Page 165 of No One But Me
James slumped again. “Whatever. I’m done. If she wants to throw her life into a furnace, I’ll just be the idiot cheering from the sidelines.”
Gung Lu muttered something that sounded suspiciously like liar.
But I wasn’t listening anymore.
Belle’s face flashed in my mind.
Her flinch this morning.
Her silence.
The men in the car.
My pulse hammered.
I checked my phone for the fourth time in five minutes.
Nothing from Belle.
That should've been fine. She was at the bookstore. Safe. Busy. Except my gut twisted anyway.
"Gideon."
I looked up. Hades stood too close, eyes sharp despite the chaos swirling around us.
"You good?"
"Fine."
"Liar." He tilted his head toward James, who'd started humming something off-key and vaguely threatening. "You've been checking your phone like it owes you money."
I pocketed it. "Just making sure everything's under control."
"With Hook? Nothing's ever under control." Hades crossed his arms. "But you're not worried about him. You're worried about her."
I didn't answer.
Hades knew. They all knew. The entire team had watched me spiral since Belle moved in. Watched me get quieter. Sharper. More territorial than I'd ever been on the ice.
Jafar spoke from across the room, voice smooth and knowing. "How is your little arrangement going, by the way?"
My jaw tightened. "Not your concern."
"Defensive." Scar smirked, leaning against the doorframe. "That's new."
"Fuck off, Scar."
He laughed. "Oh, he's gone gone. Look at him."
Gang Lu grunted from his corner. "Leave him alone."
"Why?" Scar's grin widened. "This is fascinating. Gideon Jones, the man who treats women like revolving doors, suddenly can't go five minutes without checking if his little bookworm is breathing."
"She has a name," I said quietly.
The room stilled. Even James lifted his head off the pillow, bloodshot eyes focusing with surprising clarity.
"Did you just—" Scar started.
