Page 78 of Captured

“Why would I damage her already fragile hold on the fact she would be by my side permanently with something like that? But she knows enough. It also seems her father had the Saint regime on his radar for years.”

“That’s interesting.”

“Yeah, I’ll say.”

“What are you going to do?” Rico asked.

“Ensure Gideon Martin embraces death or disappears.”

“I’m surprised you’re giving him a choice.”

I glanced toward him, half laughing. “Out of respect for the woman who will be in my life… forever.”

“Whew,” he huffed. “I just hope you’ve thought this through.”

“That’s all that’s been on my mind.”

Within seconds, the sound of her playing a brutal and dark classical piece floated into the room. It was clear how angry she was, how disturbed. I couldn’t say I blamed her in the least.

“O-kay. And wow. Emily also has no trouble speaking her mind. I thought you told me she was an innocent flower.”

“She is. Only there is a strength behind her doe eyes and vulnerability that I find almost as attractive as I do the rest of her.”

“Just remember her father is a powerful man in his own right.”

“Incidentally, is he still attending that fundraiser tomorrow?”

“From what I understand, yes.”

“Good. Because we’re going to have a long chat.”

“He’s meeting with the prince at the same event. Just so you know.”

The event Liam used to participate in. The only one I did as well. The three of us were far too connected, which I didn’t like at all.

“Well,” I said as I rubbed my jaw. “Isn’t that perfect.” Maybe the stars were finally aligning after all. “I’ll be eager to get this portion of my life completed.”

“I’ll be curious what that will mean.” His eyebrows were furrowed, his grin more than his usual mischievous.

“You know what? So will I.” My thoughts returned to Emily, her anger understandable. She knew who and what I was. Sugarcoating it wasn’t going to appease her fears. Only time would.

Or so I hoped.

He swirled the liquid in his glass before swallowing the rest. Then he did something that was totally out of the ordinary. He patted me on the arm. I’d put a scar on his chest because of my anger yet we were almost best friends. I shook my head as he walked out of the room.

Maybe I was finally allowing the darkness from the past to fade away. Or maybe I was simply too old to continue acting like some monstrosity on steroids.

I polished off my drink as Emily continued to pound her fingers on the piano keys. I was certain she’d increased the tempo, the sonata not meant to sound so deliriously dark and full of brutality.

But she was as expressive with her long fingers as she was with her lovely mouth.

The piece she’d played earlier had sparked another type of memory altogether. The song and the movie had been favorites of my mother’s, something I’d forgotten all about. While there’d been no way of Emily knowing that, the old ache that had been beaten out of me had returned for a little while.

I placed my empty glass on my desk. I’d need to punish her for disrespecting me, but I found it interesting I wasn’t facing that with my usual level of joy. I didn’t want my lovely sparrow to suffer any more than was necessary.

No, I wasn’t angry with her. I could already smell and taste the blood of the people responsible for almost ending her life.

And I was looking forward to exacting my revenge.

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