Page 55 of Grave Intentions

“One phone call to his buddy at the precinct,” I continue, “and I’d have been charged with assault or something worse. My word against his about what really happened.”

Lena’s fingers brush my arm. “You can’t blame yourself for his actions.”

“But I can destroy him now.” I meet her gaze in the moonlight. “I’ll ensure he’s eight feet under, just like his no longer future son-in-law.”

The rage still burns hot in my chest, but it’s focused now. Controlled. Mr. Wilson’s time is coming, but it has to be perfect. Calculated. I won’t let him get away with what he did to Lena.

36

LENA

Dark memories flood my mind while I lie in bed, staring at the ceiling.

The image of David’s shocked expression as the knife plunged into his throat while his body weighed me down. The way Talon’s masked face appeared like a demon from my nightmares or perhaps dreams. How he took me over David’s fresh grave.

My stomach churns. Any sane person would run screaming. But I can’t forget how safe I felt in Talon’s arms at the cemetery, how right it felt when he claimed me. The way his possessive touch ignited something primal inside me.

I roll over, burying my face in the pillow. “What’s wrong with me?”

Talon killed a man. He’s obsessed, dangerous, unhinged. And yet... I’ve never felt more alive than when I was with him. Maybe I’m just as broken. Losing my parents, followed by years of mental and physical abuse from the Wilsons, twisted something inside me, too.

I think back to the scared nine-year-old girl who first met Talon. Even then, there was something magnetic about him.Through all the beatings he took for me and the silent ways he protected me, I fell in love with his darkness.

“I love him,” I whisper into the darkness. The truth of it settles heavily in my chest. “God help me, I love every twisted, violent part of him.”

Because Talon understands me in ways no one else ever could. He knows my pain, my rage, my desire for revenge against those who hurt us. He’s the only one who’s ever truly seen me.

The bathroom door creaks, and I jolt upright in bed. Steam billows from the doorway as Talon emerges, water droplets trailing down his sculpted chest. The towel hangs dangerously low on his hips, and I can’t help but trace the defined V of his muscles with my eyes. Scars mark his skin—a testament to all the abuse he endured protecting me and perhaps before the Wilsons, too. I know very little about his former life.

“What were you saying?” His voice is rough, sending shivers down my spine.

I clutch the sheets tighter, averting my gaze. “Nothing. Just talking to myself.”

He stalks toward the bed like a predator, muscles rippling with each step. His eyes narrow, piercing straight through me. “Tell me what’s going on in your pretty head.”

My heart pounds against my ribs. Even after everything we’ve done, the intensity of his presence still overwhelms me. Water drips from his dark hair onto my arm as he leans closer, and I resist the urge to reach out and touch him.

“Lena.” His tone carries a warning. He won’t let this go—he never does. Talon’s possessive nature means he needs to know every thought and every feeling that crosses my mind.

I take a shaky breath, meeting his intense gaze. “I was just thinking about us. About everything that’s happened.”

Talon’s eyes darken as he sits on the edge of the bed. His fingers trace along my jaw, and I fight to not lean into his touch. “Having second thoughts?”

“No.” The word comes out stronger than I expected. “That’s what scares me. I should be horrified. I should want to run screaming after what happened with David. But instead...”

“Instead?” His grip tightens slightly.

“Instead, I’ve never felt more alive.” The confession tumbles from my lips. “When you killed him, then claimed me in the cemetery—I know it’s wrong, but it felt right. Like everything finally clicked into place.”

A dangerous smile spreads across his face. “My beautiful, dark girl.” His thumb brushes across my bottom lip. “You’re finally embracing who you really are.”

“And who is that?”

“Mine.” He leans closer, his breath hot against my ear. “The darkness inside you matches mine. That’s why we fit so perfectly together.”

I shiver at his words, knowing they’re true. The years of abuse and pain have shaped us both. Where others would see a monster in Talon, I see my protector, my salvation.

“I love you,” I whisper, the words falling between us like a confession.

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