Would Zeno let this man come between us? That I can’t answer, and the uncertainty terrifies me. I don’t want to give him up, but I’m also not prepared to die today. My only option is to give Christiano what he wants to hear and pray it’s not the end of my short-lived relationship. “I don’t need convincing. If Zeno says it’s over, then you have nothing to worry about.” I’ve left myself a loophole, and he knows it. The angry lion charges, clamping his hand around my throat in an instant. “Don’t play f*****g games with me, little girl.” Up close, his eyes are black voids—a window into nothingness because there is no soul to be seen. I gasp and nod as best as I can. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to.” I force the sputtered words past his savage grip, pulling at his hand with frantic fingers. He wat
