Chapter 10 · The Voice in Her Shop

"You don't get to follow me home."

I shove the key in the lock and my hand's shaking. Cade's standing three feet back, hands loose at his sides, breathing like he just ran through half the district. He probably did. So did I.

"Your shop's compromised," he says.

"Yeah. By you."

The lock clicks. I push the door open and the smell hits me—oil, solder, burnt coffee from two days ago. Home. Except it doesn't feel like it anymore because Cade's still standing there and my brother's voice is still in my head. Don't let Cade in.

"Mara."

"Don't."

I step inside. He follows. Of course he does.

I spin, and the screwdriver's already in my hand. I don't remember grabbing it. "Out."

Cade stops. The light from the single bulb overhead catches the side of his face—jaw tight, eyes tracking my grip on the screwdriver like he's calculating how fast I can move. Spoiler: faster than he thinks.

"I'm not leaving you alone," he says.

"You've been spying on me for weeks. Maybe months. You want me to feel safe with you in my space?"

"No." He says it flat. No sell, no soft edge.