Page 25 of Fractured Loyalties

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I step away from the panel and meet her in the hallway.

She freezes. Her eyes catch mine in the dark.

"You okay?" I ask.

Her hair is a little mussed. Her breathing quick. But her chin lifts.

"I couldn’t sleep."

"I know."

She steps closer. "I wanted to see the ocean."

I nod once and lead her down the narrow passage toward the rear of the house. The glass doors there open with a silent glide. Salt air floods in. The deck is bare but wide, overlooking the cliff’s edge.

She steps outside without hesitation.

I follow.

The wind lifts the hem of her shirt slightly. She folds her arms. Then lowers them again.

"You said Caleb wouldn’t find me here."

"He won’t."

She studies me. "You’re sure."

"Yes."

Her eyes narrow. Not in distrust. In calculation.

"You make a lot of promises, Elias."

I tilt my head. "Only ones I can keep." I watch her reaction before I add, "Not that Caleb would ever get near you in mypenthouse either, but something tells me you'd feel caged there. This place...it gives you room to breathe."

She exhales. A short, almost humorless sound.

I let the silence stretch. The wind moves around us like it knows something we don’t.

She turns and braces her hands on the deck railing.

"You watched me," she says quietly. "Before we spoke."

"Yes."

"Why?"

I step closer. Not touching her. But close enough that she feels the heat of my presence.

"Because I felt something was coming for you. And I needed to know if you’d break before it arrived."

She looks over her shoulder, eyes unreadable. "And?"

"You didn’t."

Her mouth curves. Not quite a smile. "Not yet."

I take another step.

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