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He doesn’t say it, because Adonis doesn’t say much of anything, but I know he won’t cross the line and actually hurt me.

He’ll just rough me up. Snatch me to him until there’s nothing between us.

A rush of adrenaline intoxicates me every time. It started with his arm banding against my throat when I shot him and intensified when he snatched my hair at the root the night he found me in his office.

And now…

Well, I don’t have the words for what I’m feeling right now, but I’ll circle back to that.

“What’s wrong?” I study his agitated demeanor in the mirror, suppressing a grin. “You seem stressed.”

His expression doesn’t budge. “Why is my lawn on fire, Delilah?”

“I don’t know.” I’d shrug but his hold on me is too confining. And it’s not his lawn. It’s arose bush. I smiled when I tossed the match ten minutes ago, knowing it would be just enough to get his attention before Victor clocked in and while Ms. Agnes and Titus were away fromthe house for their walk. I snuck back upstairs undetected a minute after Adonis walked down for his breakfast.

It took skill to factor in all those variables…

“Every day, it’s something new with you, Delilah. Let me guess, you gone wake up tomorrow morning and say you don’t remember this either?”

His voice roughens with each word until every syllable is coarse and demanding, robbing me of my ability to remember words.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Just as I’m getting used to the strength of his punishing grip, he releases me so suddenly, I would have fallen on my ass if not for the vanity in front of me. I grunt when the blunt edge of the counter knocks the wind out of my lungs.

Unfazed, Adonis spits, “That’s bullshit. You created a distraction downstairs so you could snoop around my room uninterrupted. Do you think I was born last night?”

“No, according to the calendar by your bed, your birthday was almost three weeks ago, and you didn’t say anything,” I report, voice calm, eyes narrowed and accusing.

It’s not even eight o’clock in the morning but Adonis snatches his tie away from his neck, cursing under his breath.

“You are the most childish, reckless person I know.”

He backs up. One step. Then two more.

For good measure, I’m sure.

But the distance does nothing for me. I can still feel him all around me, pressing in and filling in gaps I didn’t know existed.

“Go put on some shoes, Delilah.”

“Why?”

“Just go. Do it.”

Idon’t. I stay right there, staring at his clenched hands since he won’t give me his eyes.

“You know, this never would have happened if you didn’t laugh at me when I said Indigo needed a guard.”

His locs swing with the shake of his head. “I didn’t laugh at you, and that was two fucking days ago. You didn’t give me time to do anything about it.”

“How much time do you n—wait, does that mean she’s getting protection?”

He rubs his thumb over his bottom lip with another shake of his head. “Your shoes, Delilah. Meet me downstairs in five minutes and don’t fuck with anything else before then.”

Adonis doesn’t saya single word to me for the whole thirty-minute ride to wherever he’s taking me.

It’s the first time he’s driven me anywhere and he moves through the Wildwood streets as if they were paved just for him.

Victor is in a black truck two cars behind us, something I never would have noticed if I hadn’t caught a glimpse of the front license plate in the side mirror when Adonis was making a turn.