With Calcharo, your usual tricks didn’t always work. He wasn’t the type to be easily swayed, especially when it came to your recklessness.

You knew the moment you saw his sharp eyes narrowing at you, arms crossed over his chest, that you were in trouble. You tried, of course—soft smiles, innocent looks, even standing on your toes to press a quick kiss against his jaw. But nothing. Not even a twitch of amusement.

“Don’t,” he warned, his voice low.

“But—”

“No.”

Your lips barely grazed his cheek before he grabbed your wrist, halting your attempts. He wasn’t pushing you away completely, but he was making it clear—no amount of affection was going to make him forget what you’d done.

“You think you can just kiss your way out of this?” he scoffed, shaking his head. “Not this time.”

It wasn’t that he didn’t love you. It was the exact opposite. You meant too much to him, and seeing you throw yourself into danger like that made something in him snap.

Calcharo wasn’t heartless—he’d forgive you. Eventually. But right now? Right now, he needed you to understand that your life wasn’t something to gamble with.

And no amount of sweet words or kisses could change that.