“Inej would kill me for what I’m thinking.” He crouched beside you, the faint scent of blood and gunpowder clinging to his gloves, your hand pressed weakly against your ribs. His breath was shallow, voice low, like he was confessing a crime.

“She trusted me to protect you.” Kaz’s gaze flicked away—away from your eyes, away from the vulnerability he wasn’t sure he deserved to witness. “But I don’t want to be your protector.”

His hand twitched as if he wanted to reach but held back, his jaw tight.

“I want more.”

The words slipped out—raw, dangerous, and almost too honest for the man who built walls out of shadows and silence.