Page 42 of Graves

She grits her teeth and squeezes her eyes shut, bracing her body as if she’s prepared for whatever comes next. I’m more intrigued as to why she feels the instinct to allow whatever is about to happen in order to escape. Most people would beg and plead. Try to run or fight. She’s giving up, and that doesn’tcoincide with who I know she is.

Slowly, I reach a hand out, brushing my knuckles over her cheek as I speak.

“All I want to do is keep you safe, angel.”

One eye slowly opens at that as she watches me for several seconds.

“Then let me go,” she whispers.

I don’t respond before leaning down to press a kiss to her forehead. She doesn’t fight me off, which leads me to believe she’s still doing whatever she thinks she needs to survive this, and I fucking hate that. I leave without another word, an idea sprouting in my mind. She has such intense survival skills. I’m beginning to see she’s had to survive worse than me in her time, which is a chilling thought because I’m just about the worst there is.

Chapter Twenty

BLAKE

The next morning, I wake up to yet another figure watching me from the corner. For some reason, though, I’m able to tell that it’s not Zayden. I think it’s in the way they carry themselves. Or maybe it’s because for the better part of two months, I’ve practically eaten, slept, and breathed this man. Only now I’m looking back at that as the problem it is. I was blinded by lust, by infatuation. He was so quiet, so secretive, so dismissive. All the signs were there, every red flag. And I raced past them like it was all greenfrom the start.

Stupid, stupid.

“You’re awake,” Dominic says softly.

“Yep.”

We sit there in silence, knowing neither one of us is going to speak first, before he lets out a sigh and scrubs his hand through his hair.

“For what it’s worth, I’m truly sorry. I didn’t like lying to you.”

“Then you shouldn’t have,” I snap.

“That’s where we are gonna disagree, baby. I did what I thought was best to protect you, and I make no apologies for that.”

“Protect me from what? Zayden?” I ask.

He stays silent as he watches me, seemingly choosing his words carefully before he shakes his head, dismissing whatever thought he has altogether.

“Whatever. We had a good run, but I want to leave. I want to go home, please let me go,” I say, attempting to appeal to his softer side, at least the side I think is soft. I really don’t know what to think of him anymore.

His brows furrow at that. “Baby, you are home.”

“No, I mean my apartment. I haven’t given up my lease yet, remember? I want to go back there and?—”

“I gave up your lease,” he interrupts.

I pause for a moment, not sure I’m hearing him properly.

“Excuse me?”

“I gave it up. Paid the remainder of your lease and told them you wouldn’t be back.”

“Wh-why?” I snap in outrage.

“It’s not safe for you to be out on your own, not right now.”

“You’re fucking unbelievable! Let me guess, you told Mark I quit?” I snark with an eye roll.

But when he doesn’t disagree, my eyes bulge out of my head.

“You’re kidding me,” I deadpan.

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