“You’re gonna be the death of me, woman,” he whispers.
But I know. Beneath all that fear—he’s proud. Even if he’s too overwhelmed to say it.
He half-carries me inside, strength wrapping me in safety.
Once inside, he pulls the curtains tight and begins checking me thoroughly—lifting my shirt, scanning for bruises, cuts, any sign of damage.
“Cam, I’m okay,” I assure, but he doesn’t hear me. His jaw’s locked, brows drawn in fierce concentration.
“Cam,” I say again, taking his hand, pressing my thumb to the back of it. “I promise. I’m okay.”
Then I kiss him—soft and deliberate—drawing his focus back to me.
His lips part and I taste the heat of us. My stomach flips, legs threatening to give out.
“Cam?”
Her voice slices through the air like broken glass.
Kyla.
Of course she’s here.
Of course she’s ruining it.
He lets go of me instantly, stepping toward her as she looms in the doorway, feigning frailty.
“What’s going on?” she asks, voice syrupy and sharp all at once.
I say nothing. What good would speaking up do?
“Go back to bed, Kyla. Need another dose?”
Her fingers clutch his arm and she leans into him like a wilted flower. Bitch. “No. Just walk me back. It’s too dark.”
He nods stiffly but glances at me.
“Stay here. I’ll be right back.”
But the second his back is to me, Kyla’s face warps into something venomous—a smirk that cuts like glass.
And I know.
This is my war now. Not just against predators. But against this woman. This shadow that clings to him.
He lovesme.
He said so.
I just have to be patient. She’ll show her true colours soon enough. And if she doesn’t…
Well. That rolling pin of mine might have one more use.
58
Cam
“Please don’t leave me. I’m scared,” Kyla whispers, clutching my arm like a lifeline.
