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“You won’t be able to.” I twitched the corners of my lips up just slightly—mockingly. Her head tilted. “Take them from me, I mean.”

“Leave,” Jaxon hissed, suddenly in front of me. He grabbed the back of my neck and shoved me toward the stairs.

I gasped, managing to catch myself before I toppled onto the hard step.

I glared at him as I backed away, catching Imogen’s smirk from the corner of my eye. Sneaky bitch.

I stormed upstairs and slammed Asher’s door behind me. I sank my fingers into my hair. The Pale One hadn’t been hunting me.

That begged the question, who wanted me dead?

Who had the motive? Any vampire who hated Crimson Coven . . . but we’d been careful, no one knew that I wasn’t just their Pet. Imogen had shown up too conveniently. As soon as I thought it, I couldn’t let it go. Was this some elaborate play she’d concocted? Had she even been held by that Wrenhaven Sire? Coming out and accusing her didn’t seem like the smartest plan, but who could I talk to about it?

My gut was telling me this wasn’t just my overactive imagination. But how to prove it? These were baseless accusations that could easily be brushed away by thinking I was jealous.

Either way, I needed to prepare a get-away bag and stash it somewhere, in case they refused to see the truth.

I steppedout of the steaming bathroom with a towel wrapped around my body and came to a screeching stop.

“God, Ren! You scared me.”

“It was explained to you. Keep away from her. Do not incite her.”

I wasn’t a fan of his tone. He continued coming at me and I shrunk back. My back flattened against the wall. “Yet, you never listen.”

“She keeps pushing my buttons.”

“She’s wily, that’s what pleased me about her.”

I wasn’t like that, even a little. I dropped my eyes to his lips. Would they become tired of me?

“Then she was right.” I raised my eyes to study his chocolate brown ones. “You’ll grow tired of me.”

He cocked his head.

“She’s trying to get into your head. And she’s succeeding.”

“How can it not?” I scrubbed my face with my palm. “All I do is think about your past, about her presence, about how careful you all are being, all while convincing myself that you will stay with me?—”

One more step had him flush against my front. I sucked in a breath, my palms falling on his broad chest.

“I will.”

The heaviness in my chest doubted it. I rubbed my palms against the cotton of his white shirt. I needed a release. I needed to lose myself.

“Can I . . .?” I tugged at his shirt.

He continued to just stare at me, so I took it as assent. Inch by inch, I exposed his tatted chest. Once I had it above his nipples, he swiped the shirt off the rest of the way. My attention fastened on the defined muscles. I couldn’t get over how fake he looked. Literally so perfect, and that ink only made him hotter.

“Like what you see?” His voice took on a huskier tone. My sex pulsed in response.

“Yeah,” I breathed. I really, really did. I licked my lips and ran my fingertips up his left side, over the koi fish and cherry blossom trees. He watched me, his artfully mussed hair falling at his temple and forehead. Sexy vampire. I slid my fingertips down until I hooked my fingers into the waistband of the cargo pants.

His thumb pinched my chin, and he guided my face up to look in his eyes.

“You have skill with distracting me.”

The corner of my lips twitched, and I pulled my face from his hand and lowered to my knees in a smooth drop. His zipper smoothly glided down with my descent. I tugged the pants, spreading the flap wide. His cock bobbed free; the tip hadalready begun to bead with red-tinted pre-cum. I licked my lips. He tasted good here too.