Page 73 of Ravaged By a Devil

"Nolan made his mistake the moment he laid a finger on Alexis," I growl, the shadow of a threat lingering in every word.

"Maybe so," Ezekiel says, taking a step closer, his tone leaving no room for argument. "But protecting her cannot come at the cost of destroying our entire plan. We’ve spent months setting this up, Cain. Don't burn down the whole house just to catch one rat."

I hold his gaze for a long beat, letting the dark heat in my blood cool back down to cold, calculated steel.

"I know," I say, my voice steady. "I'll be careful."

Minutes later, I watch them leave after downing a glass of whiskey each. The tension in the house is still thick, hanging heavily in the air, but not as strong as it was than when they first walked through the door.

I know they're worried about the operational exposure—and deep down, I am too. Especially for Alexis. I take a deep breath, letting the burn of the silence settle over the foyer, and turn on my heel to return to the room.

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

ALEXIS

As I wake up, I reach out to the space beside me, my fingers searching the warm sheets only to find the bed empty.

My eyes fly open, taking in the vacant mattress. For one terrifying second, my heart sinks into my stomach—the instinctive fear hitting me that Cain has walked away again, leaving me alone with the silence of the morning.

But as my surroundings come into focus, the massive headboard and muted luxury of the master suite ground me. I am in his room. In his bed.

Right as that realization washes over me, the bedroom door swings open. Cain walks in, low-slung grey sweatpants hanging off his hips, bare-chested and broad-shouldered in the morning light. He looks ridiculously, effortlessly handsome.

A quiet, soft smile touches his lips the moment his dark eyes find mine, but I know him too well now. Beneath that calm exterior, I catch the faint tension around his eyes—a flicker of subtle worry lingering just below the surface.

I sit up, pulling the sheet over my chest, my eyes fixed on him. "What's up?"

"With what?" he asks, stopping at the foot of the bed.

He folds his broad arms across his chest, the muscles in his shoulders flexing with the movement, his expression instantly shuttering into something guarded.

"Don't fuck with me, Cain," I say, my voice steady despite the sudden spike of adrenaline in my pulse. "I can tell when something is wrong."

He stares at me for a long moment, his dark eyes searching mine, weighing how much to give me before he finally exhales a low breath.

"You can't go back to your apartment, Alexis," he says, his tone leaving no room for negotiation. "Nolan knows where you live, he knows about Milly, and as of last night, he knows you're connected to my family."

The words hit me like a slap to the face, but before the fear can fully set in, my defensive walls shoot straight up. I pull the sheet tighter around myself, my jaw setting hard as I glare at him.

"You don't get to just decide where I live, Cain," I argue immediately, my voice rising. "That is my home. You can't just dictate my life like I'm one of your assets!"

His dark eyes flash with sudden anger, the quiet warmth from moments ago completely vanishing. "I thought you’d be reasonable about this."

I gasp, throwing my hands up. "Now you’re calling me unreasonable?"

"Yes," he growls, stepping closer to the edge of the mattress. "Because you think this is some fucking power play. I want you safe, Alexis. That's it."

Refusing to sit there at a disadvantage, I swing my legs off the mattress, wrap the sheet around myself, and march straight over to where my clothes are scattered. I pull on my underwear and dress with sharp, jagged movements, my heart hammering against my ribs.

He watches me in dead silence, his jaw working, a muscle ticking beneath his skin

The second I finish zipping my dress, he reaches out and catches my arm—not roughly, but with a firm, desperate grip that pulls me flush against his hard chest.

"Alexis, please," he rasps, his gaze burning down into mine, raw and completely exposed. "You know who we’re dealing with. These are dangerous men. I need you to be safe. For Milly. For me. Please."

Well. When he puts it like that…

The heat in my chest slowly cools, replaced by the undeniable truth in his eyes. I take a slow breath, letting my shoulders drop as I look up at him.