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But I knock anyway. Just for the pretense. “Tera?” I say, rapping on her door.

Silence.

“Tera? Are you in there?”

“Nobody can find her.”

I whirl around and find Frank standing behind me.

“She’s been missing all day.”

“Oh,” I say, playing it off. “Well, I’ll text her and see if she answers.”

“We’ve all been texting her, Rory.” He doesn’t sneer my name. He says it sweetly. Like he took my warning seriously and now he’s trying to make nice. “We’re worried about her. And you.”

“Why are you worried about me?” I ask, barely able to control my laugh.

“Because you’re acting strange. So is Tera,” he says. “She was fine last weekend. Brian said she was excited on Saturday night. And even though you weren’t exactly excited, you were fine too, right?”

I don’t know what to say. How the fuck does he figure I’m on board with marrying him? I barely know him. And I know better than anyone that Tera was absolutely not excited. Plus, she’s a horrible liar. There’s no way she convinced Brian she was on board with this pairing bullshit. So I just… tell him the truth. “I’m in love with someone, Frank. And it’s not you. What more can I say than that? I’m not looking for a husband to be my stepping stone. And I’m not looking for a man who wants me to build him up. I’m looking for true love. And I’ve found it.”

“With Five Aston,” he says. And it’s not a question.

I try not to show my surprise and confusion, but I fail pretty miserably. “How do you know about him?”

“Tera talked, you know. She told Kallie and Mia everything about your childhood crush on that…” He stops to choose his next word carefully. “Man,” he says. But I’m pretty sure whatever he was gonna say first wasn’t something flattering. “He’s dangerous, Rory. Infamous. You are aware that he’s connected to the Chinese mob?”

I shrug. “I dunno. I don’t see him much.”

“Well, he is. And his grandfather just died, you know.”

“What?” I’m actually stunned.

“Last weekend. Didn’t he call to tell you about his new job? He’s the head of his grandfather’s Triad now. He’s a crime lord, Rory. So yeah, I guess… if that’s your idea of a prince, of a romantic happily ever after, then no, I can’t compete because I’m a good guy.”

He turns and walks away.

I watch him descend the stairs and disappear. And then I say, “You’re not a good guy, Frank Fulbright. You’re the worst kind of monster. The kind who thinks he’s good.”

I head back down the hall to my room, unlock my door, and step inside.

When I try for the light, nothing happens. I flick it again. Nothing.

And then a gloved hand covers my mouth and a voice says, “Don’t move,” in the darkness.

Chapter Twenty-Five - Five

“Shhh,” I say. “It’s me.”

She whirls around in my arms and grabs my face. “Jesus! I thought you’d never get here! These people are on the train to Crazytown, Five!”

I kiss her. Long and soft. With lots of tongue to let her know I’d never leave her hanging and she’s been the only thing on my mind since we parted last week.

She didn’t let me walk out on her last summer. She followed my ass out that door, grabbed me by the arm, spun me around, and slapped my face.

Hard.

She looked me in the eyes and said, “Fuck you, Five Aston. Just fuck you if you think you’re doing this alone. We. Are. Partners. In life. In death. For eternity. And you don’t get a say in it, mister. Because this is fate. I’ve been yours and you’ve been mine since the beginning of time. And it’s gonna stay that way, whether you like it or not.”