IRIS’S POVThe safe house was a jagged, forgotten cabin tucked deep into the throat of the Black Ridge. It didn’t smell like the mahogany and expensive scotch of the manor. It smelled of ancient pine, woodsmoke, and the damp, heavy scent of a storm rolling in from the coast.Darius hadn’t put me down once. From the moment he pulled me out of that white hell, his arms had been a constant, bruising sanctuary. He carried me through the threshold, kicking the heavy oak door shut behind us with a finality that made the old floorboards groan.The room was dark, lit only by the pale, filtered moonlight hitting the dust motes. He walked straight to the center of the room and let me slide down the length of his body. My feet hit the floor, but my legs were like water. I stumbled, and his hands were there instantly, gripping my waist, anchoring me."Look at me," he rasped.His voice was a wreck—low, raw, and trembling with a frequency that vibrated straight through my chest. I looked up, and th
Last Updated : 2026-01-25 Read more