The drive home was a blur.
Xavier's hands gripped the steering wheel tighter than necessary, the taste of Sasha still lingering on his lips. He could feel it... the faint copper tang of blood mixed with her warmth. His knuckles whitened as he replayed the way she had looked at him before he left... that mixture of fear, anger, and something else. Something she'd never admit out loud.
By the time he pulled into his driveway, the tension in his jaw felt like stone.
He tossed his keys onto the table by the door and collapsed onto the couch. The quiet of his apartment didn't soothe him...it only made his thoughts louder.
His phone buzzed.
Father.
Xavier swiped the screen and read the text.
> Father: You're crossing the line, Xavier. Do not break our deal.
His eyes narrowed. His thum
