The question slips out before I can stop it.
This time he takes longer.
“I went because I gave my word,” he says slowly. “What I did after that was my choice.”
The air shifts.
“Why?” I whisper.
His gaze locks on mine. No softness. No flinching.
“Because the second I saw his hand on you, it stopped being about your brother.”
Chapter 4
Blade
Thewordshangbetweenus.
Her breathing is uneven.
Mine isn’t much better.
Neither of us moves.
My phone vibrates on the counter.
Ghost.
I let it buzz a second longer than I should. My gut already knows it’s bad news. I look at her first.
She’s watching me.
Then I pick it up.
One message.
The man you dropped is Salazar Huntington. His family runs three clubs across Blissmont County. VIP rooms move product. Clean on paper.
He won’t let tonight slide.
You stirred a hornet’s nest.
Keep her close.
My jaw locks.
Clubs like that don’t stay polished without rot underneath.
Salazar isn’t just some drunk with money. He’s connected. Protected. Angry.
I type back once.
Copy.
I set the phone down.
She still hasn’t looked away.
