Prologue

One. One motel room. One bed. One massive bodyguard who had been her protective shadow for the last month. Following her every move. Watching her with his intense, glittering, hazel eyes. Sharing her meals. Learning her secrets. Talking with her in that deep, sexy, rumbling voice that made her knees weak.

And this was it. Her night. Their night. Her one chance to⁠—

“All the other rooms were taken. Sorry, there’s only one bed.”

Ah. Yes. There it was again. The voice that made her quiver in ways that she should not. Because her life was on the line. Danger surrounded her. Sex should be the absolute last thing on her mind.

Exhaling slowly, Anastasia Patrick turned to face the utterly protective badass who’d followed her into the motel room. He’d kicked the door closed. Locked it. Now Kane Harte stood in front of that door like the massively immovable object that he was.

Anastasia swallowed. He wore a black t-shirt. One that stretched and struggled to fit around his truly massive shoulders and biceps. A valiant battle. Kane always wore t-shirts. And she did not object. How could she? Why on earth would she?

The tight t-shirts just make him look hotter.

Dammit. She was not supposed to be lusting after her bodyguard. She was not supposed to be fantasizing about him. She was not supposed to be…falling hard for him.

Yet she was. Oh, she was.

And tonight, this was going to be her one night to make her move. Because maybe the attraction that threatened to rip her apart wasn’t one sided. Maybe Kane felt the same intense, almost insanely powerful attraction, too. Maybe it wasn’t just adrenaline and fear fueling her. Maybe for the first time in her life, she wasn’t falling for the bad guy.

She was going for the hero.

“I’ll sleep on the floor,” Kane added. He strode past her. Dropped their bags to said floor. “No big deal.”

“Uh…you don’t have to do that.” Her words sounded way too high. And sharp.

He glanced over at her with a frown. Stubble lined his hard jaw, and Kane had his battered baseball cap pulled over his head. Beneath that cap, thick, dark hair waited. Gorgeous hair.

Not that Kane was gorgeous. Not exactly. He was far too big and bold and dangerous-looking to be described as gorgeous. The man was truly massive in size. She figured he had to be an easy six-foot-four. And she couldn’t even guess at his weight. Every ounce of the man was pure muscle.

He towered over her own five-foot-four height, and the first time she’d met him, his size had made her nervous. Unsure. Now, though, it just made her feel safe. Correction, Kane made her feel safe.

Hard, square jaw. Sharp, slanting cheekbones. A long blade of a nose. And the most intense hazel eyes she’d ever seen…all of those features added up to dangerously attractive. Drop-dead sexy. But not gorgeous in the traditional sense.

Then again, who cared about the traditional sense? Kane is hot. I would love to climb him like the mountain he is.

“Ana?”

Oh, but she did adore it when he said the shortened version of her name. The name rolled and rumbled and almost sounded like an endearment.

And she realized she should be saying something. Oh, right. The bed. “You can share with me,” Anastasia blurted.

If possible, his face tensed even more. But, in that one moment, she saw desire—no, lust—flash in his eyes. A primitive, almost savage desire.

Yes, please. Her breath caught.

“I don’t think…that’s a good idea,” he gritted out.

Oh. Well… “Why not?” Whoops. Maybe she shouldn’t have asked but…Dammit, why not? “Honestly, it seems like a great idea to me. It’s a king-size bed. Obviously, it was designed for two people, and it has to be way more comfortable than the floor.” A floor that did not look particularly clean. Not like they were at a five-star resort. They were on the run, staying at hole-in-the-wall locations as Kane tried to keep her out of sight.

Hiding was necessary because…

Her ex wanted her dead.

Her ex. A man who she’d discovered—much to her horror—just happened to be a powerful mob enforcer. And a hitman.

She’d rushed to the FBI with her discovery. They’d wanted her to wear a wire, to go back in and get evidence. They’d promised her a new life. Promised her safety if she worked with them.

She’d done everything they wanted but…

Her ex had discovered the truth. Now he was coming after her. The authorities couldn’t find him. He’d seemingly vanished. An easy enough task considering all of Logan Catalano’s shady connections.

The Feds were afraid that he planned to kill her. Thus, her hyper-protective bodyguard and hiding in off-the-beaten-path motel situation. Anastasia was also concerned about the same dire ending for herself—and, thus, her not arguing at all when she’d had to go on the run with her new bodyguard.

Fun fact? She wanted to keep living. She liked living. Sue her.

“I don’t mind sleeping on the floor,” Kane told her.

The lust was gone from his eyes. One thing she’d quickly learned about Kane was the fact that the man was great at concealing his emotions. Hello, stoic expression. But she’d seen that flash, and she now knew that there was a weak spot in his armor. “Is that what you want?” Oh, yes, her voice had gone breathy. She couldn’t help that. Grabbing onto her courage with both hands, she closed the distance between them. Stopped right in front of Kane. Tilted her head back and stared into those wonderful eyes of his. “Why don’t you tell me what you really want?” Husky.

His jaw hardened. “Ana.”

“Kane.” She put one hand on his chest. Ohmygosh. So hard. So strong. So sexy.

“This isn’t a good idea.”

“What isn’t?” Did he understand—at all—how difficult this was for her? She was taking a risk, but Anastasia thought he was worth it. Honestly, he might be worth any risk.

“If I get in that bed with you…” Kane’s words trailed off.

“What will happen?” The heat from his body reached out and curled around her even as his rich, masculine scent tempted and teased her.

“I’ll fuck you.”

Her mouth dropped. Oh, yes, sweet victory, he’d just said the words…Out loud. Finally, the man had given voice to the simmering need between them. She’d felt that need almost from the first moment. Tried to ignore it. Tried to fight it. And then she’d just given up. She felt an instant attraction to Kane. Felt an amazing chemistry that made her body practically burn for him. And he was saying he felt the same way.

“Good.” Anastasia shot onto her tiptoes. Her hands curled around his shoulders as she tried to pull him and his delectable mouth closer to her. “That’s exactly what I want you to do.”

His hands clamped around her waist. “No.”

Yes. In so many ways…yes. “Why not?” Her gaze searched his.

“Because you’re scared. Because you’re living on the edge. Because you’re not thinking clearly.”

“Kane?” Her heart slammed hard in her chest.

“Yeah?”

“Shut up and kiss me.”

And he did. Those powerful hands of his lifted her like she weighed nothing and he held her and his mouth crashed onto hers. Implosion. Explosion. Whatever. Her whole body seemed to ignite as a white-hot lust raced through her veins. Her mouth was open. His was open. His tongue thrust into her mouth, and he tasted and he took. Her nipples tightened and her sex quivered, and she knew she was getting wet and super turned on and it was all from a kiss.

Her nails bit into his shoulders. A moan broke from her. She let go of all control and kissed him like the desperate woman that she was.

Kane.

He’d been in her dreams. In her mind. In her fantasies. And, ever-so-sneakily, he’d worked his way into her heart.

Her legs wrapped around him. Seemed like a normal move to make as he held her with that effortless strength of his. Kane was moving them. Taking a few, quick steps even as he kissed her as if his very life depended on the task. Then she felt the hard, flat surface of the wall against her back. He pinned her between his body—his heavily aroused body—and the wall.

Kane was built along massive dimensions, and the cock shoving so hard against her was equally massive.

But his hold was careful on her waist. He’d always been so careful. Meanwhile, she just wanted to rip the man’s clothes away and climb all over Kane.

“No.” He’d torn his mouth from hers. “I can’t. We can’t.” His breath shuddered out. He didn’t back away. Kept right on pinning her to the wall.

Her legs kept right on being wrapped around his waist. Her nails were still in his shoulders, pressing through the t-shirt. “Kane?”

“You don’t want this.”

Oh, her arching hips said she did. “I want you.” Just so they were clear.

“It’s fucking displacement. Gray warned me this shit would happen.” A hard exhale. “You don’t want me. You want the safety that I offer.”

Um, she wasn’t turned on right then because of safety. “I know what I want.”

“Ana…”

Longing poured through her. “I think I’m falling in love with you, Kane.” A stark admission made as she continued to have her legs wrapped around his waist.

At her words, his eyes blazed and he…

“No.” Very firm. Kane pulled away. Lowered her at the same moment.

Her sneaker-clad feet hit the floor.

“You don’t love me,” Kane denied. Definite.

Her heart kept racing, but a chill skated over her skin. “You tell me what I want. What I don’t want. You tell me when and who I don’t love.” Her arms curled around her stomach. “I think I’m the expert when it comes to knowing how I feel.”

“Ana.” He reached out for her but…stopped himself. Instead of touching her, his hands flattened on the wall behind her. “You have been living on fear and adrenaline. Your emotions are all over the place. I’m a safe fucking harbor for you. But what you think you feel for me? It’s temporary. When the danger has passed, when you have your new life and this is all just a bad dream, you will regret me.”

She could never regret him. “I want you. I’m falling for you.”

His eyes glinted. “You don’t know me.”

“I—”

“You know what I’ve told you about myself. Bits and pieces of my life. You think I’m safety, but I’m not. I’m as fucking dangerous as your ex, and the last thing you need is to get involved with someone like me. Because you’re wrong. I’m not a safe harbor. I’m a nightmare. One that you won’t be able to escape, not if you give yourself to me. Not if we cross this line.” His head came in closer to hers.

She could not look away from his eyes.

“I fuck you? If I do that, I won’t let go. When the time comes for me to give you up, for you to go on to that new life, I won’t let go.”

Why was that such a bad thing? “Maybe we could have a life together.”

“Because you like to fuck monsters?”

His words hurt. She flinched, unable to help herself.

“Dammit! Ana, I’m—” He shoved away from the wall. From her. Took two steps back. No, three. Four. Stood there with his hands fisted at his sides. Kane pulled in a deep breath. Then another. “You don’t know what I want to do to you.”

She’d thought he wanted to fuck her. Instead, he seemed to be putting up new walls between them.

“There are rules,” Kane stated as he rolled back those broad shoulders of his. “Rule one is that I don’t fuck the witness. I protect her.”

Right. Witness. That was her.

“I don’t keep the witness. There is no place for her in my life.”

Brutal. She blinked quickly because a watery film had just obscured her vision.

“There is no place for me in hers,” he continued flatly.

Because he didn’t want a place. She would have gladly made a place for Kane in her life.

His gaze never wavered from hers. “Fucking would change everything.”

She wasn’t so sure it would. Anastasia was afraid it might change nothing. That they’d have sex. Insanely amazing sex. And he’d still walk away when the time came.

“I’ve been keeping my hands off you.” His hands were currently clenched. “It’s taken every ounce of my self-control, but I’ve done it. I watch you. I ache for you. But I know that I am not supposed to have you. You aren’t meant to be mine.”

Why not? No, she wouldn’t ask. She was already getting enough of a rejection.

“I’m sleeping on the floor,” Kane announced.

Right. The better to not fuck her. She stared at him. He stared at her. Time tick-tick-ticked so slowly past.

“It’s not real,” he said. “What you think that you feel? It will go away. It’s happened before.”

Oh, now that just hurt even more. “You often have witnesses who fall in love with you?” Who you fuck? Or, uh, don’t fuck?

“Close proximity. Forced proximity. Danger. Adrenaline. It’s a witch’s brew that plays with your emotions and channels your lust.” He side-stepped. His hands unclenched. “It’s not real.”

So why did it feel like it was?

He grabbed an empty ice bucket. “Going to get some ice,” he suddenly muttered. “Ice, some sodas. And, ah, you didn’t have any dinner tonight.”

She had no appetite.

“Maybe I can find one of those candy bars that you like so much in a vending machine.”

Really? He was gonna consolation prize her with the promise of a candy bar? A candy bar did not equal sex, and she was just so hurt. Rejected. Because Kane didn’t get it. The way she felt for him wasn’t just about safety. Or some confused, displacement BS.

It felt more real than anything she’d ever experienced in her life.

“I’ll be right back.” Then the man basically double-timed it out of the motel room. The door clicked closed behind him.

Sure. He’d practically run away.

Why not?

She looked back at the bed.

One motel room. One bed.

One broken-hearted and thoroughly rejected Anastasia.

* * *

“Fuck, fuck, fuck,” Kane breathed as he stood in front of motel room one-oh-three. He looked down at his hands under the hard glare of the exterior light near the room, and sonofabitch, his fingers were actually shaking a bit. Shaking because he wanted Ana so very much.

He gripped the stupid ice bucket tighter.

I wanted to take her right there, against the wall. I wanted to drive hard and deep into her and feel her come around me. I wanted to make her scream. I wanted her nails raking down my back.

I never, ever want to let her go.

He stalked away from the motel room. Headed for the ice machine. He damn well needed to cool down because the truth was that his body was always in overdrive anytime she was near him. He was supposed to be protecting her, for shit’s sake. Not wanting to constantly strip her and make her scream as she came for him.

He rounded the corner. Saw the machine. Heard the whir of the motor.

He’d done the right thing. If he crossed the line and slept with her, there would be hell to pay. He’d only taken the protection gig as a favor for his buddy Gray, but the Fed would be furious if Kane screwed up the case.

Or screwed her.

He shoved the bucket under the dispenser. Hit the button and watched as chunks of ice tumbled out.

I did the right thing. Because he would never, ever be right for Ana. No matter how much he wanted her. She was going to get a new identity soon. A new life. She didn’t need a bastard like him dodging her steps.

And he’d told her the truth. At least, partially. If he took her…

I don’t think I can let her go.

The ice kept tumbling down into the small bucket. The machine was loud as hell. Clanking. Gurgling. Grinding. His gaze darted to the left. A vending machine waited. Half-stocked.

He started searching for Ana’s favorite candy. The woman loved peanuts and milk chocolate.

And Ana said she loved me. That she was falling for me.

The ice overflowed from the bucket and poured down to the floor.

* * *

The motel room door opened behind her. A soft creak of the hinges. Anastasia exhaled slowly and squared her shoulders. Five minutes had passed—just five—but she’d gotten herself under control. She’d swiped away those pesky tears. After all, crying never did anything but gave her a headache. She didn’t want Kane to see her tears. Didn’t want him to know that her guts were twisted and her heart broken.

She pasted a smile on her face and swung around. “I was thinking we could watch one of those cheesy horror films that you like so—” Anastasia stopped.

Because that wasn’t Kane standing in the open doorway.

It was her ex. Logan Catalano stood there, wearing a wrinkled dress shirt, faded khakis, and grinning at her. “Found you.”

She stumbled back a step.

Logan tucked the key card into his pocket. “Told the front desk clerk I’d been locked out of my room. For twenty dollars, he gave me a new key, no ID required.” He crossed the threshold, put up the Do Not Disturb sign, then he shut the door. Locked it. The main lock, and the small, secondary lock on the door. “Waited for the new boyfriend to leave. Then I came inside.”

Kane wasn’t her boyfriend.

I wanted him to be.

Logan bent down, reached toward his ankle, and when he rose, a knife was gripped in his hand. “Did you say something about a horror film, sweetheart?” The sharp blade of the knife gleamed. “Because you don’t have to watch a show. I’ll let you be a real-life scream queen. Right now.” He lunged for her.

She did scream. As loud as she could. She screamed and she ran, but he was in front of the door so the only place she could run toward was the bathroom. Anastasia dove for the small bathroom, thinking she could get inside and lock him out. She could stay safe in there until Kane came back. Kane would come back. She knew it with certainty.

But she didn’t make it to the bathroom. Logan grabbed her from behind. His fingers fisted in her hair, and he caught her, only to then slam her forehead into the bathroom’s door-frame.

She felt the thud through her whole body. Her breath shuddered out even as a pain-filled whimper slid from her.

“I’m so pissed at you, Anastasia,” he growled. His mouth was at her ear, his breath blowing over the shell.

Anastasia. He’d always called her by her full name. Maybe that was one of the reasons she’d started to hate that name. Maybe it was why she liked Kane’s shortened version so much better. Ana was…

A new person.

A new life.

The knife was at her throat.

“I’m so pissed that I am going to make you beg me for my forgiveness.”

A droplet of blood slid down her neck.

Tears pricked her eyes. Those stupid tears again. Tears wouldn’t save her. Fighting would.

But he whipped her away from the doorframe and threw her toward the bed. She hit the side of it. Fell down to land in front of the small nightstand. Anastasia shoved her hair out of her way and looked up at her attacker.

He smiled at her. Classically handsome. Bright green eyes. Golden skin. Dimples. And his hand—his right hand with the swirling tattoos was wrapped around the knife. “I won’t cut that pretty face,” he promised her. “But you will beg.”

He rushed toward her.

She leapt to her feet. Ignored the dizziness and the throbbing in her head and she grabbed the lamp from the nightstand. She threw it at him. It just bounced off his chest. Bounced and then fell to the floor where it shattered.

“Keep it down in there!” Something banged against the wall. Sounded like the fist belonging to the person in the room beside her.

Her eyes widened. “Help!” The people in the room next door could hear her. “Help!” She jumped onto the bed and raced across the covers. If they could hear her, then they could help her.

Logan tackled her. They both slammed into the bed. She went down, face-first, with him on top of her.

His laughter taunted her. “No one is going to come help you, Anastasia. I’ve got you.”

The knife pressed to her side. The tip of the blade cut into her.

“You are going to be so sorry,” Logan swore as the knife dug deeper.

The motel room door flew open. Hit the wall. A very distinct crash. “Ana!” A roar. The true, deep bellow that sounded as if it had just come from a massive beast.

Her head whipped toward the door. A shudder swept over her even as a smile pulled at her lips. “Kane.”

Kane was back.

Kane was there.

Everything was going to be okay.

He was already running across the room. A second lock on the door hadn’t kept him out. He’d just kicked in the door or beaten it in or something, and he was⁠—

Logan yanked her up. Put the knife to her throat. “I will slice her from ear to ear.”

Kane whipped out a gun.

She blinked.

“I will shoot you in the fucking head,” Kane promised flatly. “Before you are even done cutting her, you’ll be dead.”

“Um, wait!” Anastasia cleared her throat. The movement had the blade lightly slicing her. They all needed to calm down. She’d love to avoid the cutting her part. Surely, that could be possible, yes?

“What in the hell happened to your forehead?” Kane snarled.

It did hurt terribly. Had it already bruised?

Probably.

Logan hauled her off the bed, but they slipped when the covers tangled around their legs, and she went down, hard, and, in that moment when she fell, Kane fired his weapon.

The gunshot blasted.

The knife clattered down beside her. Anastasia covered her head, and she screamed. Logan torpedoed over her as he ran straight at Kane. But Kane fired a second time. And she heard the thud of the bullet sinking into flesh.

Her hands began to lower.

Logan fell right in front of her. Her screams echoed around her. She was on the floor, with her knees beneath her, with her hands near her head, and he was on the dirty carpet just steps away. His head turned. He stared at her. Those bright, bright green eyes stared at her with fury. With hate.

With fear.

And Kane put his gun to Logan’s head.

* * *

Police lights swirled in a sickening flash. Anastasia stood in the motel’s parking lot, watching as the federal agents and the local cops swarmed like bees.

FBI Special Agent Grayson Stone glared as Logan was loaded into the back of an ambulance. Grayson had been the agent in charge of the case, the one who’d arranged for Anastasia to have protection. To vanish with Kane.

He’d also been the one to originally ask her to wear a wire and collect evidence on her homicidal boyfriend.

Grayson barked orders left and right. Two agents jumped into the ambulance with Logan. The siren shrieked. Grayson slammed the doors closed, and then the ambulance raced away.

She kept standing, pretty amazed that her legs were succeeding in their effort to hold her upright.

“Ma’am.” An EMT. “We really would like to take a look at that bump on your head.”

Her forehead. Yes, she’d made the mistake of touching that bump a few moments ago. A giant goose egg that hurt like a bitch.

“You could have a concussion.”

She could. Definite possibility.

But she didn’t move. Just watched the other ambulance rush away.

Grayson closed in on her. “You okay?”

No, she wasn’t. “He was going to slice me with his knife. Make me beg.” Her breath shuddered in. Out. “He would have killed me if…” Her words drifted away.

She’d just spotted Kane. He’d been taken away by some of the Feds after they arrived on scene. She’d been sure they were questioning him. But now he stalked toward her with steady, unshakable purpose.

“But Kane broke down the door,” she finished.

“Kane almost killed our perp,” Grayson said.

You have no idea. Because Kane had put the gun to Logan’s head. He’d been about to pull the trigger. And⁠—

Kane shouldered past Grayson. Went right to Anastasia. “Why the hell aren’t you already at the hospital?” His hand curled under her chin. He tipped her head back. “That’s major swelling and bruising. We need to make sure the bastard didn’t give you a skull fracture.”

The EMTs had not mentioned a skull fracture. Great, new fear unlocked for her.

“We were trying to get her into the ambulance,” the EMT to her right groused.

“Try harder,” Kane ordered. Then he just swept her into his arms and started carrying her toward the ambulance that waited a few yards to the left.

“Kane!” One arm curled around his neck as Anastasia clung to him.

He kept marching. Didn’t stop until he put her down right inside the ambulance. With a glare on his face, he told her, “You’re going to the hospital.”

He started to back away.

She caught his arm. “Thank you for saving me.”

“You shouldn’t have been alone. He never should have gotten that close.”

Her grip tightened on him. “Thank you for saving me,” Anastasia repeated.

His eyes glittered at her. “I could have made sure you never had to fear him again.”

Her heartbeat was far too loud. The EMTs were there. Grayson had followed them. And Kane was just casually talking about how he could have killed Logan for her. If she hadn’t stopped him, if she hadn’t leapt forward and thrown her arms around him and told him to stop. Begged him to stop. “That’s not who you are,” she whispered.

“Yes, sweetheart, that’s exactly who I am.”

He pulled away. Backed away from the ambulance even as an EMT guided her to sit down on the stretcher inside the vehicle.

“And that’s why you need to have a different life,” Kane told her, voice clear and flat.

She…

“On it,” Grayson said. “Rest assured, I am on top of the different life situation.” He cleared his throat. “Kane, I believe your work is done. Thanks for stepping in. Thanks for protecting and serving.”

Kane grunted. His eyes—those swirling hazel eyes—did not leave Anastasia.

“Ahem.” Grayson maneuvered closer to Kane. He slapped a hand on Kane’s shoulder. “Also, know that I will owe you one big-ass favor in the future.”

“I’ll collect,” Kane vowed.

The EMTs were poking and prodding at her. She was struggling to keep watching Kane.

“I think this should be goodbye,” Grayson mused. “I’ll go with her to the hospital. Get her checked out. Make sure that we have all our loose ends tied up. Really great job catching the killer, Kane. I knew I could count on you. You never let me down, and you don’t cross lines. Not like plenty of other assholes I can name.”

No, Kane hadn’t crossed lines.

He’d just saved her.

Grayson let go of Kane. “I have her from here on out.”

That was it? Kane was just…just leaving her while she sat in the back of the ambulance? And she should say something. Anastasia knew she should. Part of her wanted to recklessly call out…

Don’t leave me!

But, no, she couldn’t. She couldn’t do that. She just had to stay in that ambulance and feel her stomach knot. Feel the shivers that slid over her body and the racing heartbeat that shook her chest. If Kane hadn’t broken through that door, would she be dead?

A tear spilled down her cheek. “Goodbye,” she whispered.

Grayson hopped into the ambulance with her. “You’re going to testify. You’re going to send Logan away for life.” He shouldered an EMT out of his way. “You’re going to be safe.”

Safe.

Because she was going to get the promised new life. The new identity. A new town. A new name. A new job.

Once the testifying was done. Once Logan was locked up. Once…

Kane turned away. He—he didn’t even say goodbye to her.

Another tear slid down her cheek.

The ambulance doors were slammed shut.

“Ana?” Now Grayson seemed worried. She should look at him and not just stare at the closed ambulance doors. “Ana, are you okay?” Real concern deepened his words.

“We’re trying to examine her.” The disgruntled mutter from an EMT.

Anastasia swallowed. Her head turned toward Grayson. “I’m never going to see him again, am I?”

Understanding flashed on his face. Then, jaw locking, Grayson shook his head. “No.” A soft exhale. “Believe me, it’s for the best.”

It didn’t feel like the best thing.

Grayson leaned toward her. His voice dropped as if the words were for her ears only, and he said, “If you see Kane again, it’s because danger is coming after you. Hell is calling, and he’s the answer to the call. If you see him…”

Her hands fisted.

“If you see him again,” Grayson told her, “then you are in deep, deep trouble.”

The siren screamed on.

* * *

He tensed when the siren wailed. Kept his spine straight and his gaze locked dead ahead.

The scene was chaos. Madness.

And Ana…

Ana was leaving him.

Ana…beautiful, sweet Ana. With a smile that had—for all too short of a time—lit up his world. Ana, who had offered him her gorgeous body. Ana, who had kissed him as if her very life depended on the task.

Ana…who had stopped him from putting a bullet into her ex’s brain.

Ana…who had seen the monster who lived and breathed inside of Kane.

There was a reason that “Heartless” was his nickname. “Heartless” Kane Harte. He didn’t love. He didn’t feel. He just didn’t care.

Except…

The ambulance carrying Ana had left. He turned around. Slowly. He could feel her absence in the very air around him.

Goodbye. Her voice, drifting through him.

Sonofabitch.

She should have been mine.