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Cade

I feel her withdrawing, those walls I just broke through rising back up brick by brick. Can’t blame her—I stripped away more than just clothes tonight. More than she was ready to give.

After a full minute of silence, my fingers spear into her hair and I lift her head from the crook of my neck, forcing her to look at me.

“Was any of that too much?” My voice stays neutral. “Pain? Pleasure?” I pause, then drop my tone to a whisper. “Submission?”

She has to know she can tell me, although the way her spine stiffens on that last word tells me she won’t.

Her chuckle comes out forced. Like a shield snapping into place. “It was just sex, Cade. We had it coming. No need to get tangled up in the fine print.”

There it is—the retreat when she feels exposed. Yesterday, I might have let her run. Now? Now I’m tempted to pin her down and fuck that defiance right out of her. Make her see there’s no hiding from this.

“You’re right.” In a deliberate provocative move, I drag my fingers through her folds, gathering her wetness, savoring the way she trembles.

Keeping my tone too casual for what I’m about to do, I ask, “We’ve got other things to focus on. Such as how you’d like your next orgasm.”

She’s still for a heartbeat, as if she’s weighing her answer, then opens her mouth to respond, only to have her words instantly die on her lips, her eyes widening as soon as she sees what I’m doing.

I hold her gaze as I slowly lick my fingers clean.

“Jesus, Cade.” The words stumble out, caught somewhere between horror and arousal. “You’re . . . it’s bloody.”

“I know. I was there.” My voice stays lazy, but I don’t miss the flush creeping up her chest.

I let the silence thicken for just a beat before tilting my head. “And I asked you how you’d like your next orgasm.”

She swallows hard, her eyes darting anywhere but at me. “I, um . . . I need a shower.”

Something in her tone sets off warning bells.

“No, you don’t, Luciana. You’re perfect with my cum all over you.”

Her lips part as if to argue, but the words never come. Instead, something flickers across her face—hesitation, maybe fear. Then she lowers her head, eyes fluttering shut like she’s making some internal decision I’m not invited to hear.

When she looks back up at me, the fire is gone. Her gaze is distant, closed off. Walls firmly back in place.

“I should go to bed,” she pulls away completely.

I let her go, watching as she scrambles to her feet and walks away—bare, beautiful, and so fucking mine—until she disappears up the spiral stairs.

Luna is hiding, something bigger than just fear of being exposed and vulnerable. The urge to find out with a single phone call to Kat beats down on me but I resist.

I sit there for a moment longer, before finally pulling my vibrating phone out of my pocket. Scar’s message lights up the screen.

Do your thing, Pretty. Just be careful.

I huff out a laugh.Too late brother. I’m already fucked.

Two hours.

That’s how long it’s been since Luna disappeared up the steps and behind the bedroom door.

I lean back on my couch, the dim glow of the surveillance tablet screen in front of me casting shadows across the otherwise dark room.

The satellite feeds from the Romano mansion grounds indicate a meeting was held there, and after half an hour, six men loaded into black SUVs. Which means he’s made the stupid choice of trying to find me.