I tilt my head. “No. You’ll see for yourself in a minute.”
Violet goes quiet, her mind clearly spinning. We get out on the top floor, and I lead her to the stairs that go up to the roof. She hesitates but nods slowly to herself. Steeling her nerves, perhaps. She trusts me.
When she pushes through the door, a cool spring wind tugs at her clothes.
Knox and Steele are there with a figure on the floor between them. He’s got a hood over his head and a walking boot on his leg. His wrists are bound behind him.
Violet stiffens.
I glance at her, then stride up to Jack and yank his hood off. He blinks up at me, first shock and then outrage crossing his expression.
“You fucking bastard—” His attention swings past me to Violet, and his outrage explodes into fury. He struggles, trying to get to his feet.
Knox and Steele grab him, forcing him back down.
“I’m going to kill you,” he seethes at her.
I punch him.
His head whips to the side, and pain flares through my knuckles and up my arm. I hit him again, and again, until blood pours down his face. His nose might be broken.
Knox and Steele remain passive, although their jaws are tense.
They like Violet. Jack threatening her threatens all of us.
My girl approaches carefully, stopping just shy of me. Not quite courageous enough to cross that line and put herself in danger.
“Did you sneak into my room, Jack?” she asks.
He spits at her. The glob of saliva and blood lands just shy of her shoes.
I circle around and kneel behind him, gripping his hair and forcing him to face Violet. I put my face close to his. “Look at her, Jackie boy. You didn’t break her. You don’t scare her. But you will answer her goddamn questions.”
Jack scowls, but he does answer her question. “I did,” he confirms. “Many times.”
Her brows draw together. “What?”
“Any fucking chance I got.” He laughs. “You caught me once. I made sure you knew I was there another time. But I loved slipping into your room and jacking off with your panties in my hand. I memorized every fucking picture on your wall, your scent, your makeup.”
“That’s creepy,” Knox mutters.
Violet shudders. “Why go through the trouble?”
Jack jerks, but my grip on his hair is solid. He’s let it grow in his off-season. Shame on him.
“Why?” he yells. “Because you’re fuckingmine, Violet. We’re soulmates.”
I laugh. In a flash, my knife is out of my pocket and at his throat.
I could do it.
He goes silent and still, his eyes flashing with fear for the first time. Maybe he didn’t think we wereserious. That I wouldn’t kill for her.
“You’re not her soulmate, asshole.”
His eyes roll, finding my face. “I swear to God—”
“You better hope God is on your side.” I lean in, making sure he can see just how fucking dark I’ll go. “Because the Devil’s on mine.”