Luke nods. “All right. Cooper…”
We head back into the hallway, which is quiet until a suite door opens ahead of us.
Jett steps out.
He looks wrecked—nose taped, cheek stitched, one eye already darkening. For a second, we stare at each other.
Then he points at me. “You. You’re going to pay for ruining my career.”
I laugh under my breath, the sound sharp. “Iruinedyourcareer? You did that when you drugged my girl.”
He shakes his head, eyes burning. “This isyourfault. You kept her from me. Everything that happened is onyou.”
“You’re insane.”
“No,” he says softly, almost calmly. “I’m going to get her… Effa is mine. There is nothing surer than that. And none of you will stop me.”
My restraint snaps.
I surge forward and slam my forearm into his throat, driving him back into the wall. Luke and Cooper grab at me, but I press harder, watching his face strain for air.
“You don’t get to say her name,” I growl.
When they finally wrench me off him, Jett doubles over, gasping, then straightens with a wild, almost crazy look in his eyes.
“You’ll pay for that,” he says, pulling something from his pocket.
The flash of metal catches the light a split second before he lunges.
Time slows.
The blade comes straight for me.
Before I can react, Cooper steps in front of me. The knife slices into his arm, and Luke tackles Jett to the floor, driving his fist into Jett’s broken nose.
Chaos explodes in the hallway.
I drop down, pinning Jett’s arm while Luke holds his shoulders. Cooper kicks the knife away and presses his hand to his bleeding bicep.
“Fuck, Cooper,” I say, my voice tight. “Your arm.”
“I’m fine,” he mutters. “Call the cops.”
Jett glares up at me, hatred burning in his eyes. “I’ll find you. I’ll make you suffer.”
“You’ll be doing it from a cold, dark cell,” Luke says coldly.
This time, there’s no bargaining.
This time, he’s finished.
And I finally know one thing for certain.
Effa will be safe from him now.
***
Cooper is down in the emergency room getting stitched up. The cut looks worse than it is, shallow, a few stitches, and he’ll be fine, but that doesn’t stop the image of him stepping in front of that blade from replaying in my head.
