Shadowed (Team Zero #4) by Rina Kent

Shadow is legit crazy and that makes him impossible to predict. I have no idea what he’s planning.

I usher Liam into the old boat and even push it, creating a disturbance and a splash in the previously calm water. As soon as Liam sails away, my heartbeat calms a little.

There’s still the sound of the boat in the water, but no sign of Shadow.

I approach the deck to make sure Liam arrived to the shore.

The water is pitch black like the night surrounding it. Silence pierces the air. I release a breath when Liam heads to the main door. The metal clinks and creaks in protest when he opens it.

Realisation hits me like a hurricane. What if Shadow is waiting for Liam outside? What if –

The water splashes and a hand clutches my ankle. I scream as Shadow’s head spurts to the surface.

Overcast eyes swallow me in as he grins. “Gotcha, beautiful.”





Chapter Twelve





That thing about stirring a monster? He’s standing right in front of me in all his wet glory.

Shadow shakes his head like some animal and water splash on my face. Curls of dark blond hair fall on his forehead in a perfectly imperfect mess.

His white T-shirt has become see through, and is sticking to taught tattooed muscles. The jeans hang low on his hips, teasing to a defined V line that points like an arrow to his groin. I can’t help following the water trails that snake down from his neck and his biceps to underneath his trousers.

I mentally shake myself from his spell. How could I be so transfixed with him? He’s arrogant, remorseless, and without any ounce of humanity — beside the vain hope Nonna still hangs to about her precious Angelo.

Angel, my arse. He’s a demon bred by Satan himself.

Despite drenching with water, Shadow’s undivided attention falls on me. Under the dim light coming from the lake house, his eyes are darker and more ominous.

I cross my arms over my chest and stare at him head on. To say I’m not scared of him would be the lie of the century. He’s provoking a part that I want to keep dead. What he brings out from deep within frightens me more than what he does. But if he thinks he can intimidate me, then he found the wrong girl.

Shadow ruffles his wet strands and lets them fall haphazardly. “Nice save.”

“What?”

He hooks his thumb towards the deck on the opposite side. “You saved your boyfriend within a second of his life.”

Isn’t the saying ‘within an inch of his life’?

It’s best he believes Liam is my boyfriend instead of suspecting that we’re from the police. Shadow needs to keep his destructive hands as far away from Liam and Elle as possible.

“We were done and he was leaving anyway.” I pretend to be bored and examine my green-polished nails. “Don’t flatter yourself.”

In a second, Shadow is toe-to-toe with me.

“Keep it up, beautiful. Tell me more.” He grins, and now, I know how he masterfully hides his monstrosity behind these endless smiles. He’s so freaking charming, he almost appears normal. However, I see it. There’s barely anything behind those hollow eyes.

Was he ever a human in the first place?

According to Nonna, he was. Despite his harsh abandonment, he still withheld some of his humanity. But since he was separated from Nonna, he turned into a monster and he seems pretty satisfied with it.

“Do you like being hollow?” I ask because I genuinely want to know.

His posture turns rigid even though he’s still hiding behind that atrocious grin. “Do you want me to fuck you here?”

I scowl.

“You prefer inside where your boyfriend just fucked you?” His smirk widens. “Kinky.”

“All you had to say is that you like being hollow and I'll figure out the rest. There’s no need to deflate. I don’t even know why I bother with you.” I sigh and stride towards the lake house to take my bag. The sooner I’m out of here, the better.

I’m barely inside when he clutches my wrist and flings me around to face him. Under the soft light, the five o’clock shadow give him a warrior-like aura.

“What do you mean by ‘you will figure out the rest’?”

“Do you even care?”

He pauses for a second, and for once, his atrocious grin disappears. “I might.”

“Let me know when you do.” I reach for my bag on the cushion.

He tightens his hold on my wrist, causing me to wince. “Why do you hate being on your knees?”

Dread trickles down my spine and blood pumps into my ears. I attempt to move away. Shadow puts two fingers under my chin and forces me to stare into the storm in his eyes. Those deep greys are starting to give me whiplash. Most of the time, they’re a hollow calculative maze, but at other times, it’s a hurricane near eruption.

“You asked if I care.” His forefinger traces the line of my jaw. “I care about that.”

I revert my gaze to stare anywhere but at his face. “I don’t want to talk about it.”

Does he expect me to tell him my darkest secret just like that? Even Elle and Liam don’t know this part of me.

His index finger and thumb clutch my jaw and he squeezes. It’s not that hard, but it’s enough to make me aware of his strength.

“You will break up with your boyfriend.”

“Excuse me?”