Aurora's POV
His words felt like ice water being poured over my skin. The contract. It was a cold reminder of the deal I had made, but the man who had signed that paper never used it as a weapon like this. The real Raymond had a darkness to him, yes, but he also possessed a strange, quiet respect that always made me feel safe. This man? He made me feel like prey.
"Raymond, please," I choked out, my hands flat against his chest, trying to create even an inch of space. "Oliver is fighting for his life. Have you no heart? How can you think of this right now?"
He let out a sharp, dark laugh right against my pulse point. "Why do you keep bringing up a dead man? Whether he dies tonight or tomorrow, he is finished. His father is already looking for someone to blame… You're the only one crying, Aurora. It's pathetic."
