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“Our biggest clients can’t make it, so we’ve had to reschedule for tomorrow night.”

Poe seemed to be regaining his control as we quickly took the stairs and walked out into the alley, but as soon as the door closed, he spun and slammed his fist into the brick wall, over and over again.

I scrambled back while he lost control completely, roaring as he beat the shit out of the wall.Finally, he spun back to me, eyes wild, his usually slicked-back hair messy.I wanted to turn and run; instead, I forced myself to walk up to him, approaching the unstable demon like I would a wild animal.

Carefully, I took his hand, lifting it.“You’ve hurt yourself.”I sent power into him, healing the worst of it, aligning the bones that he’d broken and repairing his split-open bleeding hand, doing whatever I had to, to win his trust.

He let me, watching me closely.“You care about me, don’t you, Sutton?”

“Of course,” I said, the lie like ash in my mouth.“I’m sorry you’re upset.”

He grabbed my jaw roughly.“I’m upset, that this, you and me finally being together, has been delayedagain.I can’t take much more.I can’t be separated from you much longer.”

This was bad.

His phone rang again, and he cursed as he pulled it free.“I have to leave.”

“I can find my own way home,” I said.“It’s fine.”

He watched me from under hooded lids for several seconds.His moods, his reaction changed on a dime.He’d gone from excited to furious to whatever this was in minutes.“I’ll be in touch,” he finally said.

He got into his car and peeled off, and I almost collapsed in relief against the storefront I stood beside.

That’s when I realized I had no phone and no way to contact anyone, and nothing was open around me.Putting my head down, I quickly strode along the street, in search of a phone, then spotted a street sign.I was close to Rune’s asylum.

I had some things to share with him, then maybe I could get a ride home.

It didn’t take long to reach the intimidating building in the center of Seventh Circle, and the demon at the door let me straight in.Rune was waiting with his apartment door open when I stepped out of the elevator.

“Sorry to just show up like this?—”

“No need for apologies, lovely.”He held his door wide, his gaze roaming over me as I passed.“I like the dress, and the shoes.Is the outfit for me, or is this just a happy accident?”

“I was just out with Poe.”

The light and flirty attitude dropped instantly.“You have an update?”

“He took me to some secret lair Tarrant created under the city, it’s part of the old sewer system.There was supposed to be an auction there tonight.He made me wear a mask, it’s apparently all anonymous?—”

The door crashed open.I jumped and spun around as Jagger strode in.

“You could knock, you know?I just had it repaired,” Rune said, looking pissed.

But he wasn’t the only one.Jagger’s anger saturated the room.

“What the fuck?”he said, but his hard stare wasn’t on Rune, it was on me.“You didn’t think telling me about this outing you had planned with Poe was important information?”

Shit.I hadn’t actually told him about the upcoming surprise event Poe wanted to take me to.I’d gotten home to find Jagger in my place, and he’d touched me, kissed me, distracted me.

“I’m sorry.I planned to.And in my defense, he never actually gave me a time or place.It was last minute.I had twenty minutes to get ready before he picked me up.”

His nostrils flared, and he looked down at his boots while he breathed heavily in and out, over and over again.

“Jag—”

He lifted a finger and shook his head, silencing me.

I bit my lips together and waited.