Those are my words.
Mine.
I whisper them against her skin when she falls apart in my arms. I breathe them into her ear when she surrenders to me. They're praise and promise and possession—and hearing them come out of his mouth is fucking obscene.
I'm going to spend quality time choking those words back out of him when I finally get the chance.
I force my eyes to the road. Force my breathing to stay even. Force my body to remain loose and uninterested.
Keira. Hale. Endgame.
That's all that matters. There's no room for slips right now, no matter how much I want to commit murder.
The tunnel passes in a blur of yellow lights and dirty tile. When we emerge, the city rises around us like a canyon of glass and steel.
"The Carlyle," Calder says flatly. "East 76th Street."
I already know. He knows I know.
Another tell. He's stopped trusting me.
"Of course, monsieur."
I navigate through traffic, hyperaware of every sound from the back seat—his murmured comments, her monosyllabic responses, the soft rustle of fabric that tells me his hands are still wandering over territory that belongs to me.
When we finally pull up to the hotel entrance, it takes everything I have to keep my voice steady.
"We're here, monsieur."
Calder makes a sound of acknowledgment. In the mirror, I watch him lean close to Keira, lips brushing her ear. She nods mechanically, reaching for the handle.
A doorman opens it before she can, and she slips out. Then Calder is beside her, hand on the small of her back, guiding her toward the entrance like the devoted husband he's never been.
I sit in the car and watch them disappear through the revolving doors.
My hands shake from the restraint it takes to stay in this seat instead of following them inside and painting the marble lobby with his blood.
Less than six hours.
I pull into the underground garage. Find a dark corner where no cameras reach. My phone is in my hand before the engine dies.
Phase One adjusted. Slasher has the package. Ready for Phase Two.
Cat's response comes in thirty seconds.
Copy. All teams in position.
I pocket the phone and stare at the concrete wall.
Tonight we end this.
No matter how many pieces need to fall into place, what adjustments need to be made…I'm getting them out.
I hate that she's up there in a hotel room with him right now.
Just a few more hours.
Tonight, Calder meets the version of me I've kept leashed for weeks.
