Chapter 13: Not Until Now

"I never said who," I told Luca, "because it was never yours to ask."

He did not move from the end of the hall.

"Is it Merrick?"

"Go to bed, Luca. The circle is tomorrow, and you will want your temper for it."

"Lara."

"I mean it."

I shut the door in his face and stood with my forehead against the wood.

I could hear him breathing on the other side.

After a long time his steps went away down the corridor, slow and uneven.

I waited a full minute. Then I put the cuff on, took my keys, and went out the back stairs.

The Crimson Sand office was on the ground floor, behind the kitchens.

There was a light under the door.

I did not knock.

Cade was at the desk with his sleeves rolled and a ledger open under the lamp.

He looked up, and his pen stopped.

"I thought you'd be asleep," he said.

"You said not until the circle is done."

"I did."

"I'm not running, Cade. I came here on purpose."

I locked the door behind me. The bolt was loud.

He put the pen down and stood slowly.

"The circle is tomorrow night," he said. "You've had a hard day."

"You told a whole bar what you would do to me on that desk."

"Yes."

"Then do not make me ask twice."

He came around the desk. He stopped close enough that I could feel the heat off him.

"Tell me what you want," he said, very low.

"I want to be the thing you don't have to wait for."

I took hold of his shirt with both hands and pulled his mouth down to mine.

He made a rough sound against my lips and stopped being careful.

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