Page 182 of Their Arrangement

Before I could turn?—

An arm wrapped around my throat. Hard. Yanked me backward.

I slammed into a chest that didn’t belong to anyone I trusted. Fingers dug into the side of my neck. A hand clamped over my mouth. My phone dropped. Clattered to the floor.

“Time’s up.”

The voice was low. Filtered. Distorted. But the intent behind it? Crystal clear. Selene. Her silence. Her money. Her warning. He dragged me into the hallway. Slammed me into the wall.

My shoulder cracked against the plaster hard enough to jar my teeth. I tried to scream. Tried to fight. But his grip only tightened. His mask was black. Smooth. Just two holes for his eyes. No mouth. No name. Just threat.

“The book,” he hissed.

“You know where it is.”

I shook my head. Tried to twist away. His hand flattened harder against my mouth.

“This was your warning.”

He leaned closer. Breath hot against my ear.

“Next time, I don’t leave you breathing.”

I kicked back. Hard. Felt something shift. He grunted. His grip slipped.

It wasn’t enough to break free, but it was enough to bite.And I did. Hard. Felt fabric tear. Felt skin give. Tasted metallic. Blood.

He threw me forward like garbage. I hit the floor. Face-first. My lip split open. The rug scraped my cheek raw. My shoulder lit with pain—white hot and immediate.

I curled. Instinct. Fetal. Frozen. Too late to stop the ache. Too early to process the fear.

He stood above me for one more second. Watching. Measuring. Then he turned. Walked out. No rush. No fear. Just satisfaction. Like a message had been delivered. Like a job half-finished. The door was still open. Swaying slightly. The night air creeping in.

I didn’t move. Didn’t speak. Didn’t even try to breathe right. Because if I did? I’d scream.

And I didn’t know how to stop it once it started. My mouth filled with copper. Blood. My lip was split. My face stung. My shoulder pulsed like it had its own heartbeat.

But that wasn’t what made me sick. It was the way he moved. Like he knew the layout. Like he knew I’d be alone. I had been. I’d let myself believe it was over. That Selene had changed her mind. That Wolfe had scared her into silence. But this? This was her answer.

I pushed onto my side. Every inch of me throbbed. My knees. My ribs. My throat.

He’d squeezed hard. So hard. Like he’d been trained. Like he knew the exact threshold between fear and collapse.

But the worst part? How quiet he’d been. How efficient. How calm. No yelling. No chaos. Just a whisper and a threat. I rolled onto my knees. Crawled toward the door.

I needed air. I needed space. I needed?—

Something cracked behind me. Sharp. Loud. I screamed. Whipped around. Nothing.

But the vase on the side table? Shattered. My elbow must’vecaught it. I didn’t remember. Didn’t care. I tried to stand. My vision spun. A handprint was still pressed into my arm. Purple. Too clear.

I didn’t remember when he grabbed me there. Didn’t remember anything after the slam. I reached the front door. Closed it with both hands. Locked the bolt. Then the chain. Then backed away like it might come alive and open again.

I turned to face the room. Everything looked normal. But it wasn’t. The air was heavier. The space tighter. Like he’d taken something with him I couldn’t name.

I ran to the kitchen.

Fumbled in the drawer.