"I said look at me." I looked up. She looked so beautiful, like a queen, but I wondered how could something so beautiful look so scary at the same time? I knew Raven wouldn't hit me, so I couldn't understand the fear that suddenly froze my body. I stopped crying instantly. "There you go. My good baby boy. I'll see you soon, darling." She blew kisses and disappeared in a cloud of expensive perfume. I blinked and the memory faded. I had no idea which hotel we were staying at back then. Too many of them. Maybe it was the same one we were in now. What did it matter? I turned around. She was standing at the bar. "What are you up to, Raven?" "Pouring you a drink. Something wrong with your eyes, darling?" "I'm not playing games with you and—" "That's a shame." She gave me a salute with her glass. "You're always so good at them." "—definitely not drinking with you." "Now you're hurting my feelings." She took a sip but stayed behind the bar. "Did you get my gift?" I shot her an icy stare. Suddenly those lips curved into a grin, exposing perfect white teeth. I swear if she bit somebody, she would sink every one of them in. I shuddered. "Did you like?" I didn't answer. Warmth came into her eyes, softening them. "I can never stay mad at you for long. Why don't you come here and give mommy a kiss?" She tapped her cheek. "How did you find it?" She raised her brows. "What, that little toy?" Then she chuckled, shaking her head. "Do you really think you're the only man who tried to track my movements? I'm a shadow, baby." She was bragging, took pride in the number of men stalking her. And why not? She was crazier than they were. Including me. "I have a collection of those things, you know." I didn't doubt it. Placing my hands in my pockets, I kept them there and leaned back against the glass wall. "Maybe you should check your vehicle. There seems to be a lot of bugs crawling lately," she said. What the— Then she laughed. She got me there. "So you've been driving around town, making me think you're still in Toronto." She winked. "Wouldn't you like to know? I still drove my car, unlike you." Dread crawled at the back of my neck. "What did you say?" She flicked her hand in the air dismissively as though swatting a fly. "You always drive that ugly work truck, don't you? You never accept the cars I give you. They're my gifts to you." "Your gifts are never free." "But of course, they are. All you have to do is answer my messages." I straightened. "And breaking into Kara's house, opening the basement windows is one of them? That's a cheap move, even for you." "I have no idea what you're talking about." "Liar." I took a threatening step toward her, closer, closer until I was standing in front of her. The bar counter was the only thing between us. She angled her head, shooting me an I dare you look as she popped a tiny ice cube in her mouth, crushed it between her teeth. Raven was being cautious around me, wary of my reaction of the things she'd done. She was keeping her distance, and she should. I was barely keeping it together. She could tell. I kept thinking about the haunted look on Kara's face when she was telling me about the break-in. I knew I shouldn't lose my cool. Releasing my anger meant losing to Raven. She'd lap it up, enjoy it. I didn't want to give her the satisfaction. Instead of smashing my fists on the counter, I placed them there, deliberately relaxing as I sat on the barstool. "I told you to leave her alone," I said quietly. I leaned forward so that our faces were only inches from each other. "What the fuck were you thinking?" "A few months ago, the zipper in your pants was like a revolving door for women. She must be one hell of a pussy in bed." "Don't fucking talk about her like that." "I can't believe this. Cameron, Cameron." Her eyes widened and gleamed. She kept them on me even as she poured the rest of the drink in her glass. "Don't tell me you have feelings for this girl." I clenched my jaw, pulled away. "Oh no, no. Don't back away now. Don't tell me you actually think you're in love with this girl." She picked up her drink, studied my face as she finished everything in her glass in one gulp. Slowly a look of disbelief touched her features. She shook her head, mouth opened slightly. Raven was so detached from anything that she thought made her weak—like caring for anyone but herself. She'd rather walk away, lock everything. "Oh my God," she said under her breath. She looked at me as if she'd just figured out something big and it hit her like a ton of bricks. "You think you love this girl, don't you?" She let out a laugh. Wild and loud and out of control. It overtook her whole body, so that she'd almost doubled over while holding her stomach. When she was done, she tossed her hair behind her shoulder and shot me a condescending look. "Cameron, you don't even know what love is. Why do you think you're always fucking every girl you came across before? And you're going to tell me about love? Oops. I think I stepped in some on my way here. Want to scrape it off my stiletto?" She put her glass down with a clink. "You disappoint me, baby." "I thought you'd know by now," I said quietly, forming my hands into fists, "how much I don't give a shit what you think of me. Leave her alone. Do it while I'm saying it nicely." She looked at my fists on the counter. "I think I'm going to shed a tear." But she backed away.