crimson devotion

have le

ouch, drowned in the way she kissed me like I

ll had planted so

ub

e pulled me back into her arms, even as she

t press her

t

ext E

ft before

able, her elegant handwriti

something. Stay here

ation. No

low feeling se

for a long time bef

mething I hadn

through h

betray her trust-but b

ooks, the drawers filled with neatly folded clothes, the bottles o

perf

e of the apartment was deafening, the ab

spott

drawer in

se qui

testing the handl

s it l

t I should respect her priva

doubt wh

g my fingers along the edge

key beneath a st

ed as I fit it

click, the dr

nd several ma

a ph

he

she always h

feren

ngers shook as I pressed the power button,

running out of time. Sh

You promised me

er: If you d

left m

s this

she ly

wor

as I stared a

t of time. She ca

artbeat thundering in m

maller, the wal

n't be d

ew t

ldn't sto

een, opening the

rt. Threats. Warnings. Some w

one st

eping with her, aren't you? Does

rly slipped f

oded my

s this

id the

hought curled

really

the folders i

roat, I set the phone aside

k, packed w

embled as I f

st thin

ture

in a shar

to, taken fr

ther. An

favorite café. One of me standing in f

h twisted

she ha

watching me bef

deeper. Documents. Reports. Details about my pas

ng about me befor

ation crashed over m

wasn'

s obs

folder shut, m

ront door c

, whippi

was

way, the dim light casting a

what I was holding, h

ffection, the warmt

ts p

ng shar

ger

have done that,

was calm

crawled u

een us was d

ns

on

ep back. "W

r behind her, sl

it

the folde

met." My voice was barely above a whi

hand through her hair.

ted. "Protectin

hesitation cr

tation told m

know th

eone el

t sure if I was

pped b