I blinked, feeling my stomach twist. My eyes darted to Sylas who was groaning on the ground, coughing, trying to move. Ash ran to him, cursing under her breath, yelling for someone to call security or a doctor or something. Staff rushed in like ants swarming a dropped sweet.
But I couldn't move.
I couldn't breathe.
I looked at Kael again. And all I saw was the man who punched my father. The one who shot him with eyes so calm, so fucking terrifyingly calm. The one who pinned me against the car door just days ago and told me I belonged to him like I was some fucking trophy he could mount on a shelf.
And maybe what made my throat close up more than anything… was that I wasn't even surprised.
Of course he did this.
Of course he snapped.
It was jealousy. Possessiveness. Control. Maybe even affection... but the kind of affection that burns everything in its path until there's nothing left but ash and bone.
I felt sick. Nauseous.
Disgusted.
With him. With myself.
With all of it.
