“My heart’s already bleeding them. Do what you need. I’m yours.”

“You’re gonna regret being mine.”

A tremor of fear speared through me. The way he said it, with unmitigated certainty, took my breath. He didn’t need to use his hands to steal my lifeblood.

He pulled out of me and crawled to his hands and knees. “Turn over.”

I flopped to my stomach and shivered as chills traveled over my back.

“I’m not done with you, not even close.”

20. Intruder - Alex

20. INTRUDER - ALEX

Something was wrong. It pulled at the edges of my mind and demanded I take notice. I reached for Rafe, but my fingers grasped empty space. His side was bereft, though the sheet still radiated his body heat, so he couldn’t have been gone long. I jolted upright, eyes blurry, and blinked. We must have fallen asleep after our second round of sex.

The loft was the way we’d left it, though it was cast in shadow, indicating the sun had set. Once my eyes adjusted, I noticed the ladder was closed and the bathroom door shut. Darkness seeped from underneath, so he wasn’t using the toilet. Grabbing the sheet and surrounding my body with it, I tiptoed to the ladder and let it drop to the floor with a loud clank that made me jump. I was about to call out his name when another voice stopped me.

“Who’s here?” Zach’s question thundered up the stairs, and I slapped a hand over my mouth to keep from crying out.

“Just some girl I hooked up with. Listen, we should talk about this when you’re sober.” Rafe’s calm tone poured over me like warm honey, and I let out a breath until it sank in that Zach was really here, just a few feet away. And he was drunk.

I stumbled back, gouging my fingernails in my arm, and lost precious seconds as I thought of my brother discovering my presence. They exchanged more words but none of them penetrated. I was too frozen in a waking nightmare of Zach finding me in nothing but a sheet. He’d go irate and kill Rafe. Frantic, I searched for my clothes and found my sweats on the floor. The T-shirt was ruined, so I jerked a drawer open and grabbed a shirt that was sure to swallow my tiny frame. I stepped lightly across the room, gritting my teeth when the floorboards creaked, and listened, remaining out of sight.

“You’re a fuckin’ liar! I know she was on her way here.”

“What are you talking about?” Rafe’s voice held steady, but even so, I balled my hands. He could handle himself, I knew he could, but I couldn’t get the memories out of my head. Zach was insane when jealous and irrational, and it was like watching a lion let loose all its ferocity onto a weaker species.