Chapter 62 · The New Rule

He went still.

The furnace roared beneath us. His fingers found the first anchor line and closed around it.

Skin split across his knuckles.

“Evelyn, don’t.”

“You called me your wife when you needed the contract.” I tightened my grip on the blade. “Start acting like I’m your partner now.”

“You have no idea what you’re touching.”

“I know exactly what I’m touching.” I pulled the small contract blade from the stone beside me. The metal burned my fingers. “Your mess. Your city. Your death wish.”

Kane’s eyes snapped to the blade.

“Put it down.”

“No.”

“If you cut yourself, the contract will take more than blood.”

“Good. Maybe it’ll take the part of you that keeps making decisions for both of us.”

“Evelyn.”

The way he said my name almost broke my grip.

Not harsh. Not cold.

Scared.

I’d never heard fear in Kane’s voice before.

The first anchor flared. Kane grunted and pulled harder, trying to tear Oscar’s line apart. The furnace swallowed his arm to the elbow. White heat crawled over his skin, raising angry blisters along his forearm.

“Stop!” I screamed.

“I can cut it.”

“You’re burning alive.”

“I’ve had worse days.