Page 46 of Hollow

“Are you sure?”

I turn my head to meet his gaze, close enough that I can see the gold flecks in his dark eyes. He’s watching me too closely, like he’s trying to figure out how many pieces of myself I’m still in.

“What about you?” I ask instead of answering, my voice hoarse and almost accusatory.

It makes him smile—an actual smile that isn’t weighed down by anything but exhaustion. I kiss it from his lips before he can use them to say something stupid and reassuring about how everything willbe fine.

Because we both know there’s a very real chance it might not be.

He strokes a hand down my arm and pulls me tighter against him until our breathing syncs again.

“I want to fuck you until the sun comes up,” he says as he kisses my collarbone.

Hungry. We’re both hungry.

I pull him over me, refusing to think of anything but his skin against mine. His eyes darken with want, and it heats my blood all over again. I tug at his lower lip with my teeth, reminding us that this is everything now—tangled limbs and the messy, desperate way we keep crashing together.

He moves like he understands the urgency in my bones, and soon he’s inside me again, fast and deep.

“All fucking night,” he repeats.

His words are a promise and a challenge all at once, vibrating through me as I grasp at his back.

His hands are everywhere, reconnecting us in the same chaotic rhythm that burned through us the first time. And just like before, I’m powerless to stop it from taking over.

I can barely think past the flood of want inside me, but I don’t want to think.

I want to forget.

I curl my fingers into his hair, pulling him harder against me as if I can chase the shadows away forever.

Chapter 15

Flint

The island’s even quieter than usual at 4 AM. Every step cracks like a gunshot on the stone pathway as I head toward the greenhouse. The main house stands dark and empty. No one there to notice Briar’s absence until morning. If we’re lucky, the search parties won’t think to check if she’s sleeping in her own bed.

My shift at The Vault was pure hell. Viktor came back three times, each visit more intense than the previous. By midnight, he’d doubled the reward to twenty thousand. By closing, half the island was out looking for his brother.

A flashlight beam cuts through the trees to my right.

Another fucking search party. It’s the fourth one I’ve seen since leaving my car at the bottom of the driveway. They’re getting desperate, combing the same areas twice.

Ducking behind a hedge until they pass, I then continue toward the greenhouse. Its amber glow stands out in the fog like a beacon. On any normal night, it wouldn’t matter, since Damiano’s always up late working. But tonight, with search parties everywhere, that light might as well be a spotlight.

I need to warn him about Viktor’s latest move. That psycho’s calling in some mainland connection guys with military training and tracking dogs. They’ll be here by morning. We’re rapidly running out of options.

As I approach the greenhouse, I slow down. Something’s off. The usual night sounds are gone. Damiano’s radio, the hum of the heaters… all silent. Instead, there’s a different rhythm. Movement. Breathing.

I ease around to the far side where the foliage inside is thickest so I’m less likely to be spotted. Through a gap in the climbing plants, I can see inside.

Holy shit.

Damiano’s on that narrow cot with Briar Waters. Both of them naked, her pale skin almost glowing against his darker tone. She’s on top, moving slowly, her back arched as he grips her hips. Her head is thrown back, chocolate hair spilling down to the curve of her ass.

I should leave. Should turn around and come back later. But I don’t move.

It’s not like this is the first time I’veseen Damiano with someone before. We’ve had our share of encounters with others around. But this is different. The way he’s touching her so carefully, like she might break. The way she’s responding so desperate, like she’s been cold her whole life, and he’s the first warmth she’s found.

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