Page 47 of Savage Desires

She narrows her eyes. "I can handle it. I'm well trained. Plus, I can give you more information than any of the other women here. I know a lot about Mecca and all the important people there. You need my help."

"You don't have to put yourself in a dangerous situation to help with information," Gladys argues. "Besides, you need time to get healthy. You would be a liability in your current condition."

Willow growls with annoyance. I force myself not to smile at how adorable she is. I know that showing my amusement would be a bad move. She would hate to think I'm underestimating her when that's the furthest thing from the truth.

"I will be fine in a few more days. All I need is a little rest and regular meals. I can hold my own."

Gladys throws her hands in the air in frustration. "Talk some sense into her," she says, leaving the room in a huff.

"Don't try to change my mind," Willow warns. "I'm doing this with or without your help."

I have no doubt she means it. If I turn her away, she'll just find a way to get vengeance on her own. If she does that, she'll get into trouble trying to save the world alone. If I keep her with me, I can keep her safe. It's a feeble excuse. I could keep her away if I wanted.

It would be a dick move to lock her away somewhere safe when I just promised her freedom. It's what I should do. I absolutely shouldn't be thinking that in keeping her here with me, I would have an opportunity to make her mine forever. The truth is, if she stays, there will be no escaping me. I'm already obsessed, and that obsession is growing stronger every minute.

"Are you sure that's really what you want? You have the chance at a new life. What about your family? You could go home…"

Her eyes close, and she lets out a shaky breath. A single tear trails down her cheek. I cup her face and wipe the tear away with my thumb. She presses her face into my palm, soaking up the comfort I'm offering.

"Talk to me, beauty. Tell me what's going on in that head of yours."

"I've been gone a long time. My dad likely moved on with his life. I'm not his little girl anymore."

"Beauty, it doesn't work like that. He'll still want to know you're safe even if he has moved on. You'll always be his little girl. That never changes for good fathers."

"What if he died? Right now, I live in a world where he's alive and living a good life, even if it is without me. If I look for him and find out he's gone… I can't handle that. Just thinking about it breaks my heart."

"You don't have to look for him until you're ready. If you go to Hope House and later decide to find him, that's okay. You can take all the time you need. Everything moves at your pace."

"I'm not going to Hope House. I won't let you send me away," she says stubbornly.

"I don't think you understand what you're asking. We aren't having these people arrested. We kill everyone involved. We torture them for information before we end them as painfully as possible."

"Good. I want that. I want them to pay with their lives. They deserve every ounce of pain. Nothing you do to them will be enough punishment."

I can't say I hate this bloodthirsty side of her. My dick likes it way too fucking much. "Willow?—"

"You can't send me away. You own me. You bought me. I'm yours."

I groan. Fuck. I can't seem to erase the visual of her down on her knees like she told that bitch downstairs. Owning her, collaring her, having her skin kissed pink by my hands, her body writhing underneath me in pleasure. I've never wanted a woman as badly as I want her.

"I did that to save you."

"The result is the same. I'm yours."

"If you stay, I can't guarantee I will ever let you leave. Are you prepared to take that risk? I'm not a good man. I might save women, but that doesn't make me a good man. It makes me an asshole, but I want to keep you. I want to make you mine. It won't take much to convince me, so you need to be sure," I admit.

"You are a good man. I believe that with everything I am," she says without any doubt.

"The fact that I'm considering letting you stay says otherwise. Wanting to own you like you claim makes me a fucking monster."

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

WILLOW

His words reverberate through me, sending tingles over every inch of my skin. I should be disgusted. Terrified. All I feel is a low pulsing of need. It's an unknown feeling, but I don't hate it. I feel so safe with him close. He claims he's a monster, but I can't see him harming me. He's been nothing but gentle with me. Even when I was fighting him, he didn't hurt me. He easily could have, but he carefully restrained me while I did my best to hurt him.

"If you're trying to scare me, it won't work." I keep eye contact so he knows that I'm serious.

---