s was insane. This was a performance, a sick, bloody pagea

me toward the man, forcing me to stand witness to the terrible finality of the scene.

s body w

against his chest as the sun began to set, cast

ng against my temple. "We're better when we're together

g my face. His thumbs gently wiped away t

as the language one uses with a possession, not a partner. The eight years we'd spent building a

fying thing I had ever seen. He let one hand drift down f

d, his voice soft. "I hop

dy reality of the past hour, that I physically recoiled. I stumble

about

ought this... this grotesque display

ed, my voice barely a whisper. "It'

, wrapping my arms around m

ipping perfectly back into place. "Of c

lancing at it, a small smile playing on his lips. When we

e meeting my eyes. "A mess I need to cle

on my cheek. He frowned slightly but didn't push it. As he got ou

ge from

ad. I miss you. C

road, covered in a stranger's

clear my head. The city lights blurred around me. Each step was a testament to my foolishness

ilding, my legs were aching and my soul was num

key, a sharp pain explod

ss for the third t

grating, metallic sound

arehouse. Duller, dirt

cornered, her face pale, h

ject in his hand. Jefferson Gonzalez. A dangerous rival whose busi

gged in. Two for the price of one." He smirked, a cruel, ugly thing. "Jensen's been a real t

n drifted to me. A slow, predato

e choosing who to save," he ch

and glinting in the dim light. He cut the rop

aming down her perfect face. "Pleas

ll." He reached out and grabbed her ar

he ropes that bound my wrists against a sharp piece of metal jutting out

rembling, but with an undercurrent of s

d out. "You have

ed, turning t

you want! I'm nobody! I'm just a student! She's Alana Casey

but I was frozen in place, staring at the girl who

ne Conrad took last week? She's the one who gave the order! I heard them talking

agile art student was a viper. A liar. And she had

g on me with a renewed, murderous fury. "

asn't a distraction. She was a weapon. And she