Chapter 1

Miles: I've found something. Meet me at the chapel.

I rollmy eyes at the message. I'm supposed to be meeting him at the hotel in Red Creek, not taking a detour to old Churchill's place of worship. Changing direction, I tap out a message with my thumb.

Me: If this is some freaky kink you want to act out, I'm all in!

I snicker, imagining how red he'll probably get when he reads it. Miles is very much not kinky, and teasing him about it is a never-ending source of entertainment. For me, anyway.

Whistling, I walk past my car, and into the woods. There are three different paths that will take me to the chapel, and luckily, one is close by so I don't have to cut my way through the undergrowth like Indiana Jones.

I purse my lips.

I'd look hot in a hat and holding a whip, though. Maybe we could roleplay. Miles can be one of the bad guys who needs seducing, and I can steal the prize from him.

I'm laughing to myself, deep in a ridiculous fantasy, when I reach the chapel. Pushing the door open, I step inside.

"Miles? I'm here. If you're not dressed up like an innocent priest, waiting to be ravaged on the altar, I'm going to be severely disappointed."

He doesn't answer.

"Miles?" I call again. "Playing hide and seek isn't as kinky as you think it is. Where are you?"

A footstep scrapes over stone, and echoes through the building. I sigh and check the time on my cell.

"Come on, babe. We don't have time for this. I thought you wanted to have a night away from here?"

A shadow detaches itself from the furthest point, behind the altar. I scowl when I recognize who it is.

"What are you doing here?"

Evan shrugs. "I needed somewhere quiet to study. It was too loud in the common area."

"Have you seen Miles?"

He cocks his head. "I heard rumors that you fucked him. That true?"

I smile. "Why? You jealous? I've always wondered whether you were bi. Where did you say he was?"

"I didn't, but he's in the priest's room behind the altar." He waves a hand behind him. "Not sure what he's doing. Said he was waiting for someone. Guess that someone is you?"

"You would be guessing right." I walk up the aisle between the pews.

When I draw level with him, the hairs on the back of my neck rise. I learned a long time ago to trust my instincts, and my gut is telling me that something is wrong … but what?

I stop and look at Evan. He's bouncing on the balls of his feet, hands behind his back. There's an odd smile on his face, a weird look in his eyes.

"You okay?"

"Me? Sure." He grins. "Just …" He shrugs. "You know …"

"No, actually I don't. Where did you say Miles was?" I turn to walk around the side of the altar, and as I do, movement catches my eye.

It takes a moment for my brain to decipher what I'm seeing, and by the time it does, it's too late. I'm hit from behind while I stare at the boy tied up and gagged beside the altar. The shock of seeing my boyfriend slows my reflexes, and Evan's foot hits me between the shoulder blades, driving me to the ground before I can rally my defenses and roll onto my back.

Scrambling backward, I narrowly miss the foot coming for my face, and twist again so I'm on my hands and knees, then vault to my feet.

"You should have fucking kept your nose out of my business." Evan's voice is eerily calm, his expression flat as he stalks toward me.

"What the fuck are you talking about?" I risk a glance toward Miles.

"Every time I try to separate Travers from everyone, you're there to save him." His fist flashes out and I duck to the side, then throw my own punch.

Unlike his, mine connects and sends him back a step.

"Are you okay?" I toss the question at Miles, who shakes his head.

"Don't fucking look at him, look at me!" Evan launches himself at me, fists flailing.

He's no fighter, but the sheer amount of punches he throws means I can't avoid them all, and pain explodes over my jaw when he catches me with a stray left hook.

"Fuck."

I shake my head, trying to dislodge the pain, and that's when the dots connect in my head.

"You! You're the one behind the blackmail, the texts. Fucking hell, why? What the fuck kind of game are you playing?"

His smirk chills my blood. "One you're never going to win. Travers should have protected you. Instead, he focused on her, but you're his weakness, not her. You are the one that can break him. You're his white knight."

There's a flash of silver, and he lunges at me.

Weirdly, the scene from Indiana Jones plays through my head. The one where the guy with the sword does all the fancy moves and then Indy pulls out a gun and shoots him.

"Missed opportunity. Should have brought a gun." I jump back when he swings again.

"What?"

"Nothing." I track the movement of the knife, then make a grab for his wrist.

We go down in a tangle of limbs, fighting for control, and then something happens.

There's a burn along my ribs, white-hot, agonizing in its intensity. The pain expands across my ribs, my chest, until it flows down my arms to my fingers. My hands stop working, and I blink up at Evan, who's straddling my hips.

"What—" I break off to cough, and it leaves a metallic taste in my mouth.

"Help me move him." I can't see who Evan is talking to, and I can't stop whoever hooks their hands under my arms and hauls me up.

I blink, trying hard to focus, but my vision keeps blurring.

Did I hit my head when we fell?

I roll my head sideways, and my eyes latch onto Miles. His eyes are wide, glassy, full of terror, and I smile at him.

"It's okay." I cough again. There's something wet on my lips. I lick it with my tongue. Weird. Is that blood? "Eli will be here soon. You're okay, Miles."

He shakes his head, and tears spill down his cheeks.

"Miles, look at me. It's okay, I promise."

Why is breathing becoming an issue? This isn't good. I don't feel right.

Wait. The fucker had a knife. Did the bastard stab me?

I try and lift my head to look down my body, but I can't fucking move.

Why can't I move?

He fucking stabbed me.

Am I dying?

Oh fuck … am I dying?

I seek out Miles again, and force a smile. "Look at me." My voice is a whisper now. "Miles, I'll always be around. Tell Eli—" I break off, struggling to suck in a breath. "Tell him—"

The words won't come.

Eli is going to fucking kill me.