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I sucked in a deep breath as I shot him a glare.

“What in the seven hells were you thinking, Dukovich? Briar road? What did you not understand about ‘least risk possible’?” I hissed from across the room.

He held his hands up in mock surrender, a wry grin spreading across his face. “Like I said, Imayhave gone too big. But this will definitely distract the House of High, and we have about”—he pulled out his pocket watch—“four hours to regain our strength until we go to Camp Bane.”

“What did you do?” My heart thundered in my chest as I asked the question for a third time, the frenzied look in his eyes telling me this was not going to be good for us.

His grin deepened as he chucked his satchel on the floor between us. Blood drenched through the burlap as a severed hand flopped out of the opening.

Oh . . . we were so, incredibly fucked.

I sucked in a deep breath, slowly letting it seep out from between my lips as I lifted my chin to the ceiling. “Please, do not tell me these hands belong to who I think they do.”

“Well that depends, love. Who do you think they belong to?”

My teeth clenched. “At least tell me you did not harm the High Priestesses too.”

“Theirs are also buried somewhere in there,” he said, casually shrugging his shoulders.”

“You know if this blows back on Locdragoon, Landers will probably let me kill you and hand your body back to them as a peace offering,” I snapped as my feet began to pace across the floor.

“I had an opportunity to fulfill a portion of my promise to you, and I took it. If that means I die, then at least I will die an honest man,” he said, the words falling from his mouth without a hint of regret as he strode to the bar cart and poured us both a drink. He extended the glass to me and fell onto the couch as I pulled it from his hand.

I shook my head at him in disbelief, a reluctant smile tugging at my lips. It was actually a bit romantic.

Gorey and unhinged, yes, but romantic nonetheless.

Cyloe padded down the stairs and I pulled my eyes away from Dukovich just in time to see her teeth sink into a finger.

“Cyloe!” I screeched, rushing toward her as she snatched the hand and ran back up the stairs.

Dukovich’s laugh echoed through the room as a wide smile seeped into his face. “She’s a wolf, what do you expect?”

I swallowed back a gag.

“Get rid of them.Now,” I said, pressing my hand to my mouth.

He shook his head at me, the smile still plastered on his face as he flicked his fingers toward the mess. The satchel and its bloody contents disappeared as I let out a heavy sigh.

The room fell silent as I slipped onto the couch only feet away from him, cradling my drink against my chest as I watched the fire burn inside its cave.

I could feel the loathing I had for him slowly slipping, and that scared me. It was the last bit of anger I had left in me and I didn’t know who I would be without it.

But there was something about him I couldn’t shake.

We were similar in so many ways. He kept me on my toes, always matching my violence with his own and my sarcasm with his wit. He challenged me in a way that was both frustrating and refreshing and I didn’t know where to put that feeling.

I glanced over to see his eyes already on me and stilled.

“What are you thinking?” he asked quietly as I pulled my eyes back to the fire.

I would absolutely not tell him that.

A sigh escaped my lips as I took another sip from my glass, welcoming the burn of the liquid as it slid down my throat. “You said you wanted to know me.”

“Yes.” He nodded, sitting a little straighter.

“Why?”