Page 117 of Untamed

And then I know.I know.

I won’t let Ember go. I told her what I thought would appease her, knowing that my brothers wouldn’t accept anything less. I told her what I thought would keep her here, knowing that if she’s with me, I’m the one who will protect her, no matter the cost.

I know I love her. I love her feisty, indomitable spirit and quirkiness. I love that she raves about the books that bring her joy while she clings to her independence. I love her fire and defiance, the way she burns brightly even when the world wants to snuff her out.

I love the way she challenges me with a single glance. There’s a stubbornness in her that grates on me—and I love every fucking second.

I love her creativity and vision, her bravery.

She might blush and pretend she doesn’t like what I have to offer, but I see the spark that craves not just flirting with danger but embracing it.

I need to find her. As I turn over room after room, fear begins to grow.

I’m so caught up in my quest to find her, I’ve completely forgotten the trackers she hates. I hide in a doorway, pull up my phone, and quickly check. A red flash warns me on the screen:Alert: elevated heart rate, oxygen levels dropping.

Fuck.

She’s panicking.

I slide the screen over to the tracker and see the blinking dot that shows me where she is. I hoped I would find it somewhere right here in the house, but my worst suspicions are confirmed—the blinking dot moves erratically. Sharp turns, wrong paths. Ember isn’t running.

She’s being taken.

My chest constricts as I zoom in and track the rapid shift of her location. West gate.

I sprint through the estate, slipping through the side entrance just in time to catch the rumble of tires on gravel and the squealing tires of a black SUV.

Shawn.

I don’t need to see his face to know.That bastard.

I pull my gun from my waistband and race toward the line of cars waiting for valet parking, their keys conveniently still in the engines. I slide into the driver’s seat of the one at the very end, a sleek black Mercedes.

My phone vibrates. A message from Ember’s tracking app.

Signal lost.

My gripe tights on the leather steering wheel. I try to soothe the rapid beating of my heart with another deep breath. I have to stay focused and alert. Too many times, I’ve lost my temper and fucked up. This time… this time will be different.

Shawn should’ve killed me when he had the chance.

Chapter 27

EMBER

I know it now,with every cell of my body, this isn’t Rodion. He plays games, dangerous ones, but they’re just that—games.He teases and torments me and leans into making those fantasies come to life.

But he doesn’t hurt me. He loves to tease me, to play around a bit with the element of fear. But this? This is next level.

This is not a game.

I have to keep my head on straight. I have to stay the course. I can’t lose my shit, not now.

Someone shifts in the front seat. Then his voice, the same one that’s plagued me for years.

“You don’t have to be afraid, Ember.”

Shawn.

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