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“Uh uh uhh. Shut the fuck up before I snap your neck, and make sure you’re buried next to the other dumb skank who let the power we gave her go to her head,” I seethe.

Stiffening, she stills and squeaks, “C-Coop.”

“You fucked up when you passed go, and now you’re on your-ass-is-mine street,” I gleefully state.

I close my eyes as her breath hitches, her palpable fear feeding the side of me I always keep locked away until it’s necessary. Having Candace being what triggers this almost feels like a waste, but that doesn’t stop me from soaking up the fear she’s feeding me. True to human instinct, she fights even harder.

“Struggle a little more for me, Candace—I’d love to be the one to pop that cherry of yours,” I threaten. I wouldn’t actually do this, but she doesn’t need to know that. She just needs to recognize the apex predator lying in wait.

My dick isn’t hard. Pain might feed my soul, but it doesn’t trigger my lust. That seems to happen only for arashati al-mudammira with eyes that beg to repent, and I can’t wait to be her absolution.

“I was only doing what you and Colter ordered me to do,” she hisses, pissing me off.

“When in any of our orders did we suggest playing our sister’s voice and laying your hands on what doesn’t belong to you?”

Candace’s moment of silence only further aggravates me. “You said make her pay. That’s what I did.”

She’s got ovaries of steel. I’ll give her that. But self-preservation—that, not so much.

Annoyed, I exclaim, “Answer my goddamn question. Did. You. Try. To. Put. Your. Hands. On. Eva?” Each word is punctuated with an authority that has her visibly trembling in my hold.

When she continues to remain quiet, I spin her, grip her chin, and push her against the wall. She squeaks in surprise.

Bending, I whisper in her ear, “Quite frankly, Candace, I’m running out of patience, and you’re running out of time here.” Then I tighten my grip, unremorseful that it’ll bruise. She doesn’t get to use Farrah in her plans without facing the penalties.

“I-I-I—” she splutters, still unable to formulate a response.

“What kind of bitch uses the voice of their dead supposed crush?”

Tears run down her beet-red, flustered cheeks, rolling over my knuckles. Yet, no words come out.

“Nothing to say? Hmm.” Tilting her face up, I glare down into her resentful hazel-green orbs. “Heartless ones,” I snarl, answering my question. “Why don’t we cut you open and test my theory?”

Candace stills, and her confidence instantly disappears.

“I-I-I—” she tries, but I cut her off when I realize she’s still stuck on stupid.

“Spit it out,” I order. “You had all that talk when you were talking shit to Eva. Where’s that smart mouth of yours now?”

My lips curl in disgust when a snot bubble forms in her nose.

“I-I-I’m s-s-sorry,” she starts, then rushes to continue when she notices the fury in my icy-blue stare. “I promise I won’t do it again. I was just trying to do what you asked. I’m sorry, Cooper—I’m s?—”

“Sorry. I fucking got it,” I mutter. “This is your one get-out-of-jail card. Don’t fuck it up. I won’t be as forgiving next time.”

I release her, and she slides down the wall, hiccuping while she cries as she plops on the ground on her ass.

“It’ll never happen again,” she swears between sobs.

Satisfied she understands what’ll happen to her if she fucks up again, I turn and step into the hallway. I’m about to turn thecorner when I twist. “Make sure the other shitheads understand that this is a universal final warning. Everyone is on notice—use Farrah in anything you do in the future, and you’ll become wild game, and Colt and I will be the poachers.” Then, I finally stride for the gym exit.

Pulling out my phone, I call my brother. “Where the hell are you? Eva’s been pacing back and forth outside our condo for the last five minutes.

“I had to take out the trash,” I reply.

“Who screwed up this time?” he asks, an amused lilt to his tone.

I step outside, and even though it’s dusk, the Texas heat is oppressive. “Candace.”