Chapter 37 · Then stop stepping in front of knives

He turned just enough to glare at me. "Then stop stepping in front of knives."

"You don't get to be angry about that. You put a blade through your own chest ten minutes ago."

"I missed your concern."

"You missed because I shoved you."

For one sharp second, his eyes dropped to my hands.

The same hands that had pushed his wrist away from his heart. The same hands that had sealed the truth bond to his blood.

His breathing changed.

So did mine.

The room seemed to close around us, full of hot skin, blood, and the bitter metal smell of the broken seal. His shoulder brushed mine. His breath touched the side of my face.

Then Bram clapped once.

"How touching. Shall we finish?"

Lucan pulled away.

I hated that I noticed the loss of his heat.

Mara strained against her chains. "The killer was not the woman on the order."

Bram's face drained of color.

"Mara," he said. "Think carefully."

"I have thought for nine years."

"You were drugged."

"I was bound."

"You signed the record."

"With your hand over mine."

The witnesses went silent.

Even Bram stopped breathing for a beat.

I stepped around Lucan.