I wait for him to say more, but he doesn’t. “And you know this how…?” The smile leaves his eyes, and he gazes down at me with alpha intensity.

“Because I warned him if he or his son ever came anywhere near here— anywhere near you—again, I would make sure there wasn’t a Dacre alive by the end of the week.”

My mouth falls open. “You… uh, you… threatened him?” “Yes.”

Panic wars with pride. “Uh, and how did he take it?”

“As expected,” Mack says as he smooths ...