Page 45 of Not Your Hero

“No. Should I?”

“You took someone’s life, Gannix!”

“Someone who hurts children, Emerson! If I think about how I was raised, I should have killed my father too. He made me this,” he yells, pointing at himself. “He made me the fucking monster I am, so why shouldn’t I keep another child from going through that?” His anger is rising, and I can see it in his eyes. The fire dances in his dark gaze, and it makes me wonder just how bad his childhood was.

“I …”

“Don’t say anything. Fuck this,” he snarls before turning and heading for the stairs. I rush toward him, grabbing his hand and tugging him back.

“Wait.”

“What?” he finally turns to face me, and I see the rage in him, but I also see the side of him that truly cares about the kids.

“I’m sorry.”

“For what?”

“All of it, Gannix. The fact you feel like you should have had to kill your parents. The way they hurt you. The way you feel like you’re broken.” His eyes dance between mine before he finally moves, wrapping his hand around the back of my neck, tugging me toward him, and crashing his mouth to mine. His kiss is intense and heated and one I don’t want to end.

When he finally pulls back, he rests his forehead against mine and just breathes.

“I knew you were special, Emerson. I knew you were going to be different from the others.”

“How so?”

“I don’t know. I could just feel it. I knew that deep down you’d understand me and why I do the things I do,” he responds. I don’t know how much I understand. I don’t know what he thinks I see.

“I don’t know what you want from me, Gannix?”

“What I want from you? I want everything, Emerson. Everything.”

“What if I can’t give it to you?”

“You can. You just don’t see it yet. You don’t know what you can give because your mom took so much from you, just like mine did. She made you think the worst of yourself when all I can see is the best.”

“I … I’ve cheated on people, Gannix. I’ve never really been faithful to anyone.” Admitting that is harder than I thought it would be but it’s the truth. It’s why Brandon left me.

“Oh, baby. That’s because you were never with a man like me. The way I’m going to fuck you, the things I’m going to do to you, you won’t think about another man.”

Chapter 25

Gannix

Was I shocked when she agreed to go with me? Yeah, I was. I wasn’t sure she’d agree with me that easily, but then again, she’s been trapped in this house and probably wants to get out for at least a little while, and I want her to.

I left her a dress and all the accessories she’d need on her bed after I got myself ready. I don’t know how long she’s going to take, and it doesn’t really matter to me. I would wait forever for Emerson.

Surprisingly, it doesn’t take her as long as other women to get ready. I look up as she walks down the stairs, the red dress I picked out for her hugging every fucking curve on her body like a second skin. I can’t take my eyes off her as she makes her way down and stands in front of me. But she doesn’t look as happy as I thought she would.

“What’s wrong? You hate the dress?”

“No. I'd love the dress if it were on someone else’s body.”

“What do you mean? You look gorgeous.”

“In the front, yes.”

“Meaning?”

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