Page 74

I shift slightly in my seat. My fingers flex. That girl. I remember her. Six years ago, I thought she was becoming too dangerous. She might still be. But right now, I need her back. Slowly, I let other memories come back. The half-forgotten fact that even roller coasters never scared me. Not when I was six, especially not when I was ten years older. Not really. I only screamed because the other girls did. Because that's what you were supposed to do. Inside, I loved it.

That drop.

That weightless second where your stomach flips and your heart jumps, and everything feels bigger, louder, sharper. Alive. My gaze hardens slightly as I stare out at the passing city. Thatfeeling? It's back. But this time, it's not about a ride. Or a stupid teenage stunt. This time, it's real.

I toldMauro to take them to the warehouse. Not the Oven. The Oven would be faster. Cleaner. More… effective. But it would also be too much. Too much screaming. Too much reality for someone like Audra.

I glance at her. She's staring out the window, quiet. Too quiet. Still. Not frozen. Not fragile. There's a difference. I've seen both. This?

This is something else.

Something coiled. Waiting. I exhale slowly. Maybe Brick breaking a finger or two will be enough. An arm if they're stubborn. That should get them talking. Hopefully, before things get… messy. I don't want her to see that. Not unless I have no other choice.

My gaze lingers on her profile. The line of her jaw. The way her lips press together slightly, like she's holding something back. She's beautiful. Too beautiful for this world. Too soft?—

No.

That's not right. I've always known there was steel under the surface. Steel that didn't quite fit the life she built for herself. I saw it that first night. At the police station. Then again at the ball. A flicker. A crack. Restlessness. But now? That's not a flicker. It's there. Clear as day. Either she's putting on a hell of a performance, or the cartel pushed her right over the edge. I grind back a curse. It doesn't matter. I want any version of her I can get. And it's getting worse. I can't stand the thought of her not being there. Not breathing the same air. Not existing in the same space as me.

It's… wrong. But my world tilts slightly when she's not within reach. That's new. Dangerous. I've had women. Plenty. Enjoyed them. Forgot them. Moved on. That's how it works. That's how it always worked.

But this?

This is something I already know I can't ever walk away from. She's not something I can put down and forget. She's already under my skin. So deep. I don't even want her out.

A memory surfaces.

Uninvited. Unwelcome. Catarina.

My chest tightens. My twin. The only person who ever came close to this kind of pull. We had a connection that didn't need words. We could sit in silence for hours and still understand each other. She was fearless. Wild. Always chasing the next thrill. Dragging me along half the time. Laughing when things got dangerous. Like nothing in the world could touch her. Until it did.

My grip tightens slightly. The day she died, part of me went with her. I buried it. Locked it down. Vowed never to let anyoneclose enough to touch that part again. Because that kind of connection? That kind of power over you? It gets you killed. Or worse. Leaves you breathing when you don't want to be.

My gaze shifts back to Audra. And there it is again. That pull. That same dangerous edge. Different. But just as strong. Fuck.

Am I really doing this?

Letting someone get close enough to matter like that? I should stop it. Shut it down. Keep this where it belongs. But then she moves in her seat. Just enough to remind me she's there. Real. Alive. And the thought of pushing her away—of letting her walk out of my life—lands wrong. Completely wrong. My jaw sets. Yeah. That's not happening. Whatever this is—whatever she is—I'm not letting it go.

The warehouse comes into view. Quiet. Isolated. Exactly how I like it. Mauro is already inside. Two guards stand by the entrance, straightening when we pull up. They open the doors without a word. I step out first, then turn, and offer her my hand. She takes it. No hesitation. No tremble. Nothing.

I help her out of the car, and my grip lingers for half a second longer than necessary. She doesn't pull away. Just looks around. Curious. Taking everything in.

Not scared. Not even close. That's when it hits me. Hard. She's not afraid. Not of this place. Not of what's waiting inside. Not of me. That's not normal. That's dangerous. A flicker of unease moves through me. Not for me. For her. Because this? This looks like someone who's decided life doesn't matter all that much anymore.

I don't like that. Not one fucking bit. I step closer. Just enough to keep her within reach.

"Stay behind me," I remind her.

She nods. But her attention is already on the building. On what's inside. On what's coming.

We step in. The air shifts immediately. Cool. Still. The kind of place where screams don't travel far. Brick is already there. Leaning against a table like he owns the room. Which—in a way—he does. He straightens when he sees me. Then his gaze shifts. Lands on Audra. And I watch it happen. That moment. The one where grown men usually start sweating. Where they realize exactly who they're dealing with. Brick's a fucking nightmare to look at. Massive. Scarred. The kind of man people avoid on instinct alone.

Not Audra, though. She just… looks at him. Her head tilts slightly. Like she's studying him, but not as something dangerous.

"What happened to you?" she asks.

Just like that. Curious. Almost… thoughtful. Silence follows. Thick. Immediate. Brick blinks. Actuallyblinks. Then he huffs out a low chuckle, glancing at me.