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He’d burn me alive, then consume the ashes--the kiss had shownhi around him Not what he did to me, or how he made me feel, but the way I abandoned all sense of the caution that had keptthese last couple of years

He ain outside the carefully constructed walls I’d built

I just wasn’t sure I could survive when he inevitably left

Chapter Eleven

Leah

Rome

The cameras flashed in every direction, Paxton’s name called out like a rock star over the crowd He tucked h the crush with Landon and Penna in the lead We had another twenty feet before we made it into the lanced at his face, he wore his Wilder grin, co his fist into the air

"Wilder!" one reporter called out

"He’s not taking questions," Little John answered behind us

"What are you doing in Ro this year off? Is this in preparation for the live event you have scheduled in Abu Dhabi?" The questions fired froht they knew

Live event in Abu Dhabi? What?

If it wasn’t the questions assaulting us, it was screaht this was supposed to be secret?" I asked

"Me, too," he said, pressing a kiss into irl?" another reporter asked

Not his girl, my head protested

Ahead of us, one of the rabbed Penna "Pax" Ihis nauy’s arm twisted behind his back

"Didn’t your mama ever teach you that it’s not nice to touch a worabbed the guy and shoved him toward Little John "Get this fucker out of here before I start an international incident"

We made it to the steps, where the double doors had been thrown open Little John and the security team kept the fans off the steps, and I sucked inout of the car

"You okay?" Paxton asked, putting hiainst uess I didn’t realize you were quite this popular"

"Depends on where we are," he answered "Wait here, okay?"

I nodded, and he turned around to stand between Penna and Landon

"Nice tothat he earing that devil-rin