Page 247 of Blackwood

Cute show in the shower, all steam and skin,

But let me remind you, I’ll always win.

I saw every twitch beneath that flame.

Lexie’s hands? All shaking with shame.

Whitmore? A muse of soft regret.

They touch, but I own every breath they get.

They think they’ve won, but I never tire.

I wait in the quiet. I sharpen the wire.

So lose the dead weight or I’ll make my art.

One stroke for the body, two more for the heart.

Tell Whitmore to paint the scene just right,

A Whore in Ashes. A Lover’s Blight.

I’ll frame it in silence, dripping red,

For every truth you choked instead.

No Lexie. No Whitmore.

Only our twelve notes, Izzy, and a goddamn war.

Attached is a video of Bella on her knees. My hands in her hair, my eyes shut. Lex behind me, in the fucking shower. Just now.

Chapter 68

BELLA

Our Apartment

722 Days Since Zeke’s Death

Knox shows up less than fifteen minutes later, looking like he just rolled out of a spy thriller. A black duffel slung over one shoulder full of wires, USB drives, tiny sensors, metal rods, a tablet, two burner phones, and what might be a pair of night-vision goggles. He doesn’t say a word, just walks in, drops the bag on the kitchen counter, and starts working. Fast. Efficient. Focused.

I sit on the couch between Lex and Cade, their bodies shielding mine like twin anchors. My hands are pressed down on my legs, trying to still the tremble in my knees.

Lex notices first. His hand slides onto my thigh, warm and solid.

“Baby, it’s okay. Knox’ll get it all figure it out.”

“He wants me away from you,” I whisper.

My voice cracks on the last word as I clench my hands together, digging my nails into my palm, trying to breathe. But the panic’s already crawling up my spine, coiling behind my ribs.

Knox walks back in like clockwork, calm as hell, and drops a small silver pin onto the coffee table with aclink.

“I found this facing the shower.”

In the sudden stillness of the room, that small piece of metal feels heavier than any gun. Lex has started pacing, his hands balled into tight fists. Cade remains frozen in place, his gaze locked on the pin. I feel like a phantom in my own body, observing a nightmare that belongs to someone else.