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“Don’t bother.” Someday I might even the score with the Russian. Or maybe he would be the one that got away.

Isabella wasn’t.

She was mine now.

“The contract you canceled? It’s been reposted,” Chase said, matter-of-factly.

We both knew it would be. That wasn’t the reason he called. “And?”

“And someone named Snake Eye accepted the job.” Chase sounded bored.

I was anything but.

Looking around, I immediately began to scan for threats. “I need to know everything about this Snake Eye.”

“Already sent it to your email,” Chase yawned. “How’s the weather up there in the States?”

The last thing I wanted to discuss was the fucking weather.

“Hot. Humid.”

“Huh. So like Barbados?” the island dweller asked.

“Yes—no. Shut up.” I searched the buildings for signs of a sniper.

“Okay, okay. I’ll leave you to it. But, Pestilence?”

I growled in warning. “Yes?”

“Watch yourself. Things are going to get hot. And I don’t mean the weather this time.” With that, my partner hung up.

I slammed the phone back into my pocket. Through the glass, I watched Isabella pass a note to the Blood King. Her head was high. She looked fucking regal.

“Hurry up, beautiful,” I whispered.

I needed her out of the shop, back in her SUV, and headed to her house. While the security there was shit, her men would bleed and die for her.

I raked a hand through my hair. How did I insert myself into her life? She had her secrets. I had mine. Unless we admitted them to one another, there was no clear-cut way to work together.

She’ll hate you if she learns the truth.

That was something I couldn’t bear. My molars threatened to crack from the pressure of grinding them together.

Maybe, just maybe, she would never have to meet my demons.

Either way, she told me to come back, and I was here.

Watching her….

Protecting her….

Longing for the briefest of encounters.

When Isabella finally emerged from the store, my body was poised to run. She walked too slowly to the waiting vehicle. Air didn’t fill my lungs. I felt the invisible threat. It wasn’t logical. There was no sign of danger. This wasn’t my usual calm, levelheadedness showing me where to unleash my violence. Simply knowing she was in danger was bad enough.

I didn’t breathe until the door of the vehicle closed with her safely inside.

Sagging against the building, I gasped for air. A terrible choice lay before me. In order to protect her, something had to change. The time to leave was gone.