Page 65 of Vengeful Melodies

Ifeelthem.

That same heat from the elevator clings to me, wrapping around my ribs like a vice. My pulse hasn’t slowed. My skin still hums where they touched me, and the worst part is—they know.

I walk in first, trying to keep my head high, even as my knees feel traitorous. They follow like a pack—tattooed, loud without saying a word, the air shifting under the weight of their presence. Wolves pretending they’re not hunting.

Bash drops onto the sectional and sprawls out like he owns the whole damn place, but his eyes never leave me. He crooks a finger toward the bar. “Pour us something, Songbird. I want to see how steady those hands really are.”

Kaiser brushes past me on his way to the window, his arm grazing mine, his palm skimming the small of my back just long enough to make my breath catch. It’s not an accident.

Takoa lingers near the door, arms folded, watching everything—me most of all—like he’s deciding whether to intervene or to make it worse.

Alix moves to the bar himself, pouring something amber and strong into four glasses, but when he hands me mine, his fingers curl just enough to trap mine on the glass. His thumb strokesover my knuckles, slow, deliberate. “Drink, Dreya,” he says softly. “You look like you need it.”

The rim of the glass is cool against my lips, but the whiskey burns all the way down. I set it on the counter, turning to find Kaiser suddenly closer than before, the city lights painting sharp lines over his jaw.

“You still flushed,” he says, and he’s not asking. His fingers toy with the hem of my shirt, tugging it just enough to expose another inch of skin before letting go.

Bash chuckles from the couch. “Careful, Kaiser. She might beg if you keep that up.”

“Would she?” Kaiser asks, eyes locked on mine.

I swallow hard, but the sound is too loud in my own ears. My mouth opens—no idea what I’m about to say—but Bash beats me to it, patting the seat beside him. “Come sit, Little Songbird.”

When I cross the room, he doesn’t give me space. His arm slides along the back of the couch, his knee pressing against mine the moment I sink into the cushions. Kaiser sits on my other side, close enough that his thigh is warm against me.

They don’t touch me outright.

They just… close in.

Every lean forward brushes an arm, every low laugh sends warm breath across my ear, every glance makes my stomach drop. I’m caught between them, caged without hands on me, but my body can’t tell the difference.

I try to focus on the skyline beyond the glass.

But all I can feel is the way Kaiser’s knee nudges mine under the table, the way Bash’s fingers ghost over the back of my neck, the way Takoa’s reflection in the window hasn’t moved from the door.

This hotel suite might be the safest place on the map.

But tonight?

Tonight, it’s a warzone of want.

And I already know I’m going to lose.

Chapter Twenty Nine

Alix

The whiskey burns smooth down my throat, but it’s not the alcohol making my blood run hot. It’s her.

Dreya disappears into the bathroom to change, the door clicking shut with a quiet finality that seems to ratchet the tension in the suite up another notch. Instantly, the suite goes quiet, heavy like smoke settling in a room. I lean against the counter, swirling amber liquid in my glass, eyes flicking to the others.

Bash’s blonde hair catches the warm light, blue eyes glinting like he’s already plotting mischief. He mutters, “She’s trouble.”

Takoa stands by the minibar, dark hair falling across his forehead, light green eyes narrowed, jaw tight. He pours himself another drink, exhaling slowly.

Kaiser lounges on the velvet couch, sandy hair falling into those dark crystal-blue eyes of his, smirk tugging at the corner ofhis lips. “Three weeks,” he murmurs. “Three bloody weeks, and she’s in our bones. She’s… everywhere.”

I shake my head, swirling my glass. “You’ve been brooding all day. Care to explain?”