Page 68 of Edge of Control

Only Jace.

A banging sound made us both freeze, Jace’s cock halfway down my throat. I looked up and caught his confused gaze. It had come from outside. Maybe it was Billie again. He was likely doing his nightly grocery run.

Another bang rattled my front door. That wasn’t Billie. It was someone knocking, hard. Jace pulled his dick out of my mouth and hopped off the couch.

“Expecting someone?” he asked.

I shook my head.

Suddenly, the panic was back, like a zombie crawling out of a grave. My mouth went dry. No more saliva, no more precum on my tongue. Just bone-dry. I looked to the door. Maybe if we ignored them, they’d go away? Maybe it was someone who was lost, trying to find their friend’s apartment?

Or maybe it was the cops? Could Halden have gone to the police? But then how would they have found me? I never used my real name, never gave my address. I didn’t have a record. It would have been impossible.

Jace pulled his pants back on. The party was slowly dying. I had fooled myself into believing that everything was alright. I’d let my guard down. A foolish, foolish mistake. It was a trend when Jace was around—mistakes. Even falling for him could be considered a mistake, but I refused to think of it as so.

The knocking ceased. Then came a shuffling sound.

From under the threshold of the door came myworst nightmare.

More raven feathers. As if a bird had been shot in the hallway.

Jace looked from the feathers to me, his expression going from concerned to fearful in the flash of an eye.

Fuck.

This was going to be difficult to explain.

Chapter 26

Jace Holloway

Nevermore was here.He was outside.

“Stay back,” I said to Theo, running directly to the front door. I had to catch this sick fuck. Now was my chance.

“Wait!” Theo ran after me. He grabbed onto my elbow and tugged me away from the door, fingers digging into my skin. He looked panicked. More so than when I’d first arrived. “Don’t.”

“But this could be it. I can catch them.”

“You’ll put yourself in danger.”

“That’s part of my job. We’re wasting time.” I pulled away from him, but his grip only tightened.

“Please, don’t.”

My eyebrows inched together. I looked down at the feathers on the floor. The same kind of feather I had found by Theo’s bookshelf.

“I have to talk to you.”

Theo let go. I looked to the door. The banging stopped. I didn’t listen to him. This was a chance I couldn’t miss. I rushed to the door and pulled it open, lunging out into the hallway. I was met with empty air. I fell forward. The rest of the hall was empty. No one was there.

“I need to go to the front desk. I need to ask if they have any cameras.”

“We don’t,” Theo answered. “The cameras have been down for months, and they’re only in the mail room.” He rubbed the back of his neck. He’d gone icy pale. He started to gnaw at his fingernails. “Come, sit down.”

“What’s going on, Theo?”

“I have to talk to you. I just need you to understand.” Theo went to the balcony. He spoke under his breath; I couldn’t quite tell what he was saying. He opened the door to the balcony. The sound of wind and city and life drifted in. Theo turned. He was framed by the dark night sky, wearing only his pants, slung low on his hips. His breathing was rapid. I could almost see his heart beating hard enough to break through his chest.

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