Lyra: the Billionaire's stolen wife

t in his arms... and how hi

passed, but th

eat had dropped like a dagger through the skies. Since Lyr

told Rafael she

a quiet snake coiled around her spine. Every time Rafael touched her, held her, kissed her like she was holy, sh

burned

e perimeter in silent rotations. Surveillance cameras tracked every bird, e

herself tangled in

refoot through the garden at night. Watched Rafa

hout invitation. And that kille

e poured her tea. "He won't attack until he's sure

u?" she asked, though she

thing. And that's what makes you th

ulder, fitted like it was painted on. Rafael had left it ou

skey in hand. His black shirt was unbuttoned at the collar, and the candleligh

to break me,"

p. "Only if

y, each step echoing on the

nt yo

el s

dn't

dn't

gainst the bare skin at her waist. Her breath

entle," he

asking yo

er spine as his mouth crashed into hers-hungry, deep, filled with heat

her dress slipping down he

shiping her without a single word. She tangled her fingers in h

ifted her into his arms like

d by books and shadows. There was no music b

in his arms, her heart s

eve in fate?

believe that when something you crave is

art sk

s a w

conf

two of Darian's men watched through infrared binocu

still i

. "Target confirmed. Both pres

ss, Darian's vo

. She comes back

r said quietly. "She's

le

ice again-lower,

e dies

of the night. The sheets were tangled around

speaking in French on the phon

call the mome

afe here anym

want to r

t have a

laced her hand on his ches

e you to the end of the wor

ake me

ft befo

ee

gua

pass

a

e airfield where Rafael kept a jet

ads of southern France. Lyra sat besi

she wasn

e explos

lames licking at the sky as the lead v

e of the gua

re er

ar sw

shat

running through the trees as

s they ducked behind a crumbling ston

ied. "I won'

ll get you to the plane

fae

r hard. "I'l

n he wa

eathless and bleeding from a scrape on her leg. They rea

e door-a figure stepp

a

ri

ili

ri

fire, but he

hoot. Sh

away, hear

whispered. "

n mud and fury. "I warned you.

ose m

d. "He loves the idea of you. The freed

you w

he said brokenly.

aling m

ou the way I

, unsure whether

back," she s

on't h

th

ge in h

a

kne

le

e, the world

lin

leli

ent of

ing beside her,

he said. "But I didn't trust

ied to

nt to talk

don

't have

ssed. "And I made i

ove

o l

ing like a ma

"But the truth is-I loved you, Darian. I waited for yo

nds cl

m the d

l app

edi

hing

ends