Page 31 of Throttle All the Way

She nodded, as if that was enough. “It’s a process. Healing. Trust me, I know. But you don’t have to be alone in this.”

Not alone. Another lie I desperately wanted to believe. Because the truth was as cold and unforgiving as the snow underfoot- I’d never be free of the past. And now Cipher was slowly haunting my thoughts. His shadow wasn’t just a stalker, trailing my every move; it was a part of me now, seared into my very being. And no matter how far I ran, I knew he’d always find me.

The worst part? I wasn’t sure I wanted him to stop.

I wanted to hate him for it. I wanted to fight the hold he had on me.

But deep down, I knew it was a fight I’d already lost.

CIPHER

It had been a long day. Still no sign of Yulian although I knew the fucker was close. By the time I walked through the doors of the Inn, my body ached in ways that went beyond the physical. The monster I was hunting wasn’t just out there; he was in my head, clawing at my thoughts, pushing me closer to an edge I didn’t want to admit existed.

But none of that mattered right now. Because I knew where I wanted to be. Where Ineededto be.

Mila.

She was under my skin—impossible to ignore. She’d somehow buried herself in me without even trying, and now, no matter how much I tried to focus on the job, all I could think about was her.

I found her in the quiet corner of the common room, tucked away from the noise of the others. She was curled up in an oversized armchair, her legs tucked beneath her, the soft glow of the firelight tracing the delicate curve of her jaw. She looked like something out of a fever dream. She was too beautiful for this grim reality, too fragile for the darkness that surrounded her.

But fragile wasn’t the right word. Not for Mila. She’d been through hell and back, and it had only sharpened her resolve.

She must’ve felt my eyes on her because she glanced up, her gaze locking with mine. A flicker of something passed across her face. Surprise, maybe, or irritation. Or both.

“There’s nothing easy about any of this, is there?” she said, her voice soft but steady. “Including me.”

I crossed the room slowly, like a predator circling its prey. Her words made me grin, dark and knowing. “I never said you were easy, angel.”

Her lips parted, but whatever retort she’d been ready to throw at me died the second I sat down on the edge of her chair, crowding her space. She was close now, too close, her scent wrapping around me like a chain. Jasmine and something sweeter, something uniquely her.

She shifted, just enough to press those pretty tits of hers against my arm. It wasn’t an accident. Not with the way her eyes flashed, daring me to react.

“I’ve been through a lot more than what you could imagine,” she said, her voice low and laced with defiance. “Believe me, I have more conviction in my pinky than you have in your whole body.”

I couldn’t stop the chuckle that rumbled out of me. God, she wasfun. “That so?”

I moved deliberately, shifting my arm so that my hand grazed her chest. My finger found her nipple, hard and begging for attention despite the way she tried to glare me down. I flicked it lightly, nonchalantly, like it didn’t mean a damn thing to me.

Her breath hitched. Her eyes widened. And her chest rose, just a little, like her body was betraying her.

“Don’t,” she whispered, the word barely audible.

But I leaned in closer, my voice a rough whisper against her ear. “Don’t what, angel? Don’t stop? Don’t touch? Or don’t make you admit that you want this as much as I do?”

Her hands gripped the armrest of the chair, her knuckles turning white. Her lips parted like she was about to say something, but no words came.

I stayed close, watching the war play out in her eyes. Fear. Desire. Anger. Lust. It was all there, a beautiful, chaotic mess that only made me want her more.

“You can push me away, Mila,” I said, my voice low and deadly serious. “But it won’t change the fact that you’re mine. Every broken, beautiful piece of you. And you know it.”

Her breath came quicker now, her chest rising and falling in time with my own. And still, she didn’t push me away.

Not yet.

“Why are you playing games with me, angel?” I lowered my voice, the huskiness in my voice visibly rolled over her and my body responded to hers.

“I'm not playing any games. I'm just tired of being used “

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