Page 117 of Captive Audience

Love.

I wanted to scoff, to tear Finn’s deluded fairy tale apart with every ounce of my cynicism.

But the truth was…I didn’t know what this was anymore.

All I knew was that a man I should hate had gone off to commit murder for me, and I was sitting here wearing his hoodie like a Rook blanket, anxious for him to return.

Finn’s phone chimed.

“Is that them?” I scooched over to get a look at the screen.

“No.” He pulled the phone away and pressed it to his chest, but not before I caught a glimpse of a selfie. Plunging neckline, dark red lips, stunning smile. “Do ye mind?”

“Sorry.” What had him all sensitive? “Finn, do you have a girlfriend?”

He’d never mentioned it, but I’d never asked, either. Finn always seemed so busy with fight training and working for Rook that I figured he didn’t have time for a relationship.

“No.”

“Who was that, then?”

“None of your business. And don’t go tellin’ the boss. He needs to know I’m focused on my job.”

“So youdohave a girlfriend.”

“Jaysus, no. She’s just a friend.”

“A very pretty friend.”

Finn scraped a hand down his face. “Christ almighty.”

Before I could tease him more, the elevator dinged.

I stood, heartbeat wild. And then he appeared.

Rook.

A little ruffled, a little tired, but in one piece, and that was all I cared about.

Seeing him like that snapped everything into focus.

Oh God.

I had feelings for Rook. Real feelings. The kind that led you to make dumb choices and risk getting your heart shredded.

But…me? Falling for a gangster? My stalker? Hell, falling foranyone? What warped alternate universe were we living in?

Maybe it didn’t matter that we’d gotten here through his manipulation, deceit, and coercion. Maybe all that mattered was that I wanted Rook. Not just his body. Not just his mind-blowing orgasms. Buthim.

The selfless, protective, generous parts. Even the bossy, violent, maddening parts.

Because Rook was never just one of those things.

He was my devil and my guardian angel. He was my tormentorand the one who made everything better. He was the most dangerous man I knew and the only one I wanted keeping me safe.

He made me question every moral I stood for.

But I was so sick of guilt-tripping myself over my feelings for Rook.