“Why do you refuse to fight me?” My defiance slipped, and my eyes broke away. “Tell me,” he roared, fingers squeezing around my throat. “Because it wasn’t a lie for me!” Hot tears sprang up anew. I let my head drop back against the pole, shutting my eyes in shame. “I can’t fight you, Luther. The thought of killing you...” I let out a shaky, defeated sigh. “I care about you too much. Even if you don’t feel the same.”