Page 75 of Red Dreams

“Looks like we're in for one hell of a show,” she murmurs, her voice laced with dark amusement before she saunters away.

I feel safe in Kaden’s presence. Protected. Like nothing can touch me as long as he’s by my side.

But that safety comes at a price. Kaden's walls are high and impenetrable, his emotions locked away behind a facade of cold detachment. He's a puzzle I can't solve, a labyrinth I can't navigate. And the more he shuts me out, the more I feel like I'm losing myself in the process.

“Kaden,” I venture, my voice barely audible over the crackling of the flames. “What is your plan?”

He doesn't answer immediately, his attention still focused on the burning wreckage.

Finally, he says, “I’m going to end this.”

There's a finality to his words, a grim determination that leaves no room for argument. But I can't shake the unease.

“And how exactly do you plan on doing that?” I press, taking a step closer to him.

A muscle ticks beneath his scar. “I have my ways.”

It's not an answer, not really, and frustration surges through me. I've trusted him this far, put my life in his hands time and time again. But now, with the threat looming closer than ever, his evasiveness feels like a betrayal.

“Dammit, Kaden!” I explode, my voice rising with each word. “You can't keep shutting me out like this! Not now, not after everything we've been through.”

He rounds on me, his eyes flashing.

“You think I'm shutting you out?” he growls, his voice low and rough. “I'm ensuring no one ever touches you again. No one but me.”

“By keeping me in the dark?” I counter, refusing to back down. “By making decisions for me without even consulting me?”

He steps forward, closing the distance between us until we're mere heartbeats apart.

“You want to know what I'm planning?” he asks, his voice a rumble in his chest. “I'm going to make them pay for what they did to you. For every bruise, every cut, every moment of pain they inflicted on you. And I’m going to keep this photo as a reminder of just how much they deserve to hurt.”

I turn to the side, hugging myself.

He catches my chin and forces me to keep looking at him. “Those men who helped break you—who stood there watching, who held you down? They're about to learn exactly why they call me the Scythe.”

“And Cassie?” I force myself to ask.

His jaw tightens. “She's my blood. My responsibility. But her men?” A deadly smile curves his lips. “They're fair game. And they will suffer for every mark on both my women.”

25

LAYLA

Lighthouses guide ships to safety. Tonight, ours will guide killers straight to us.

With Cassie’s help, Kaden arms the perimeter of my property with explosives, trip wires, acoustic sensors … I couldn’t keep up with Kaden’s list as he explained to Cassie what he intended to do.

He also isn’t letting me out of his sight. Anywhere he goes, he demands that I follow. I can’t say I’m upset about it for so many reasons. When Kaden assumes command, he’s even sexier than normal. His confidence, arrogance, and skill all meld together to form the Scythe, a lethal combination that always gets my salivary glands going, even when at the center of danger. Ever since I met him, my hormones are out of control. And with the way his attention never leaves me for more than a few seconds at a time, he’s feeling the same. The thought of Kaden morphing into that brutal, merciless assassin tonight actually turns me on, and I’m not sure what that says about me.

Maybe that I belong to him.

Kaden's hands move with practiced precision as he sets the final explosive charge near the shoreline in case they decide to come by boat. He threads his fingers in mine when we makeour way back to the cottage, and I glance at the lighthouse as we pass. Cassie will be up there with one of Kaden’s long-range guns, shooting to kill. I try not to think about Cassie on her own with a dangerous weapon. Kaden seems to have faith that she’ll be on our side, but I’m not sure if it’s based on hope or certainty.

Taking a deep breath, I try not to think about it too hard. There’s enough on my plate as it is.

Inside, Kaden leads me to the living room, his hand never leaving the small of my back. Cassie wanders in behind us, her footsteps so silent, I don’t notice her until she falls onto the couch and lets out a dramatic yawn. “As much as I love watching you two eye fuck each other, don't we have more pressing matters to attend to? Like, what’s the plan? Now we just sit here and wait for them to come to us?”

Kaden doesn’t take the bait. “You know your position. Get up there and keep watch. Radio me immediately if you see any movement.”

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