Page 9 of Smoke and Mirrors

“They’re predators. The way they move is so swift and silent. How their muscles bunch just before they strike. It’s intense but so utterly mesmerizing.” My body jumps in surprise as Grayson finally springs, sailing through the air and landing incredibly gracefully on top of the soft toy rabbit.

“An effortless killer,” Kace comments, sending a chill through my body.

I smile and look up at him, his brows furrow as he watches the lion play with its so-called prey. “It’s the circle of life.”

His eyes flash to me with an intensity that makes my body jolt. “You believe that?”

I raise my eyebrows. “I believe that they have to survive. And to do that, they have to kill. It’s that, or they die.”

I watch Kace’s Adam’s apple bob harshly in his throat, and his fists become clenched. I know he’s holding back. Something about this has forced his emotions to show.

My hand reaches out to him. “Are you okay?”

He pulls away suddenly before our skin can touch, almost as though I’ve shocked him.

It’s only a few seconds, but I feel like, within those seconds, I’ve caught a glimpse of Kace. Not the mask. He seems lost, confused maybe, as his eyes watch me cautiously.

“I’m sorry if I—” I say nervously, but he quickly cuts me off, the strong, confident mask sliding back into place, and a smirk touches at his lips.

“No, don’t worry. I’m just not as self-assured around animals as you are, I guess.”

An excuse if I’ve ever heard one.

“Thanks for the tour,” he says, his voice a deep baritone that vibrates through me and lights up my senses. “I better get going.” He dips his head before turning for the exit, not hurried, but taking purposeful steps.

“Okay!” I call after him. “Bye…”

Marshall passes him as he exits the door, moving out of the way for Kace’s giant stature. “Who was that?” he asks as he joins me beside the window where the zoo-keepers have finally managed to wrangle in Grayson without too much persuasion.

I shake my head and whisper to myself, “I’m still not really sure.”

Chapter Three

KACE

My feet feel like lead weights as they march swiftly, thumping and pounding on the cement. I try to catch my heavy breath while it races unevenly in and out of my nose in quick succession. Lily has shaken me, and I bet she doesn’t even know it. This woman, this crazy, beautiful woman is like no one I’ve met before. She is smart, gorgeous, and without knowing me at all, she gets me, even though she doesn’t know it yet. Her views on wild animals—on predators—the way she appreciates them for how they are, the understanding of the need to kill or be killed.

When I moved into my apartment two months ago, I thought it would be the same as always. Keep my head down. Stay invisible. But she saw me, and I noticed her watching me. And fuck, did I notice her. The moment I saw her, she lit up the entire hallway. There was a glow about her, a spark, something I haven’t seen emanating from anyone, ever. I can’t describe it. She knocked me off my feet from the moment I first laid eyes on her. And that light that pulls me to her has never dulled. Every time I see her, I want to run to her, bathe in her glow, and feel her warmth.

But I can’t.

There’s just no possible way.

Even now, she has a spark about her, the way she lights up, even when talking about something so dark. Like even though she knows there’s danger involved, it still excites her. I realize she was talking about her job, although I can’t help but think about her being in my life and how that might work in her favor if she knew.

If only she knew.

Making friends isn’t on my list. I should have said no to going back there with her to view the lions. Little does she know that I’m the lion—the predator—and when Lily talked, it felt like she was speaking about me, not to me. That’s why I clammed up in there.

I’m struggling to stay away from her, but I can’t figure out why. I’ve never had this problem before. Women were always a scratch that tended to an itch. I’ve never had a problem walking away. But with Lily, I’m finding myself watching her every move. I could have met Cavaleri’s nephew anywhere, but I knew Lily would be here, at the zoo, at this time.

So why did I risk being spotted by her when it was obviously going to happen?

It was sloppy.

I’m not sloppy.

Ever.

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