Page 59 of The Devil's Pawn

“Leave us,” I tell him and my men, not looking away from her. “Take these two down. I’ll be there in a minute.”

Enzo shoves our prisoners forward while I continue staring at her, wanting more than anything to calm the impending storm overcasting her features.

When the basement door creaks and the sound of it closing fills the room, I slowly approach her, climbing up the first step of the stairs she’s still on.

But instead of waiting for me, she backs up with every deep and hasty breath.

“Don’t be scared of me,” I whisper, hoping the calmness in my tone will make her stop moving away.

She shakes her head violently, her unflinching gaze telling me that fear is her only friend. “Who are those men? What are you going to do to them?”

“Nothing they don’t deserve.”

“Are…are you going to kill them?” Her voice jolts.

“What do you want me to say, Raquel?”

“The fucking truth!” she cries. “Who are you really? Because you sure as hell aren’t some regular old businessman.”

I want to spill my heart and tell her what she’s begging for, but I know I can’t. Not yet. Not until her father and uncles are dead, along with that fiancé of hers.

If I say anything now, she won’t want to stay. And if she goes, who knows if I’d ever see her alive again? Keeping the truth from her is the only way to keep her safe.

“The truth is…” I hesitate for a moment. “Those two men are not good people. They hurt some kids really fucking badly, and my brother and I are going to do everything we can to find out where those children are.”

I tread another step closer, and this time she doesn’t back away.

“Can you understand that? Can you live with that?”

My heart pounds as she continues to silently stare, uncertainty muddling her eyes, her brows tensing. Seconds might as well be minutes as I wait for her to tell me she understands why I’m doing this.

“Those men really hurt kids? You’re not bullshitting me?”

“I’m not, Raquel. I swear, baby. They’re stealing them and hurting them in the worst way. Or at least they know who is.”

“Oh, God!” A hand clamps over her mouth.

I take another step up, needing to be close to her, to kiss those lips again. I’m finally in front of her, my hands tentatively reaching toward her face, my thumbs softly swiping over the tops of her cheeks.

“Don’t be scared of me, okay? I’d never hurt you. I hope you know that.” I cup her face in my palms, lowering my lips to her forehead. “I’ll be up to see you when I’m done, but only if you want me to.”

“I…I don’t know what I want.” The words stumble out.

I suck in a quick breath, dropping my hands away. She doesn’t want me, not anymore, and she hasn’t even seen me at my worst. She hasn’t seen what I’m capable of.

“I understand.” Disappointment etches itself in my heart, stamping next to self-hatred.

Of course she doesn’t want me.

“Go to bed, Raquel.” I make my way down the stairs. “We can talk more tomorrow if you want.”

I grit my teeth with my back to her, hating that the woman I’m falling for no longer looks at me the way she used to. I’m no longer her savior. I’m the darkness finding her dreams and turning them into nightmares.

“Wait,” she calls, her feet prodding down the steps.

I spin toward her, hopeful she can accept me for who I’ve become.

She stands before me, her lips forming a thin line. “From the moment I stepped into your home, I knew there was something more to you. Something dangerous.” She peers down at her feet before her eyes are back on me. “But I also saw the good in your eyes. The kindness.” She slowly, hesitantly pulls out a hand to mine, forging them together. “I still see it.”

---