Avery shoved Jace off and said, her voice thin with exhaustion and disgust, “I told you I was tired. I don’t want to.” Jace had been brushed off twice in two nights, and his expression tightened. He looked at her pale face, swallowed whatever he wanted to say, and chose the easy out. “Fine. Get some sleep.” When Avery woke the next morning, she was surprised to find Jace still here instead of vanishing at dawn like he usually did. “Why were you still here?” she asked. “Where else would I be?” he replied with an easy smile, then leaned in to hug her. “I made you upset yesterday, so I took the day off to make it up to you. How about that?” Avery understood at once. Julian couldn’t be bothered, so he had sent Jace to soothe her instead. The thought pricked like a thorn. She opened her mouth to say it wasn’t necessary, but Jace was already tugging her to her feet. “You’ve been talking about that list of one hundred things every couple has to do. Today, we’re checking boxes!” He didn’t leave room for a refusal. He took her through a day that seemed romantic. They saw a movie, rode the amusement park, and stopped for dessert. By evening, he steered her into an upscale lounge. “Have a drink and relax,” he said, settling her on a leather couch in a private room. “I’ll order and come right back.” He walked out, leaving the room in silence. Avery leaned back, wishing the day would just end. Suddenly, the door burst open. The reek of whiskey hit first, then three men staggered into the room. They saw her and grinned. “Well, look what we’ve got here!” “Come have a drink with us. How much for the night?” “I’m not…” Avery lurched to her feet, the color draining from her face. “Cut the act! We all know what these rooms are for!” They locked the door and closed in, their faces twisted into leering smiles. Avery backed away, panic thudding in her throat. She fought and shouted for help, but their drunken weight pressed her down. Hands clawed at her sleeves, and terror rose over her like cold water. Right then, the door blew open with a kick that rattled the hinges. Jace stormed inside, his eyes going bloodshot at the sight. He floored the first man with a brutal punch, slammed his knee into the second, and tore through them like a raging leopard. The room echoed with the heavy thud of fists. But there were too many of them. One of the men grabbed an empty bottle and swung it at Avery. “Watch out!” Jace shouted. He lunged and covered her with his body. The bottle smashed against the back of his head. Glass shattered, and blood ran down his neck. Jace grunted, then whirled and kicked the man hard enough to send him sprawling. The lounge security and manager finally showed up and got the situation under control. Jace swayed, his strength gone, and collapsed into Avery’s arms. She stared at the blood streaming from his hairline, her mind going blank. Her hands trembled as she called for an ambulance. Avery stayed by his bed all night at the hospital. The next morning, a nurse urged Avery to go home. “He’s stable, and he’ll wake up soon. You should go home and get some rest.” Avery could barely keep her eyes open. She nodded and stepped into the corridor, then realized she had forgotten her jacket and turned back. She reached the door just as Jace’s voice drifted through the gap. He was on the phone, sounding almost amused. “I’m fine. I’m not dying.” Whoever was on the other end said something that made him snort. “What did you expect? If I didn’t put on an act to save her, how else was I supposed to get her back in my bed? “She’s damn good at it. Her skin is soft, and her waist is slim. The best part is how she almost sounds like Tessa when she moans. I just imagine that I’m with Tessa instead.” There was a pause, then he laughed softly. “Do I like Tessa? Of course I do. But Julian likes her too. What am I supposed to do?” He paused again. “Steal her from Julian? What for? She likes him, and they’re perfect together. I’ll just stay out of it.” He lowered his voice, sounding almost conspiratorial. “Before Julian dumps Avery for good, I’ll sleep with her as much as I want.” The words struck Avery like a thunderbolt, a cold rush sweeping through her until she went numb. So everything from last night had been staged. He played the hero just to make it easier to sleep with her, using her body as a stand-in for the woman he couldn’t have. She had wanted to believe his protection meant he cared, but he didn’t. It was worse than Julian’s indifference, because it disguised cruelty as tenderness. Avery clapped a hand over her mouth to stifle a sound, then turned and ran from the hospital.