Page 346 of Good Boys Don’t Bite

“Yes.”

Elliot swallowed. Ronan tightened his hold.

“So don’t.”

Elliot looked at him. For once, the obsession worked in Ronan’s favor. Not morality. Not police. Him. Elliot nodded.

“Okay.”

Vance’s phone vibrated. A photograph arrived. She opened it. Her face changed.

“What?”

Elliot asked. Vance slowly turned the screen toward them. Claire. Alive. Sitting in a chair. Hands bound in front of her. No visible injuries. Behind her, written across a white wall in black paint:

GOOD BOYS KEEP THEIR PROMISES.

Elliot’s entire body went rigid beneath Ronan’s hand. Then another line beneath it. Smaller. LET’S SEE IF YOURS CAN. Ronan stared at the words. Not Elliot. Him. The test had changed. Saint wasn’t asking whether Elliot would kill for someone anymore. They already knew he would. Now they wanted to know whether Ronan could stop him. And somewhere inside the terror, Ronan understood exactly what Saint was trying to prove. Loving Elliot was easy when the monster belonged to him. The real test was whether Ronan could still love him while refusing to let the monster loose.

Chapter Twenty-Eight — Keep Your Promise

RONAN

TUESDAY · 10:56 A.M.

Ronan felt Elliot change beneath his hand. Not gradually. One second Elliot stood beside him staring at the photograph of Claire tied to a chair. The next, every muscle in his body went rigid. The transformation was becoming familiar. Fear disappeared first. Then hesitation. Then everything soft. What remained was focus. Cold. Precise. Dangerous. Ronan tightened his grip around Elliot’s wrist.

“No.”

Elliot didn’t look at him. Claire’s photograph remained on Detective Vance’s phone. Alive. Bound. No blood. No visible injuries. The words painted behind her filled most of the wall.

GOOD BOYS KEEP THEIR PROMISES.

Beneath them: LET’S SEE IF YOURS CAN. Ronan knew exactly who the second line belonged to. Him. Not Elliot. Saint had stopped speaking to the killer. Now they were speaking to the person trying to control him.

“Elliot.”

Nothing. Ronan stepped closer.

“Look at me.”

Still nothing. Vance lowered the phone.

“Do you recognize the room?”

Elliot finally moved. Not toward Ronan. Toward the door. Ronan caught him around the waist.

“Absolutely fucking not.”

“Let go.”

His voice was quiet. That scared Ronan more than yelling.

“No.”

“Ronan.”

“You promised.”