Page 77 of Ruthless King

He grabs my hands. “No touching!” a guard shouts at us. After a beat, Nico lets me go.

“Seeing you hurt, almost dying in my arms, made me realize I can’t stay mad at you, Aurora. I’m not sure what our future holds, but what I do know is that I want you to be ok.”

I try to hold back my tears, but it’s impossible. “Nico, I meant it when I said I love you. I do love you. You asked for honestythe first day we met, and that’s the honest truth. My aunt was manipulating me. I was scared. I’d just lost my father. I didn’t know what to believe. But I couldn’t ever hurt you because I don’t want to hurt you. I need you to know that.”

“I do,” he says gruffly. “I do.” He grabs my face and kisses me hungrily.

The guard shouts at us to stop touching. Nico lets the kiss linger a little longer before letting me go.

“Get to the house,” he says. “You’ll be safe there.”

“But Andrew can get in.”

“I already sent a call to my lawyer. He had every lock and code changed in the house the moment I was arrested. Andrew can’t get in. Go to my lawyer, and get the codes. Then get inside and stay there until I’m back. I won’t be in here for much longer. Trust me.”

“I do—trust you, that is.”

The way Nico smiles at me tells me everything I need to know.

After getting the codes from Nico’s lawyer, I hurry inside the mansion, making sure to lock every door. Andrew can’t get me in here. He can’t.

Nico and I will be fine, I tell myself. I have no idea how he’s going to get out of this. I have no idea how we’re going to build a life together—if he even wants to. He told me he forgave me, but that doesn’t mean he wants to stay married to me.

I spend an entire day in the mansion all by myself when the front door finally opens, and Nico steps inside.

We stare at each other for a moment before running into each other’s arms. He holds me close, kissing me deeply.

“How did you get out?” I ask after we’ve parted.

“I have contacts all throughout this city. But we can’t stay long. Those detectives—Chase and Morgan—they’re not on my payroll. They’ll come for me. We have to leave and head to a safehouse.”

“You want me to come with you?”

Nico squeezes my hand. “I want you to come with me. We’ve both made mistakes. I want you in my life, Aurora. From that first moment I met you, I knew I wanted you in my life.”

“Ok, then,” I whisper. “Let’s go.”

“Not so fast.” It’s Andrew, standing in the doorway with a gun in his hand.

“How did you get in here?” Nico growls.

“You’re not the only one with contacts, Nico. It wasn’t hard to find a way in here, especially because all your guards trust me. Hell, I’m the one who gave them all jobs to begin with. So, you’re going to do as I say, or this will all end badly.”

He cocks his gun, aiming it at my head.

Chapter

Nineteen

AURORA

“Lower the gun,” Nico growls, wrapping his arm around my waist.

“I don’t think so,” Andrew responds. “You’re going to go back to the police and confess to everything. That you killed Giovanni. You’re going to jail. Or I’m going to kill your wife.”

Nico’s arm tightens around me. “Not unless I kill you first.”

“Too bad you’re outnumbered.”

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