Damien pushed off the door, slow, deliberate, every movement a calculated insult.

“I’d offer to let the lady choose,” he drawled, “but I already know how this ends.”

Jaxon stepped forward, the air between them tightening like a wire ready to snap.

“You’ve got two seconds to get out of my way.”

“Or what?” Damien’s smirk deepened. “You’ll shoot me? Break me? You’ve tried before. I’m still breathing.”

The air was thick with tension, the music behind us a distant ...