He yanked me closer, his eyes blazing. "Don'ttouch me. Ever." Then he released my wrist and rolled off the bed, putting distance between us by pacing to the other side of the room. There, he stopped, his fists clenched at his sides. His sharp, heavy breaths loud in the silence.
I shrank from him, pushing myself into a sitting position against the headboard and wrapping my arms around myself. "I'm sorry," I whispered.
Fear pooled in my stomach as he suddenly strode toward me, his face hard as granite and a calculating look in his eyes.
Grabbing my upper arm, he pulled me from the warm bed and half-walked, half-dragged me from the room, his fingers biting into my skin. I struggled feebly in his grip as he pulled me down the hall to the guest bedroom and the cell inside. He unlocked the door and threw me in, slamming it shut behind me. The clang of metal making me jump. I collapsed to the cold floor, shaking and fighting back tears as I pleaded with him. "Please, Tristan. I'm sorry. Don't leave me in here."
His eyes held mine for a moment longer, their icy depths unreadable. Then he turned on his heel and stalked from the room, leaving me alone in the cold, silent cell.
I stayed on the floor, my heart pounding against my ribcage like a trapped bird. The cold seeped into my bones, but it was nothing compared to the flash of betrayal in Tristan's eyes.
I wrapped the blanket around me as sobs wracked my body. I'd ruined the progress we'd made tonight. Now I was his prisoner again instead of his...what? Friend? Lover? I didn't even know.
I hugged myself tight, trying to ward off the cold and the unsettling thoughts swirling in my mind. But no matter how hard I tried to deny it, I couldn't ignore the fact that my feelings for Tristan were growing more complicated by the minute.
I should hate him. But I didn't. And I didn't know what to make of it. But this sure as hell wasn't a fairytale romance. This was a dance with danger. A dance that had just begun, and one I may never be free of.
The bedroom door suddenly locked with an ominous click, leaving me at the mercy of this dangerous and unpredictable man.
CHAPTER 11
Tristan
Ablack fog crept into the corners of my vision as I spiraled into the dark vortex of my memories. Spinning. Spinning. There was nowhere for me to go to escape. My pulse raced and I couldn't catch my breath.
This time, though, I wasn't alone in the darkness. There was someone new with me. Luna's big, blue eyes were everywhere I looked, filled with pain and confusion and sadness.
Please, Tristan. I'm sorry. Don't leave me in here.
Her voice had cracked with emotion, and something inside of me had broken in response. But I had to leave her there. I had to. I couldn't trust her, and she'd proven that tonight.
So I'd left her in my hell, my hands shaking as I locked the cell door. I needed to get out of there, away from her and the demons she'd resurrected with the innocent touch of her fingers on my arm.
Taking a deep breath, I tried to clear my mind of the chaos inside of it. Tried to shake off the memories. But it was too late. Myfight-or-flight instinct had kicked in, and since I couldn't flee my demons, my natural reaction was to strike out.
But I couldn't hurt her.
Never her.
She was safer inside the cell. And I wouldn't be letting her out again. Not after tonight.
I dressed and gathered my weapons before leaving the house. Comforting darkness enveloped me as I walked away, each step taking me further from her pleading voice. My hands were still shaking, so I shoved them in my pockets, balling them into fists.
Getting into the SUV, I headed into the city.
The Russian I was watching last night would be at Luca's strip club tonight. I knew this because I'd overheard him making plans with a friend before I'd left his place at dawn. The kid had been causing trouble, stirring up shit he had no business being involved in. Luca decided he couldn't let him stay, not when he's only going to cause more problems for us. He wanted him taken out, and tonight I was more than happy to carry out that order. I needed something to pull me out of my head. I was a day early, but I didn't think Luca would care much, as long as the job got done.
I didn't remember driving to the club or parking the vehicle a few blocks away. The shadows seemed to cling to me as I moved through the back alleys, avoiding the well-lit streets. My boots crunched on broken glass and debris scattered on the pavement, and the sounds and smells of the city grounded me, keeping my demons at bay. Tonight, I would purge this darkness with blood and pain until the screams in my head went silent.
It wasn't long before I spotted my target walking up the street from the spillover parking lot. And he was alone. I slipped into the shadows, my nerves eerily calm as they always were when I was in these types of situations. My heart slowed to a steady rhythm, my breathing shallow, and my vision grew sharp as my instincts went on full alert. Silently, I followed him through the dark streets.
We approached the alley next to the club, and I pulled my knife from my back pants pocket. I was dressed to fight tonight in black BDU pants and a long-sleeved shirt, and my thick-soled boots made very little noise. He didn't even hear me until I was right up on him.
I was four steps away when he swung around, pulling a gun from inside his jacket and pointing it in my direction.
"You can't take weapons into the club," I informed him.
"What business is it of yours?" he demanded in a heavy Russian accent.
