Page 209 of Brutal Savage

“Please…”

Oh, fuck. He’s doing it. A throb clings to my throat.

“Please don’t leave me too.”

Elara sniffles, cupping her mouth.

“Never, Brody. I’m never gonna leave you.” Blinking past my own emotions, I hold him tightly to me, ignoring the stabbing pain, focusing on the fact that he talked again.

He fucking talked.

“I’ve missed your voice, kid.” I kiss the top of his head, squeezing my eyes shut for a moment. “You know, maybe I’ll get stabbed more often if that’s what finally gets you talking again.”

He cracks a smile, swiping under his lashes. “Not funny.”

I shrug, my mouth tipping up. “It’s a little funny.”

“Yeah, no.” Elara wrinkles her nose as she shakes her head. “Not even close to funny.”

I let out a chuckle right before my face grows serious when I stare into her gorgeous cerulean gaze.

“Elara…” My chest squeezes. “Sit by me.”

Brody slips a little lower on the bed, staying by my knees to give her room beside me.

She places a palm around my face. “I’m glad you didn’t die.”

I laugh. “Me too. It’d be much harder to tell you how much I love you.”

Her chest swells with a quick inhale, lips parting with the shock weaving through her features.

“You don’t have to say anything,” I tell her. “But I’ve wanted to tell you for a while now. I just… I didn’t know how to. Never said it to a woman before, but you…” I take her hand in mine and kiss the center of her palm. “When I woke up, all I wanted was to see you and tell you that I love you. That I want you. That I need you, Elara. With all my damn heart.”

Her tears streak silently as I go on, needing to get it all out.

“And I know I forced you into this and that wasn’t right. But I need you to know I’m not sorry about it. I’d do it again if I could. Because you were meant to be mine, Mrs. Quinn. And with every single day you wear my ring, I’m gonna prove to you that I’m worthy of you.”

I stare deep into her eyes.

Waiting.

Hoping for her to say that she loves me right back.

Yet it never comes.

ELARA

I can’t make my mouth move, rendered speechless. He was adamant about not falling in love with me, and a part of me accepted that I might never hear him say those words. But now, actually hearing them, my heart’s ready to explode.

“It’s okay if you don’t feel the same.” His gaze grows pained. “I understand. But it will never change how I feel.”

I place my hand over his chest, searching his gaze, knowing what I feel is too powerful to ignore. There’s no way I can allow him to think I don’t feel the same.

“I don’t know how it happened, Mr. Quinn, but I’m crazy in love with you too.”

His grin, it lights up the room and my soul right along with it. “Never said I was crazy in love with you.”

His teasing has me laughing. Brody’s chuckling too.

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