Page 10

Because she’d rather be insane together than be sensible alone.

But Takeshi didn’t take back his ruinous words.

His fists clenched at her visible heartache, so tight she was surprised the skin didn’t break.

Her disloyal heart throbbed in return, and Khalani wished she could tear the organ right out of her chest.

If you hated someone, that meant you cared.

She didn’t want to care anymore.

She wanted to be like that lone rock on the road.

Enduring. Steady. Able.

Feeling nothing.

So, she let everything go the only way she knew how…

Khalani clenched her fist and punched him directly in the face.

Takeshi’s head snapped to the side. He inhaled sharply, nostrils flaring. He straightened and stared back at her, unblinking and resolute, as if he’d let her hit him when he could’ve easily blocked it.

And that didn’t sit right with her either.

She tightened her fist, ready to throw another shot.

“I let you get one in.” Takeshi’s deep voice lowered. “You won’t get a second.”

Too bad she no longer cared what he wanted.

She drew her hand back, ready to strike.

One second she was standing there, and the next, Khalani was flat on her back. When she tried to get up and punch him again, he gripped both her wrists and pushed her arms down on either side of her head. Takeshi straddled her legs, completely immobilizing her with his weight.

“Get off me,” she spat.

“This is for your own good, Kanes.”

She glared at him, eyes wild. “You don’t get to call me that anymore. Now let me go.” She bucked her legs, but Takeshi leaned forward.

“Stop struggling, or you’ll hurt yourself. Then I’ll be forced to tie your wrists and drag you behind me.”

“You wouldn’t dare.”

His black eyes shifted like a predator’s. ‘I’ve thought of a million ways to tie you up since the day we met. Still wanna make that dare?”

Her muscles tightened, the press of his body against hers only amplifying the volatility around them. She itched to slide a knife across his throat and silence him, erasing any weight his words possessed.

Takeshi must have sensed the direction of her thoughts, because he only tightened his grip around her wrists.

Her throat cleared as she prepared to yell or spit in his face out of sheer spite. But knowing him, Takeshi would only follow through on his threat and gag her for amusement.

The sadistic bastard.

She stopped moving and closed her eyes.

Inhale.