Page 63 of Cruel Devil

“You could just be saying that O’Brien wants Sergio dead so I’d let my guard down when you’re around my father. Or me.”

“You think I’d lie to you about this?”

“It’s obvious there’s something you’re not telling me. How am I supposed to trust you? You’ve lied to me before.”

I can’t bear to keep looking at his pitch black eyes, or his tight mouth. I drop my gaze to Princess, who doesn’t have the same problem. Something has her spellbound. She stares up at him with wide, unblinking eyes. Maybe it’s his deep, gravelly voice, or the way he’s absently rocking her with one arm, her head safely captured in the palm of his wide, strong hand.

“I’m sorry,” I grate out reluctantly. “About running away and stuff. It’s hard, you know. Someone telling you to rely on them, when I’ve had to do it all by myself for years.”

He steps closer, the only distance between us is the little bundle of Princess. Then he takes my chin in his fingers, forcing me to look up at him.

“Get used to it. I’m not going anywhere, Nyx. Doesn’t matter what deal you’ve worked out with O’Brien, we’ll figure this out.” The weight of the love I see in his eyes, makes me feel ten times heavier than before.

Fuck, I don’t deserve this man, and he sure as hell doesn’t deserve me.

He could’ve promised that my sisters will be safe, but we both know that’s out of his hands.

He could have interrogated me about the meeting with O’Brien. I might even have broken down and confessed everything.

But If he knew what really happened in that warehouse, half the country would be locked down in preparation for world war three.

I saw his face when I undressed, when he saw the marks on my body.

But I asked him to trust me. And Savage being Savage…he will.

Which makes me a piece of shit.

I don’t deserve him.

And he sure as hell deserves someone better than me.

Chapter 21

Vito

I rush after Andy, intercepting her off before she goes down the stairs.

“Hey.”

She scowls and detours around me.

I grab her arm. “Hey!”

She spins to face me, one hand on the bannister as she rips herself free.

“You know what? Forget a bullet in the brain. An overdose of morphine is more humane. I’m sure you can rustle some up. Even heroin will do in a pinch. I mean, it’s not like anyone will be pressing charges or anything.”

Andy trots down the stairs, and I have to hurry after her again. Half way down I grab her arm.

“Jesus, stop.”

This time she lets me hold on. “How long has he been like this?”

I pause, staring at the chandelier as I work backward. So much shit has happened between then and now that it feels like months, but it’s barely been a fortnight. “I’m afraid you’ll punch me if I tell you.”

She looks away, but there’s no anger on her face anymore, only resignation. “You’re a bunch of animals, you know that, right?” Her green eyes narrow with disdain as she casts a disgusted look down at the villa’s vaulted entrance hall, the glittering chandelier, the works of art crammed into every nook and cranny. “All this money. Maybe you should try buying some fucking empathy with it.”

This time, when she tugs free, I let her go.

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