Flawless Prize

He freezes. For once, I’ve stricken him speechless. “I didn’t think…”

“That I was telling the truth?” I finish for him. “No. You’ve made it perfectly clear that you can’t ever trust me again.”

His face darkens at the reminder of our fight. For a moment, I wonder if he’s here to apologize. Take it back.

Tell me he loves me, after all.

But he doesn’t.

He won’t even look at me. He’s looking at the ground, the wall, the foot of the bed… Everywhere but at me. It’s like I’m a stranger to him.

Mara appears in the doorway. “Hey, Juliet! The nurse said you were up!” Her gaze shifts to Caleb. “Oh. Hi. I didn’t know you were here. I’m not interrupting anything?”

He gives her a blank look. “I was just leaving.”

“You don’t have to,” she says, but he’s already striding to the door.

“I have business to take care of,” he says curtly. He gives me another glance. “Be sure to have your medical bills forwarded to my office.”

And with that, he stalks out. But something about the grim look in his eyes makes me feel a shiver of unease.

“Are you cold?” Mara asks, moving to the cabinet. “I can grab another blanket.”

I nod, and let her tuck it around me, but the truth is, my chill has nothing to do with the temperature in the room, and everything to do with Caleb’s expression. Full of purpose.

I told him that Nero might be behind the crash. A mobster who’s made it clear that he’s capable of anything. A man who’ll kill to get what he wants.

And if Caleb’s going after him…

This won’t end well.