Page 46 of The Last Shadow

“I’m here.”

His brows dip and confusion flickers across his face. “Is everything okay?”

I nod. “No. Yes. Everythingwillbe okay.”

His gaze rakes over me and my body responds to the heated look in his hazel eyes. God, I hate that he has this control over me. “What’s going on Francesca?”

“I need to go somewhere.” I clasp my hands together and keep still, watching as his eyes narrow with uncertainty.

“Where?”

I let out a breath and shake my head. “It’s not jail, and I’m not arresting you.” He studies me, suspicion clear in his eyes. “Please. I need to show you something.”

His jaw clenches like he’s about to break some teeth, and his eyes dart back and forth. “You’re my wife now, Francesca, and you can’t reveal anything I’ve shared with you.”

“I’m not turning you in or revealing anything, Damien. I swear.” I hold up both hands. “It’s a place off Route 66.” I descend the last few steps and make my way to the front door. “Come on.”

He doesn’t move, just watches me. I wonder what he sees—the woman who might be his undoing, or the one he’s bound to protect. “Where are we going?”

“We’re going back, Damien. To my past.” He still doesn’t budge, and I push harder. “You trusted me with your darkest secret, and I’m still here.”

“Fine,” he growls, and closes the distance between us. “Leave your phone here.”

“I have nothing on me, Damien. You’re safe. I swear.” I pat my pockets and turn slowly before we’re face to face once again. “I’ve given this a lot of thought. Ineedto do this.”

“I’m driving.”

“Good.” I’m too wound up to focus on the road. This is part of my history, a place I’ve avoided for years. I don’t know if it’s the right move, but we’re on the way now, and there’s no stopping.

After a long silence, Damien finally speaks. “When I said I loved you, I meant it, Francesca.”

I scoff, looking out the window. “Hard to believe.”

He clenches the wheel, glancing over. “What the fuck is that supposed to mean?”

“It means,” I sign and turn to face him, feeling my anger rise despite what I’m about to do. “You targeted me, Damien. You sought me out to make sure that I didn’t get anywhere close to solving these murders.” I laugh and shake my head. “A billionaire who gets his own coffee? It was a good show, but it was just a show, wasn’t it?”

He doesn’t confirm or deny it and that’s answer enough. “I wasn’t supposed to fall in love with you, kitten. I only wanted to make sure that you fell in love with me.” He shakes his head. “But I couldn’t stop myself.”

I nod, almost numb. “But falling in love was all part of it. You didn’t romance me because you wanted to. It was a calculated plan.” His silence says it all. “A twisted plan.”

His grip on the wheel tightens and the car speeds up. “I am that man, Frankie. Everything I did was exactly what I wanted to do.” His eyes flick to mine, burning with an intensity that makes my breath catch, and his foot presses down even harder on the accelerator.

The car rockets forward, the speed climbing too fast, too reckless. Panic rises in my chest, and a terrifying thought claws its way in. He’s lost control. He wants to kill us both. “Damien!” I yell, my hands gripping the edge of the seat. “Slow down! We need to turn up here!”

For a moment, he doesn’t respond. Then, his foot eases off the gas, and the car slows, enough that I can breathe again.

“Yes, I wanted you to fall in love with me. I needed you to, but somewhere along the way, you started to matter to me,” he says, his tone lower now, but still threaded with simmering anger. “I thought of ways to make you smile with your eyes, to hear your sweet laugh. Iwantedyou to love me more than Ineededyou to.”

The car slows further, and I let out a shaky breath, my pulse finally easing.

“That was just fucking stupid,” I bark, and don’t care how he takes it. It was a stupid move. I lean forward, forcing calm into my voice. “There’s a side road up ahead. Take it.”

His eyes narrow as he glances over. “This isn’t your jurisdiction.”

“No. It’s not.” He steers onto the narrow dirt road, leaving the world behind us. Soon, an abandoned barn comes into view, faded blue paint flaking off, barely standing against the elements. “Stop up there,” I say, pointing to the old willow tree beside it.

He parks, glancing at the empty farmhouse. “Where are we?”

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