Chapter 16

• Jason’s POV
• The room reeked of tension. It wasn’t just the heat emanating from Katherine as she lay there, flushed and fragile—it was the suffocating presence of my brothers. The way Michael leaned against the wall, feigning calm, like this situation wasn’t spiraling out of control. The way James fumed, his pacing practically carving a groove into the floorboards.
• It took everything in me not to lash out. Michael’s smugness, James’ impulsive temper—I was surrounded by idiots, and Katherine was paying the price for it.