Page 107 of Debt of My Soul

Darrin offers a slight nod to the three men invading our space and with that, Blitz and I bolt from the room. Disappointed in D would be an understatement.

Cicadas punctuate the warm evening, their whirring sound a chorus of annoyance the entire walk back to the cabin.

Inside, it’s quiet, and I notice a pan of brownies on the stove, a forkful missing from the corner. After cutting myself a generous square, I hunt the small space for Fleur, peeking in to see her curled up on my bed, sound asleep.

Driven to her, I down the chocolate dessert in two bites and gently sit on the bed next to her. Breaths steady and smooth, her mouth twitches in the slightest movement as I pull a strand of hair back out of her face. She sighs long and hard, nuzzling the pillow.

I don’t want to leave her tonight, not again, and most definitely not for the Raven to play a few wimpy-ass games of poker.

I turn from her, sliding my elbows down to rest on my knees, and bury my head in my hands.

Wilson told me not to get involved. Maybe I should’ve listened.

Chapter 40

Fleur

The bed dips and my eyes flutter open to see Liam sitting closer to me, head in his hands. His shirt, still the same from earlier, is loosened, buttons undone at the top.

I blink away the hazy sleep from my eyes, and my heart crumples at the sight of him hunched over. The impossible need to reassure him makes my hand reach for his thigh.

He’s warm, the muscle flexing beneath my touch. He rips his head away from his hands, his gaze trailing down the side of my neck and disappearing even lower.

A sad smile slides slowly into place. “Hey.”

“Hi.” I smile back. “Everything okay?” I sit up, tucking my hands under myself to keep from touching him.

“I have to go to the establishment tonight. Darrin invited Raven. Adam is going to be there.” He sighs. “It’s a long, complicated thing, but I wanted to let you know before I left.”

Slightly crushed, I move toward him, brushing back some slackened hair for the briefest of moments.

The last thing I want tonight is to be without Liam. Plus, his slumped posture and downturned mouth at the mention ofleaving for the night leads me to believe he’s having a hard time with his call there.

“What’s wrong?”

He drags his tattooed fingers over his face, scratching at the facial hair that liquifies my insides.

“Adam. He’s working for Raven. Apparently, everything I’ve done to keep him away from this was for nothing.”

My stomach drops at his words.

“Liam, I’m so sorry,” I say as he stands, moving to the dresser to grab a fresh shirt.

I scramble off the bed, bare feet padding across the floor with a blanket draped over my shoulders. I approach him.

He looks down at me, flipping the shirt in his hand back and forth.

“Take me tonight.”

Liam practically loses the shirt. His eyes search mine. “Why?” he asks.

Okay? Valid question, I guess. I want to tell him that I love being near him. It’s irrelevant where that takes me. If he’s there, I want to be there too. This man has twisted me in knots and he’s the only one who can unravel me. I need to hold on to him—it’s all that matters.

I fist his shirt, the pads of my fingers burning as they graze the spot above his jeans. The smoothness of his chiseled stomach burns me to my core, and he hisses with the simplest touch.

“Because I don’t want you there alone.”

Liam pulls his truck into a small side street, one block from the establishment. Unlike last time, where he pulled right up to the back door.

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