Elena.

I could feel the brutal tension locked in his muscles. His fingers twitched against mine when I touched him.

I rubbed my thumb in slow circles across the back of his hand, desperately trying to give him a tether to hold onto.

Victor chuckled darkly, running a hand back through his hair. "For the ring?" he asked, though he already knew the answer. "Maybe even for the girl, too."

My eyes snapped straight to him.

"The girl."

The casual way he referred to Maxine made my stomach coil with a sick fury.

He took a few long strides forward, and Killian instinctively nudged me slightly behind his shoulder. I...