Page 35 of The Ripper

Even if she didn’t want to admit it to herself, I could see the struggle in her body language, how much she fought herself not to give in.

“Tell me you haven’t thought about me at all,” I baited her, taking a step forward, watching as she took one back. “Tell me you don’t feel this pull between us as strongly as I do.”

“Why didn’t you make yourself known sooner?” I took another step towards her, and she took another step back.

It went on like that for a few more steps until her back touched the tiled wall behind her, and I pressed my palms on either side of her head.

“I wanted to, but I couldn’t, because I’m not a good man, Arella,” I said with a sigh, shaking my head. “I promised to tell you the truth, so if you don’t want to know and go back to your life, I’ll understand and go back to being nothing but a ghost. It’s your choice,” I whispered over her face. “What will it be, Snezhinka? The truth, or the shadows?”

This was it.

This was the choice that would either set her free or shackle her to me. She could say no and leave, accepting that I would always be a shadow looming over her life, or say yes and leave, knowing that I would stop at nothing to make her come back.

A sharp inhale filled her lungs as her eyes seemed to get lost in mine, and her body shivered as I ran a finger down her naked arm, goosebumps covering her skin in the wake of my touch. She seemed to weigh her options, shifting her weight from one foot to the other, her gaze never leaving mine.

“I want the truth,” she nodded.

An ominous grin coated my lips, one I couldn’t stop.

Welcome to purgatory, little angel.

“I kill people,” I deadpanned, “a lot of them, every day, and most of the time I enjoy it,” I confessed, and she didn’t even flinch.

Her breasts rose and fell in sync with her breathing, and my eyes were drawn to their movement for a second before a slight whimper fell off her lips, pulling my attention back to her face.

“Like, that’s your day job or something?”

Bless her fucking heart.

I rolled my eyes. “That’s my life, Arella. I’ve been brought up into it and there’s nothing I can do to get out of it.”

She nodded as if she understood, and that gesture shook my entire belief system. Why the fuck did she understand?

“Do you kill good people?” she swallowed audibly.

“No.”

“Innocent people?”

“No.”

“Children?”

“Never,” I frowned, my voice low, menacing even. “I may be a monster, but I would never hurt children.”

A sigh that sounded a lot like relief escaped her, and my eyebrows drew together as she pressed herself harder against the wall. My body responded without any permission and closed the space between us, gluing itself to hers.

“What do you want from me, Grimm?” Her warm breath brushed across my chest as she avoided looking at me.

~ Let’s tie her to the bed, she’ll get used to it eventually.

~ Go to hell.

~ I’m taking you with me.

“Everything,” I exhaled, squeezing my eyes shut for a second.

My palms balled into fists next to her head and my jaw clenched as I pushed myself off the wall and stepped away from her, even though every fiber of my being itched to go back.

---