Page 52 of Saint

“Clearly.” Brax leans back, sinking his palms to his thighs as he tips his head, his eyes roll as if his mind is floating away.

Kole still hasn’t said a word, but I feel his eyes on me. Watching, waiting to see what I’ll do as always. I’m not sure how I never sensed his attention. But it’s proof of how easy it is to be in denial about the things that are right in front of you.

“So, what can we do for you, sweetheart?” Declan winks.

From the corner of my eye, I think I spot Kole curling his fingers into fists, but then he draws them up and pops his knuckles, making me wonder how much of this I’m imagining.

“Like I said, I need a favor.” I press my lips together, mustering some confidence. “Can I see Liam’s room?”

“Why?” Brax bursts out laughing, so high he almost falls forward as he leans in for another hit. “Missing him already and want to sniff his pillow?”

“No.” I grit my teeth. “He had something of mine, and I need to get it back.”

Declan narrows his gaze. “And what would that be?”

“It’s personal.”

Declan and Brax both look up at me from the couch. Smirking, smiling, oozing with arrogance. They’re trying to break me like I’m sure they’re used to doing to people who dare to walk in here and ask them for things. But I dated one of them. I know their tricks.

If I don’t flinch and don’t back down, they won’t have anything to use against me.

“Fine, I’ll give you the tour.” Declan rakes his teeth over his lower lip, and his eyes drag down to my chest. “Big house, wouldn’t want a pretty thing like you to get lost.”

“I’ve got it.” Kole stands up before Declan can, walking past me. And I don’t miss that Declan smirks at the back of Kole’s head like he was trying to elicit a reaction and is pleased with what he got.

Kole waits for me at the archway to the room. “You coming?”

He’s annoyed. Irritable.

Good.

The closer I tip him to that ledge, the closer I get to Saint.

I wave a thank you to Declan and head toward Kole.

He waits until I’m in front of him to guide me through the crowd. And with anyone else, it would feel protective. But this is a man who spends his spare time terrorizing me, and his attention sears through my skin.

When we reach the staircase, Kole nods at two guys who are standing like guards at the bottom.

I can’t imagine what’s so special up here that they need to monitor who walks past, but given the raging party behind me, at the very least, I’m guessing they don’t want this mess spilling into their bedrooms.

Starting up the staircase, every step makes me question my sanity. Not only am I purposely trying to irritate a killer, I’m walking straight into his trap.

My goal tonight was always to get Kole alone, but now that we are, I’m second-guessing offering myself to a predator.

When we reach the top of the staircase, Kole leads me to the right. One side is open to the party raging belowus until we turn a corner, and there are doors on either side.

“Are all your bedrooms up here?” I ask, walking beside him.

He nods. “Except the spare ones in the basement.”

A chill runs down my spine as I remember what happened down below.

The pleasure. The chaos. The blood.

Glancing up at Kole, his expression doesn’t falter. If he’s remembering what I am, he doesn’t show it.

While Saint is fire, Kole is ice. Two clear sides, and I need to break through one to get to the other.

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