Page 62 of Fractured Fear

I never thought seeing a sexy woman wield a knife would be what gets me hard, but here we are and I’m not ashamed in the slightest.

“Know your way around knives?

“What? Oh. Not really. Just a little skill I picked up visiting my Abuela one summer.”

“Grandma liked to entertain herself with knives?”

My comment causes a laugh to break free from her mouth and just like that, I’m entranced.

I can’t go down this path. I’ve already been wrapped up in her orbit all day and she hasn’t given me more than a few sentences here and there. Rio and Z are already skirting the line of obsession. One of us needs to keep their head on straight.

“No,” she chuckles again. “Just some boy I met that summer.”

Boy? You’ve got to be fucking kidding me. No boy needs to be showing her anyskills.

Spencer gracefully slices the brown tape concealing the gift inside. As she reaches down with her delicate hands to remove the flowers, she jumps back and drops the vase. The clear glass shatters into a million tiny pieces across her pristine white tile.

I rush to her side and shove her behind me, alert and ready to take on the threat.

When I look down at the broken glass, I'm stunned into silence.

Purple hyacinths are spread amongst the spilled water and splintered vase.

CHAPTER 23

ZANE

Iam done with today. Fuck these trafficking assholes. Fuck Cain. I can’t prove it’s him as of right now. I can’t even officially prove he exists. All I have on record are whispers of his name and Hank’s account of Cain’s tattoo.

How are we supposed to nail this guy when we can’t even get a description? Let alone someone who has seen him and lived to tell about it. Cain isn’t the fucking boogeyman. He can’t be who people dread will appear in their nightmares. Cain should be dreaming of us slicing his throat. He has to know we’re coming for him.

“Quite the day, partner.” Liam comments as we finish up paperwork.

“If you say so.” I’m being an ass, but Liam needs to get used to it. I need to get back to my touchstone. My Angel. She calms me in a way no one else has or does. Rio lights me on fire, but Spencer soothes the crawling beneath my skin, the buzzing in my ears.

When I get frustrated like this, very few things calm me.

One in particular, hunting those who shouldn’t be breathing anymore, watching their blood drain from their lifeless bodies.Unfortunately, that’s not an option right now. I have no leads, so I need to make my way back to her. Just a glimpse is enough.

For now at least.

My phone begins to buzz in my pocket. I answer as soon as I see Asher’s name on the screen. He’s kept us updated throughout the day, but his updates are one word answers. Rio asked for pictures, and Asher refused, said it’d make him feel like a creep. Too bad Rio and I are already there.

“What’s up, Ash?”

“Get here now.” I push to my feet and grab my keys. Heading toward the door I leave without saying goodbye to Liam. The ringing in my ears was already at an annoyance, now it’s out of control.

“What happened?”

“Just get here.” Ash ends the calls abruptly.

I wanted to ask more questions, asshole.

If there’s even a scratch on her, a single hair out of place, I will bathe the streets with blood. No one touches Spencer.

Speeding through the streets without a care isn’t smart, but I’ll do whatever it takes to get to her. She could tell me to jump and I really would answer with “how high?”

Rio says we’re obsessed, but obsessed doesn’t accurately describe how I feel. I’d consume her. I want her every thought, her every breath. They’re mine. She’s mine. I don’t care what I have to do to make her see it.

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