“Yet to make an appearance.” Riley lifted his hand, a man with the palest blue eyes she’d ever seen walking over with a beautiful woman on his arm, her brown skin kissed by the sun. Her long, dark hair was tied tightly in a braid, gently draped over her shoulder to blend into the black of a dress not too dissimilar to Rae’s.
Her smile was a little forced when she approached, the man beside her not bothering with any friendliness. Those pale eyes assessed her as if she were a venomous snake, only skirting away when Titus growled.
Guess he knows who I am,she thought.And what I do for a living.
“And who are you?” Rae asked, surprised at her own hostility.
The woman flipped her braid over her shoulder. “I’m Kyra, and this is Xander.”
Xander said nothing, his eyes set hard on Titus. “I’m Rae.”
“I’ve been looking forward to meeting you.” Kyra’s smile widened, the sentiment more genuine. “So, I’ve spoken with Lucy,” she continued. “And he agreed that without knowing the original spell it would be difficult to break.”
Rae frowned when Kyra rustled in her small clutch bag, pulling out a small disk. A dried red smear darkened the wood, and Rae knew exactly what it was.
“Why do you need a charm?” she asked, turning in Titus’s grip.
Kyra flicked her eyes between them. “It’s for the witch? The one with the bound tongue?”
“Witch?” Something cold and hard settled against her chest. “You spoke to Gerald? Without me?” She stepped out of his reach, knowing the only reason she could, was because he’d let her. “When?”
Titus frowned. “Rae –”
“When?” she repeated, heat burning against her cheeks. It must have been when she’d slept. “I need a minute,” she whispered, the anger so palpable she could feel it spread like wildfire.
Titus reached out to her wrist.
“Touch me again, and I’ll make you regret it.” There was no emotion behind her threat, just honest truth.
He released her, and she immediately made her way to the outside terrace that wrapped around the side of the restaurant, needing to feel the cool air against her fevered cheeks.
The sea crashed and spluttered, the rhythm of the motion the only thing able to calm her down. Titus seemed to be the only man who’d ever really understood her, the only one she’d shared her history with, and yet, he still went behind her back. The pain wanted to bury deep, until it settled against her soul and festered into something dark and unforgiving. It hurt, more than it would have if he were anyone else. And that terrified her, that he had that power.
Curving her hands over the barrier, she stared out into the distance, the metal cold beneath her palms. Solid. She counted in her head, knowing he wouldn’t give her the minute she’d asked. He wasn’t used to anyone like her, someone who’d fight his every demand, who wouldn’t step back and let him take charge. His response was actually something she loved because it made him easy to tease. His expression rarely changed, but she lived for his biting words, said with such velvet authority she wanted to see how far she could push. How far she could take him before his calm façade cracked. Because it was a façade, his anger running so deep she felt the ache. He was fighting against himself, even if he wasn’t ready to admit it.
A presence behind her, and she didn’t need to turn to know who it was, her body attuned to him like a fucking stalker.
“You had no right,” she said to the wind. “He was after me, not you.”
“I left him alive. I thought you’d want to kill him yourself.”
She waited for him to step beside her, but instead he pressed against her back, one hand settling beside hers, and the other stroking up her arm, over her shoulder until it palmed the side of her throat.
“You think that makes it better?” she asked, pressing back against his heat. She hated the way he made her body feel, the way she desired his touch. Even his fingers pressing against her pulse. Pushing. Possessing.
“No.” His voice was a deep rumble, his grip tightening beneath her jaw to angle her head, lips pressing against her skin. “You fucking confuse me, Rae. I don’t know whether to fuck, or punish you most of the time.” His hand eased against her throat, and hers slipped beneath her dress.
“You shouldn’t have done it.” She spun, her dagger pressed against his cheek. It didn’t break skin, but she was tempted, wondering what he’d look like with one ofhermarks on him instead. “You didn’t see me as an equal.”
He pressed closer, a line of red glistening along the blade. “I was protecting you.”
“From who?”
“From me.”
Rae didn’t release the pressure, knowing if she gave an inch, he’d take a mile. “Bullshit.”
“I almost killed him before I could finish the interrogation. I lost my temper. I don’t lose my temper. Ever.” He pressed against the sharp blade. “Ask me why, Rae.”
