Chapter 154

Roman's POV 

“Let him go, Ethan.” Lauren’s voice came from behind me, sharp and steady. It cut straight through the rumble of my blood and the tightness in my jaw. I could feel the heat of the moment like a live wire between us.

Ethan hadn’t lost his touch. Christ, he never did. But if he thought for one second I’d forgotten how to move, how to react, how to take control, then he was badly mistaken. That arrogance, he wore it like armor was exactly what got him in trouble.

The hold he had on my arm was iron-quick and old-trained, the kind of grip born from practice and resentment. I felt the twist, felt the pressure, and then made a decision I’d made a thousand times in other rooms, other fights: I popped my shoulder out on purpose. Pain flared hot and immediate, then there was the strange, freeing looseness as the joint slipped out of place. I worked my hand until it was flexible, breath tight in my chest, and then pushed.

Ethan stumble