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His arsenal bested hers because he’d ensured it had before tracking her ass down halfway across the country He knew he’d have to be convincing and, even then, it wasn’t as if Eliza was going to say okay you win Yours is bigger and better than ive up and you can protecteven if unrealistic But proving he did know somewhat of how her mind worked her reaction didn’t surprise hiaze filtered back to Wade and she scowled "What next? Are you all going to whip out your dicks to see whose is bigger?"

He sent her a lazy grin, refusing to rise to her la hih"

"God you’re an asshole," she hissed out between clenched teeth

And she almost looked like his Eliza So much so that he felt an unexpected jolt of relief and so that felt good when he had felt nothing but fucked-up shit for the last week It made what he had to do next suck Because they’d already fucked away enough tied her at the shithole house she’d been staying in that was so dilapidated and indefensible that even her arsenal wasn’t going to help if any heavy shit went down, and he already knehatever the fuck Eliza was tangled up in, it was heavy

And it was obvious that she sensed the change in his er fled, leaving only a stark hollowness that made his already shitty le motion and when they left to resume their posts, he turned back to the table to release Eliza Her cuffed hand was curled so tightly around the leg of the table that the tips of her fingers hite And when he gently unlocked the clasp and her hand fell away, he caught it, felt it trehtened his hand around hers

Before he even said anything, she closed her eyes and it made the shadows underneath them more pronounced, which in turn made her look even more vulnerable and he hated it all

"Eliza--"

He was interrupted by his cell phone ringing and he glanced down, pulling it upward fro call was fro After Wade had told him to step back and that this was his show Dane hadthe call to Wade and the rules weren’t changing now He hit the button to decline the call, sending it to voicemail and then shoved it back in his pocket Then his hold on Eliza’s hand that had loosened slightly when he’d been distracted by the call tightened again and he fixed her with the full force of his gaze

"Eliza, it’s time we talked," he said in a tone that said he meant business

This time he didn’t flinch at the fear or the shadows that immediately leapt in her eyes He was prepared for theh

His phone went off again, this tirowled

Keeping fir how ser one, he reached for his phone again, knowing he couldn’t afford to ignore any call or text Or at least ascertain whether he needed to respond

He yanked the phone up and when he read the text, his blood chilled

"You have got to be shitting

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