Page 10 of Rooster

When my senses return, they lift to the bare spot right over his heart.

Bare. Nothing.

The sight of the tanned skin there confuses me, and that confusion alone is enough to get my feet moving closer to him.

He looks perplexed when I lift my hand and run it over the smooth expanse of his skin. I wonder if I shouldn't have been brazen enough to touch him without permission when goosebumps race after my fingertips.

"You expected the other half of the tattoo," he whispers. "I had it removed years ago."

There's no proof that anything marked his skin. There's not a single scar or an inch of raised flesh.

"You're not him," I whisper, lifting my eyes just enough to watch his throat work on a swallow.

"I'm not him," he replies, his voice husky. "I would never hurt a woman."

Our eyes meet, and I know what he's saying is true.

He stands there, my hand still resting on his chest as if he'll do it for the rest of his life just so he doesn't spook me.

"All cleared up?" Twisted asks, and I jolt, pulling my hand back as if the tips were going to catch fire.

"Thank you, Robert," I say as I step back, running my thumb over my fingertips when I can still feel an electric current in them.

"Anytime," he says as he tugs his t-shirt back on before swiveling and leaving the rest of us standing awkwardly in the hallway.

"Are you okay now?" Twisted asks, stepping in front of me and filling my line of sight.

"I'm fine," I assure him, taking a step back to put some distance between the two of us.

I've dated a lot of men, and I've been flirted with by countless more. I know Twisted has some kind of interest in me, and I wager that it's more than him being concerned for my well-being. I don't want to give the guy the wrong idea or let some kind of hope form that something could happen between us. That would make my stay here with Kaylee even messier than it already is.

"You're sure?" he asks, his hand coming out and resting on my forearm.

I give him a quick dip of my head before I take a step back. His hand lingers in the air for a few awkward moments before he lowers it back down. Much to his credit, when I look into his eyes, he doesn't look disappointed or mad with unfulfilled expectations. He might be the most mature man I've ever met, which makes me want to reevaluate the men I've been surrounding myself with my entire life.

"I know they aren't the same person."

"It can still be a little overwhelming," he replies. "You're safe here."

"We could get in the hot tub if you like," Kaylee says as she steps into my side and wraps an arm around my waist.

I allow her to turn me back in the direction of my room.

This entire thing is confusing. She was the one whose life was threatened last night, and she seems just... normal, like it never even happened.

Is she so confident in her husband and these other men's skill levels that she can allow herself to believe that we're all safe here?

I don't know that I'll ever have that same level of confidence in anyone again. What happened has opened my eyes to the real dangers in the world.

Before, I'd have to worry about leaving a drink unsupervised. I'd concern myself with one guy I was seeing running into another guy I was seeing.

The whole break-into-the-house and hold-my-best-friend-hostage thing was never on my radar.

Did he act that way because I broke things off? Did he act like that because he was truly obsessed with me?

It's too coincidental that he was in my life while his twin brother was in Kaylee's.

Was I targeted because of the man downstairs, and it has less to do with me and more to do with him?

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