The Fire That Consumes

The Ride Back

The car was silent.

Deadly silent.

Evelyn sat in the passenger seat, hands clenched in her lap. She could still feel the ghost of Elias's grip on her wrist, still hear the sick amusement in his voice.

Theo's hands gripped the steering wheel so tightly his knuckles turned white. His jaw was clenched, his entire body tense with barely restrained rage.

He hadn't said a word since they left.

Not a single word.

The quiet was worse than the shouting.

Worse than the accusations.

Worse than anything.

Evelyn swallowed.

"Theo, I—"

"Don't."

His voice was razor-sharp, cutting through the air like a blade.

She flinched.

Theo exhaled, his grip on the wheel tightening even more.

"You left, Evelyn," he bit out. "You went to him. Again."

Evelyn closed her eyes. "I had to. He was going to kill Kade."

Theo let out a sharp, humorless laugh. "So you thought sacrificing yourself was the solution?"

She turned to him, desperate. "I couldn't let him hurt you. Either of you."

Theo's jaw twitched. "And you think I can just sit back and let him hurt you?"

Evelyn didn't have an answer for that.

Because deep down—she knew.

Theo wasn't the kind of man to sit back and do nothing.

He would burn the entire world to protect her.

And Elias knew that.

That was why he had done this.

Not to have Evelyn.

But to break Theo.

The realization hit her like a train.

Elias hadn't just wanted to claim her.

He wanted to turn Theo into him.

And judging by the storm raging behind Theo's eyes—

It was working.

Theo slammed the car door shut the second they arrived back at the hotel.

He didn't even look at Evelyn before storming inside.

She ran after him.

"Theo—"

The moment they stepped into the room, he turned on her.

"Do you have any idea what you just did?" His voice was low, dangerous.

Evelyn swallowed. "I—"

"You let him touch you, Evelyn."

She stiffened.

Theo took a step closer, his eyes burning with something unrecognizable.

"You let him put his hands on you," he repeated, his voice shaking. "You let him win."

Evelyn's breath caught.

Theo was hurting.

Not just angry.

Not just furious.

He was breaking.

And it was because of her.

"Do you think I don't know what he was doing?" Theo growled, his hands clenched into fists. "He wanted to prove something. To me. To you. To the whole fucking world."

Evelyn's heart pounded. "I didn't—"

"He wanted to show that you belonged to him now," Theo continued, voice raw. "And you let him."

Her eyes widened. "No—"

"Do you even understand what that did to me, Evelyn?"

His voice cracked.

And that—more than anything—broke her.

Because Theo Bennett never let his voice crack.

She took a step forward, reaching for him. "Theo, please—"

He stepped back.

Evelyn froze.

Theo never pulled away from her.

Never.

But now, he was looking at her like he didn't know whether to hold her close or destroy everything around him.

"You don't get it," he whispered.

Her throat tightened. "Then tell me."

Theo let out a sharp breath, shaking his head. "You think Elias is the real monster, Evelyn?"

She frowned. "He is."

Theo chuckled darkly, running a hand through his hair. "No. I am."

Evelyn's blood ran cold.

"What—"

"I shot him, Evelyn." His voice was empty. "I almost killed him. And the worst part?"

He looked up, meeting her gaze.

"I wanted to. I still want to."

Her breath hitched.

Theo took another step back. "Do you know how dangerous that is? How dangerous I am?"

Evelyn didn't hesitate. "You're not—"

"I am," he cut her off. "I am, Evelyn."

His voice was breaking, but his body was shaking with fury.

"Because when I saw you in his arms," Theo whispered, "I wanted to do more than shoot him."

He closed his eyes.

"I wanted to kill him with my bare hands."

Silence.

Heavy. Suffocating.

Evelyn felt her chest tighten.

This wasn't just anger.

This wasn't just jealousy.

This was something else.

Something darker.

She took a deep breath, stepping closer.

"You're not him, Theo," she said softly. "You never will be."

Theo's eyes burned into hers. "You don't know that."

She reached up, cupping his face.

"I do."

His jaw clenched under her touch.

For a second—just a second—his walls cracked.

And Evelyn saw it.

The pain.

The heartbreak.

The fear.

"Theo," she whispered.

His breath stuttered.

And then—

He yanked her against him, his arms crushing her to his chest.

Evelyn gasped, but she didn't pull away.

Because this wasn't possession.

It wasn't rage.

It was desperation.

Theo buried his face in her hair, his grip tightening like he was afraid she'd disappear.

Evelyn closed her eyes, her own arms wrapping around him.

They stayed like that.

Breathing. Holding.

Trying to fix what was breaking.

Trying to hold on to each other before it was too late.

Because this wasn't just about Elias anymore.

This was about them.

And the war that had just begun.

---

End of Chapter 63