Chapter Sixty-Five
Blade’s Pov
For the next two days, I did the only thing I could to keep us both alive: I stayed away from Skyler. Every time I saw her across the dusty yard or working near the garage, I forced myself to turn in the opposite direction. One afternoon, she tried to catch me after a long, grueling club meeting, but I just brushed past her without slowing down, tossing a cold, sharp "Not now" over my shoulder. Watching the hurt flash across her face felt worse than any knife wound I’d ever taken, but I buried the feeling deep down. Getting close to her was suicide. Stone was watching my every move, and my uncle’s clock was ticking louder than it ever had before. I had to be the machine again—emotionless, focused, and deadly.
On the third morning, Stone sent for me. I walk
