THE SHADOW BETWEEN US

s the way Adrian's hand hadn't left mine since we'd walked out of that storage room. His fingers were warm against my skin

cutting through the silence that had stretched betwe

ow tainted with the memory of violence. There was no blood on it, no physica

e here when

lse woul

Because everything had changed in that storage room. The careful dance we'd been performing, th

terri

w felt like armor. I stood under the spray of water hot enough to burn, letting it wash a

he bedroom. He'd changed out of his suit into dark jeans and a black sweater, but somehow he still looked d

r?" he

I don't think I'll ever be the

ful control I'd grown accustomed to, but something rawer. More honest. "That person

am I cap

him. "You manipulated me tonight, Elena. Lied to me, used my feel

uld

was sharp, predatory. "You're learnin

A manip

line of my jaw. "Someone who can st

ck to my safe, ordinary life. Instead, they sent warmth spreading t

o be like you,"

u want to be better

ria

rifice to save my life." His voice was rough, almost broken. "Do y

ll

e tension radiating from his body. "Completely, irrevocably lost. You've ruine

t th

d the constant weight of watching over my shou

romise, like a threat, like every

me," I w

r something I wasn't sure I could give him

dark hair. "You think I don't see the man beneath the monster? The one who

a good ma

ut you're my man.

. No longer the careful exploration of two people testing boundaries, but th

his eyes were black with desire and someth

Adrian Blackwood sounded almost vulnerable. "Not because it's safe,

"But I need to know what that means

ent, and I could see him we

who want to hurt you to get to me. It means nights like tonight, when vi

nd

aving to hide who you are or what you want." His smile was sharp as a

ng me to bec

my cheekbones. "The woman who lied to me tonight, who manipulated me, who stood betw

that felt like a cage I'd built around myself. Then I thought about the wom

o it? What if I'm

solute. "You proved that tonight

p them, before I could second-guess myself. "I d

you

pped closer, until there was no space between us. "How t

edatory, full of dark

m s

ts with practiced efficiency. "There's someone you need to meet. Someo

ho

he more... delicate operations." He hit call, raising the phone to his ear. "She's also t

a smooth, cultured voice a

eyes never leaving mine. "Ther

heard you had some

more," Adrian said firmly. "She

a low laugh. "Interesting. Very well. Bring her by

cto

son, and we'll talk about t

ee something almost like regret in his

changing

make allowances because you're new to this world. She'll pu

y chin, meeting his gaze. "

his desire to protect me and his need to prepare me for the reality of his world. "But strength isn'

ch me to

"But once we start down this path, there's no

Then I thought about the way it had felt to stand beside Adrian in that stora

," I said. "A

ile sharp and dangero

d the death of innocence. When we broke apart, I could see my reflection in h

hands made no move to release me. "T

are you

eople know what happens when they threaten what's mine." Hi

to come

my forehead, tender and brutal a

ered me a crown made of shadows and blood. Thi

ilk and secrets, I realized something that should have terrifi

tly where

darkness, learni

itri's body. In her place was someone new, someone harder, someo

o was read

, I saw my reflection smile back - beautifu

. Tomorrow, I would begin to learn wh

stand in the shadows and dre

would never ag

would never

ide the most dangerous man in

Blac

ad a nice

e a jewel, beautiful and treach

ready to