Page 80 of Property of Bones

“Jack…”

“But if youwantto,” he says, “there will always be a Shadow somewhere. Watching. Protecting. Whether you see us or not.”

My chest tightens. It’s not the protection that makes me hesitate. It’s the weight of it. The permanence.

He’s not just giving me a choice.

He’s giving me two doors.

I step through door one, and it locks behind me, keeping the Shadows, and Jack, out.

And if I choose door two…I walk into a world I can never walk back out of. One where love comes wrapped in danger. One where safety has a price, and freedom means having eyes on me every time I breathe.

And yet, somehow…It’s the only door that feels like home.

“I love you, Jack,” I admit, my heart pounding like it’s trying to break free. “There really is only one choice.”

His eyes darken, guarded. “You’d have to move inside the compound,” he says. “Even if you don’t want to live with me… there are a few empty houses you can choose from.”

I blink. “Are you trying to push me away, Jack?”

It slips out before I can stop it. The shift in him…it’s sudden, sharp, like he’s pulling back before I can get too close.

I don’t like it.

Not one bit.

“Besides,” I smile, trying to pull him back to me. “I’m pretty sure you’ve already moved me inside the compound.”

“I kill people, Sunny,” he says, voice low and unflinching. “I’m very adept at carving. I remove their skin while they’re still alive. I do it slow… so they feel every second of it. Every nerve. Every scream.”

He holds my gaze, like he wants me to run.

Like he needs me to.

“I wasn’t given the name Bones for no reason, baby. They call me Bones because that’s all that’s left of my victims.”

Gross? Absolutely.

A bit morbid? Most definitely.

But does it scare me?

Strangely… no.

“Did you know Abby’s bunker room has screens on all of her walls to help her adjust to being down there?” I ask, deliberately changing the subject. I need to breathe. I need him to breathe.

“Uh… yeah, baby.” He frowns a little. “I helped Tank install them. What does that have to do with what we’re talking about?”

“It’s actually pretty cool,” I continue, ignoring the question. “While we were waiting for you all to come get us, we went in herroom and made it look like we were in space. There was even a black hole.”

“Sunny.” His voice drops, low and firm. There’s something in it. Warning, maybe. Or worry. I can’t tell.

I look down at him, still kneeling in front of me, and offer a soft, steady smile.

“There’s a pool behind the clubhouse,” I say. “Riley told me she talked Spike into having it installed. It’s not ready yet, though.”

“Yeah, babe. I know.”

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