a stepped over the threshold like she was

ust luxurious-it was

the breeze like ghosts. A marble fireplace crackled with a firelight, casting shifting go

he bed that

s, too intricate to be coincidence. Large enough for a king

one

side tu

spine s

ne

e

husb

dress they'd forced her into. The Moretti crest still clung to her collarbone like a b

n't bel

ere in this palace, mad

casual and slow, like he ha

men do before fixing something. Or breaking it. Then he removed his cufflinks-silver wol

st another eveni

t the edge of the room wa

Her arms crossed-not fo

," she said, voice low a

esit

p

t t

dn't loo

lf a glass of s

ithout

you try t

was

warning

worse than

-

wai

exact moment Da

d the

d the

nything

she m

lent. De

k whispering around her legs, and yanked

rble from floor to ceili

ut and twisted the lock

barr

ent of

ing in her throat, until her

ink,

in

rv

ea

ng was gett

panicked bursts. Her skin prickled with the memory of Dante's touch,

erself towar

st

lass wasn't the o

ed. Her skin looked pale against the fire-glow

opped to he

ri

Twisted metal

shaking fingers and h

Cl

wice. Then stop

f the counter until her

ere is no si

ealed behind frosted glass and steel bars. No vents. No exits.

t lea

lls didn't look a

, the fire didn'

he could fall apart

ack against the cold til

s around her knees

t bre

one n

gure out

ack of her m

gave a warning he di

s wasn'

ven c

-

ence ha

ssed to her knees, eyes squeezed shut. The cold s

lo

st

t stillness-not

from

h

kn

ee

. Not im

delib

sur

she was alrea

e in there all n

rough the thick wood.

didn'

't a

tbeat pi

wai

h

ou afrai

swal

l no

es-she wa

of p

en of

lose he stoo

lm he

strip her down-not h

w ch

Almost

at's

ithered bene

doorkno

straighter,

again-cl

woman to lock herself

fli

id tha

d come

ppened

be the first,"

pen the d

dn't b

ame th

ic

the

ing th

ne

per of

ock

the keyhole l

d turned

tu

w

icking t

know what ter

he

e wasn't

w the outco

d still be his on

ave with a

ked open an i

n across the fl

didn'

nted t

ted to

body sat

cked to

unding l

threshold like it

h

step

l

pos

g in his

d to acknowledge. The sleeves of his white shirt were rolled to

sn't

the wor

n't ye

t slam t

looked

a

il

be obeyed-ev

l, ragged. Wild. A storm

't force you into

his space. Firelight from the bedroom danc

ok a

ot a t

a lu

quiet ste

t you sleep in my

ted back, shoulder blad

dn't

t nee

filled the ro

ned her

ng ca

o insult. No

bre

t f

t h

ainst the doorframe like a king

options, Serap

mouth felt lik

ice da

l in

ep in

t sleep

behind him wit