“Let’s spar,” he challenges, and I don’t argue an invitation to punch and hit him right now.

And so, we do.

We spar, exchanging blows, kicks, maneuvers, anger, and tension beneath each, a charge of attraction and frustration raging into something far more complicated. We become more intense, and soon, we tumble onto the mat and he rolls on top of me, staring down at me. “You want the truth.”

“Yes, damn it,” I hiss. “I want the truth.”

“You don’t want to feel like you need my protection.”

“I accepted a private guard without a blink.”

“That’s not what I mean. We are stronger together, yet you didn’t even tell Ghost you were my woman to back him off. He could have killed you.”

Ghost being one of the deadliest assassins on the planet, and he’s right. I didn’t. “First, we were barely a couple again then. And second, you underestimate me.”

“You underestimate him.”

“I don’t. I know he’s a killer. But Ghost needs to know who’s in charge and that had to be me or he’d see me as weak.”

“Now he’s obsessed with you, Lilah. That leads no place good.”

“Obsessed? What are you talking about?”

“He shows up too often to sit well with me. You need to consider my opinions.”

“I do,” I say. “I value every opinion you have. What is this, Kane? And what does that have to do with the truth?”

“Everything,” he says tightly.

“Everything?”

“The problem and the solution. You don’t accept my protection.”

“I don’t need to be protected. That’s not why I’m with you. I hope like hell that’s not why you’re with me.”

“The Society isn’t one serial killer you can stab to death, Lilah. They’re a deep, dark underworld. You want to face them? You need protection. And that’s not weak. Recognizing that makes you stronger.”

“Why do you think I said I need leverage over Pocher?”

“Why do you think we were invited to the fundraiser together? You’re connected to Pocher’s political protégé and now I’m officially connected to you. Pocher needs your father to get elected. He needs him to be protected even after he’s elected. I assure you he’s promised the Society he will make it happen. He knows he can’t kill me. He knows I’ll kill him if he kills you. That means he needs to make peace with me and us. And that’s your leverage for now.”

“Right. Why didn’t you just say that?” I frown with a realization. “And you said that the more I know—”

“That you’re compromised,” he supplies. “I know. But it wasn’t something nefarious in some secret box, Lilah. It was this. I was avoiding this conversation and after a cold walk on the beach, I decided that was a mistake.”