Seven didn't loosen his grip until they rounded the corner, away from Ethan's eyes. The moment they were out of sight, Ruri yanked her wrist free.
"What the hell was that for?" she demanded, her eyes wide as she rubbed the faint red mark his fingers had left behind.
Seven stood in silence, staring down at her flushed, tear-stained face. His heart was still hammering against his ribs from the sudden, terrifying wave of rage that had overtaken him the second he'd seen the man. He hadn't been thinking when he took her hand. One minute he was standing still, the next, he was holding her firmly within his grip.
And now, he had no explanation for that.
Seven blinked, forcing a slow breath past his teeth, trying to anchor his heartbeat before he gave himself away.
"Did you not you say you needed me to act as your man?" he asked nonchalantly, keeping his voice carefully flat. "Have you changed your mind already?"
