Page 46 of Hate Me

As she pulled it away, I saw a tranq dart buried in her flesh.

She wavered on her feet, then stumbled and slapped her hand to the wall of the building.

“What the…” she groaned, before collapsing to her knees.

I was there in the next second, wrapping my arms around her and easing her down onto her back so she didn’t smash her face on the ground.

She passed out against me in the next couple of moments.

Footsteps crunched on the ground and I swung my head to see somebody emerging from the shadows.

I choked when he came into view, that broad frame, those long, caramel waves, one of his sexy dark Hugo Boss suits pulling taut across all that muscle.

“Caspian,” I breathed.

His eyes burned into mine as he reached me.

But he adverted his gaze all too quickly, telling me in a cold, business tone, “You played your part well.”

“You didn’t really believe I’d be able to talk her down,” I realized aloud. “You had me function as a distraction.”

“In essence.”

“Cas, I—”

He held up his hand. Then he tapped his earpiece and communicated, “It’s done. Move in.”

“Listen, brother—”

“Brother?” he said, scoffing.

“That’s right. We might’ve been apart, but that’s never altered. It never could. And I just did this for you and—”

“And, what? The last two years are wiped away?”

Before I could answer or get another word out, the screeching of tires pulled me up short, and the next thing I knew, a black unmarked van was burning rubber into the area, coming to a sudden stop right beside Cas.

Two guys hopped out decked out in dark suits, and then they were gathering Skylar up and securing her inside the back of their vehicle while Cas spoke with them, giving his orders.

He turned back to me for a moment, just staring, the intensity ramping up.

Then he shook his head to himself and climbed into the back of the van, the guys shutting it after him, then heading back into the driver’s door and passenger door.

All I could do was watch as the vehicle sped away.

Fuck.

I knew it wouldn’t be more than a few moments before his cleanup team also arrived.

I didn’t want to be around for that.

So, I headed back to my Audi that I’d parked a few blocks away, a lump in my throat as that bitter interaction with Cas rolled through me.

Seeing him again… fuck, it had hit me deep.

My body was buzzing with it. That awareness, that intensity.

That pain that had been invoked because of our parting.

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