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In and out Bride breathed, as quietly as possible There was a , but it was closed, blocking out the night’s sy the streets, and crih the apartment, the weaker Aleaha’s scent of sky and pine becaer Devyn’s, like sun-dried sheets and rain

Darip, too, now that she’d eaten Well, some As before, she’d kept down the first few sips but had thrown up the rest

Mind on the task at hand You more than anyone know the price of inattention That’s how those police inside those o That’s why she’d had to hide Aleaha Why she’d lost Aleaha

Okay So Tiroup Aleaha had been here, but she hadn’t stayed for long Ten minutes, tops Was little Devyn not as skilled a lover as he clearly liked to believe? Was he a slam-bam-thank-you type?

Bet there was a piece of furniture here A bed Proof of his priorities

There was a fire in Bride’s blood, burning her veins, scorching each of her organs A fury that had nothing to do with the thought of Devyn sleeping with her friend and everything to do with her friend’s future happiness Really Clearly Devyn was the kind of guy who left only heartbreak in his wake

That fury also poked and prodded at that molten, thorny place inside her, the place her poere buried, the intense heat of its flaer seem comprised of ice She had to stifle a pained moan She knew better than to let herself become too worked up When she did, those fla her bit by bit If she wasn’t careful, she would soon be praying for death

I’m calm I’loat

Reled her body and peeked down the hall Eer than ever There were two doorways As she breathed deeply, her heart pounding erratically in her chest, she tiptoed forward He was here He had to be

She passed the first doorway, giving the bedroolance Empty, as well Finally she reached the farthest entrance and paused The door was closed Was Devyn inside? Sleeping, holding so for her?

She’d warned hi for hiy and battle He was even working for AIR in soh Nervousness joined the lingering thruet One that could lock her away or kill her, no questions asked, she thought, a cold sweat beading over her skin You knew the consequences You came here anyway Don’t wuss out now Answers are worth any risk

He had to be expecting her, had to know she’d find hiain So how should she do this? Bust inside, knives at the ready? Sneak inside and try to catch him unaware? There was no tiers, her er hers to corip on the blade hilts and the weapons thuround One of her arms reached out and pressed the button that opened the door Her feether to enter the darkened space

He ake, and he was controlling her She’d known this could happen, but had co her teeth and trying with all her ht to petrify her ht past the thorns and the flames to see what other abilities were buried inside her, rather than waiting every few years for one to spring up on its own She suspected the others were strong, stronger than Devyn’s, desperate to explode, to overtake her But she just couldn’t get to them, even nohen they probably would have saved her

"You certainly took your time," a familiar voice said huskily Without a rustle of clothes or a singleaway the shadows "Black becomes you, pet It’s like you’re enveloped by stor in a plush leather chair in the far corner, Devyn was relaxed, sipping a glass of ah he’d run his hands through it a few tierously Like her, he wore a black T-shirt and black pants

A large king-size bed was the only thing between them A bed with black silk sheets and velvetcovered chains attached to the head and footboards Her jaw clenched even as her nipples hardened, her s that had probably happened in that bed

Oh, no you don’t She would not allow her body to ready He’d think her desire was for him And it wasn’t Really

"Where’s Aleaha?" Her voice tre her to her soul "I know you’ve been with her"

He finished off his drink "Please Have a seat" With a tilt of his chin, he motioned to the bed "We have much to discuss"

Rather than force her to obey, he released his hold on her "You’re not going to compel me to do it?"

"Now that would be rude, wouldn’t it?"

Devyn, her freeze ’ehable But she had so he wanted, so of course he would play the I’ht She had Nolan She was in control right now No need for her powers, after all Sly, she sauntered to the bed and plopped onto the edge, facing hiaze fell to her lips, and he inhaled sharply

Was he thinking of kissing her?

"I want them all over me," he said

Holy hell The answer to her question: yes "The chains are a bithis comment but unable to hide her breathlessness "It’s not like they could keep me down if I decided to leave" It was a reminder of her victory over him, meant to put him in his place

He didn’t back down "True" Nor did he sound concerned "I have a feeling you’ll willingly lock yourself up, though"

She would have snorted, but couldn’t quite e it If ever there was a ames, it was probably this one But no ive herself to Devyn The moment she did, he would lose interest in her His kind always did And she needed his interest It would, hopefully, keep hiotiations

What makes you think he’s truly interested in you, anyway?

I’ve already had a va another bored hi her stupid was feigned Intended to soften her

"Aleaha," she said Her friend was the et "Where is she?"

"Does the nanoring her Was he serious? "Macy Briggs the model?"

"She doesn’t uess She’s one of the women you screwed that day" The last lashed froht you couldn’t recall their na I’ve had a model and wasn’t impressed Macy isn’t my type, so no, I haven’t had her"