Page 72 of His Fury

In the car, I pulled out my phone and texted Zayn. I’d resented the idea of check-ins, and now I was grateful for them.

Heading to Elixir.

I didn’t wait for a response. I drove to the club, entered the underground parking lot, and would never admit the speed in which I went from the car to the elevator. The elevator doors opened to the loft, and a quick look around told me Zayn wasn’t here yet.

I kicked off my heels and padded into the kitchen, turning on more lights as I went. The moment the light flickered on, the tension finally slipped from my shoulders.

I was here. Safe. Sort of.

Opening the fridge, I saw the bottle of wine that wouldhave been left for me. I poured a glass and stared at it for a minute before taking a sip.

Then I reached for my phone. I’d put it off earlier, but I knew I needed to tell him. Plus, it was only fair to Jayden to know too.

I’m upstairs. When you have time, can we talk?

I didn’t expect an immediate reply—he never texted back quickly unless it was urgent—but this time, my phone buzzed within seconds.

Ten minutes.

That was all he said. But the words steadied me. I went to the bathroom, sidestepping into his closet, and pulled on one of his hoodies without thinking about it.

I curled up on the couch, the wine untouched on the coffee table.

When I heard the door open, I didn’t turn around. I heard it click shut behind him, and then he came around to stand in front of me. When our eyes met, I exhaled for the first time that day.

He wore a black-on-black suit: black pants, a black vest, and a black jacket. His hair, though messy, looked perfect. His sharp, chiseled jaw was accentuated by faint stubble, which made it appear even more defined. Men shouldn’t be allowed to look that good.

Zayn looked down at me, his gray eyes seeing far too much. “You okay?”

“I think so,” I answered, watching him as he lowered himself to crouch in front of me.

His hand cupped my cheek, and I leaned into it automatically. “What happened?”

I told him everything.

The prickle on the back of my neck. The feeling of someone watching me. The sense of unease.

I watched his face tighten as I spoke, his jaw set, yet he didn’t interrupt. Not once. He merely shifted to perch on the edge of the coffee table as I continued. When I finished, he leaned forward, elbows resting on his knees, rubbing a hand over his face.

“I should’ve sent someone else,” he muttered. “You’re right. Jayden stands out.”

“Zayn.” I touched his arm. “I wasn’t in danger. Not really. I just… I felt something was off. That’s all. I was probably being paranoid.”

“I’ll send someone else tomorrow.” He turned his head, his eyes landing on me. “You know I’ll kill anyone who touches you, right?”

The words should have frightened me. Instead, they made me feel secure. I'd probably need to unpack that later. At that moment, I offered him a small smile. “Yeah, I do.”

He reached for my hand and didn’t let go.

CHAPTER 18

ZAYN

I was in my office,the night long since over with the light hint of morning in the sky. Soon, the streets would be awake. I used to love this time of morning. Gracemont looked so peaceful and quiet at this hour—its ugly truths hidden in shadows that hadn’t yet shifted.

I rarely saw this time of day anymore. Usually, my “day” had ended, and I’d have already climbed into bed after a long night.

I’d always liked the quiet. But I learned a long time ago that quiet didn’t mean safe. I wondered if Isla was also slowly realizing that.

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