Page 581 of Rage

I shatter the phone in my hands, pulling out the sim card, and with my heart pounding, I throw it into the fire.

This changes everything.

I look down at Raine’s innocent sleeping form as an overwhelming need to save her washes over me. She looks so peaceful, unaware of the storm brewing just outside. Her long, dark lashes fan across her pale cheeks, and her bow-shaped lips are plump and pink. The rhythmic rise and fall of her chest is mesmerizing, pulling me in like a moth to a flame.

I vow to shield her from the shadows of the past and any harm that may come her way. The stakes are even higher now. I need to get to the bottom of this quickly and find a way to protect Raine from the fallout.

I’m done fighting it; this obsession with Raine has grown tenfold since the first day I saw her in that shithole. Tonightsealed her fate, whether she likes it or not. I’ve seen those baby blues looking at me with a similar heated desire coursing through me.

“Fuck it,” I murmur, unable to contain the longing any longer. I lean down to capture her lips with mine. Raine tenses only for a moment, surprise hitting her, before her body melts against mine. The moment her lips part on a soft moan, I’m a goner. Our tongues dance, gliding and crashing against each other as I deepen the kiss.

My fingers feather through her silken strands while cupping the back of her head, losing myself completely in her warmth and sweetness. I want to explore every inch of her sexy mouth, until we are both panting messes. Our breaths mingle as heat radiates between us.

“Huxley,” she breathes, pulling back to look at me, her eyes glazed with a mixture of confusion and desire.

“Yes, Raine?” I whisper, my voice rough with need. This is the first time I’ve said her name like that. It feels like a prayer, a promise, a half-formed destiny.

In that moment, under the soft glow of the fire, amidst the chaos of our realities, I realize I would do anything to keep her safe, and I’m willing to fight for her heart if I have to.

Raine is the missing piece I’ve needed all along—for this investigation and more importantly, myself. If someone wants Raine, they’ll have to come through me. Protecting her just skyrocketed to my top priority because no one hurts what’s mine. And Raine Evans is fuckingmine.

She’s my obsession, my salvation, and my destruction, all wrapped into one. And I’ll do whatever it takes to keep her.

Dragging her into my world paints a target on her back, but I’m a selfish bastard who’s never played fair. The stakes are higher now, and I’ll face any hell that comes our way.

Chapter Three

Raine

Strong arms gently wrap around me, as I'm carried to a different room. The familiar spicy scent of bergamot, pepper and amberwood swirl through my senses making me intoxicated with lust. I’m laid gently on a plush bed with smooth satin sheets.

A fire flickers in the corner, casting elongated shadows across the small, rustic room. My heart pounds with each memory that surfaces, clawing its way through the haze of the afternoon. With every recollection, the world tilts precariously on its axis.

As I blink away the remnants of sleep, physical sensations return–the throbbing pain behind my temples, but also an ache between my legs that I’ve never experienced before.

“Where am I?”I whisper. The events from the bar flood my mind–Jason’s threats, Huxley’s intervention, the tension that ignited between us, and then—darkness.

"Easy, love." His familiar voice rings out through the room, easing some fear. His presence is both a comfort and a source of turmoil.

"What happened?" I manage, the words barely escaping my lips as confusion colors my tone. The shadows shift, elongating the lines of his face, revealing the worry etched in his brow.

"We’re at a safe place. We had to leave town in a hurry," he admits, his voice grave; the weight of his words hangs between us like a thick fog.

"But... why?" I ask, my voice trembling. "I mean, we barely know each other."

Huxley's eyes soften, and he runs his hand through my silky blonde hair, tucking a stray strand behind my ear. "I couldn't stand the thought of something happening to you, Raine. You're too damn beautiful and pure for this cruel world. I had to keep you safe, even if it meant breaking a few rules."

I survey the room closely–log walls embrace us, sturdy and unyielding, while a stone fireplace flickers feebly in the corner, attempting to keep the cold at bay. The atmosphere is heavily lined with an unsettling intimacy, but it’s the dawning realization of betrayal that pierces my heart.

He drugged me.

“What the fuck? You knocked me out!” The accusation explodes from me, fierce and unyielding. Rage swells in my chest, a wild beast fueled by the confusion and fear gripping my mind.How could he betray my trust like this?I try to pull away from his embrace, but his muscular arms hold me captive.

“Raine, I’m not going to hurt you. Take a deep breath,” he urges, his tone calm and soothing, yet filled with a weight that reflects my own turmoil. I inhale sharply, but the clenching of my heart lingers.

He runs a hand through his tousled, brown hair, brows knitted together in regret.

"I'm sorry. I had to get you out of there. Things were about to escalate, and you were in danger. It was the only way."

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