Page 27 of My Cowboy Bodyguard

She goes so still I don’t even hear her breathing.

And I’m going out on a limb here because I can’t hold it in any longer.

“I love you, my precious, broken angel. Stay with me, forever.

Chapter 9

Amanda

If I wasn’t leaning against the building I would have fallen on my ass. “What did you say?”

“I said I love you.”

“You loveme? The unlovable?”

“What the fuck makes you think you’re unlovable?”

“I was left at the Home, and no one cared and?—”

He cups my face in his hands. “Until me. And I’m your forever, honey. So my love is the one that matters. This love doesn’t walk away and it doesn’t fade.”

All the pain from the years I spent alone trying to simply survive hits me hard. I try to stop my tears but can’t. I throw myself into his arms, gripping him tightly and cry. “I love you too. So much.”

Leo picks me up and carries me into the now empty building. I cling to him. My one and only love. My foundation. My shield. My giver of wings.

He lowers me to my feet and with each tear that falls, Leo kisses them away.

“I went back to the Home, but it was empty and shuttered. I was hoping for information that would help me find you.I wanted to tell you how much your friendship, and your protection meant to me.”

“Oh, honey. You went back to that place?”

I nod. “You were my everything as well as my bodyguard back then.”

“And I always will be. I’d gladly lay down my life for you because without you, I don’t have a life.”

He kisses my lips softly.

I wrap my arms around his waist. “Don’t go to Dallas,” I plead.

“I have to end this.”

I let go of him to pace the small room. “I don’t like it. The family I worked for was never unkind to me while I was there, but they had an air about them. Adon’t-fuck-with-usair and all the employees knew it.”

Leo doesn’t answer me.

“People who were foolish enough to threaten them or their way of life had a way of disappearing or so the rumors said. And I saw the expressionless face, the darkness in the eyes of Gio Balestra, the underboss, once when a man got drunk and threatened his younger sister.”

“Amanda let’s not talk about this anymore. You’re not going to change my mind.”

“Does what I want not mean anything to you?”

“What you want means everything to me but not in this matter. I’m not fucking around when your safety is at risk. Now come over here and suck my cock.”

I laugh at the unexpected statement like he meant for me to as he puts a hand on my hair and smooths it down.

“Then I’m going with you.” I lift my chin, narrowing my eyes when he ignores that. “Leo? Tell me you don’t think I’ll stay here and do nothing while you’re driving into danger.”

“I don’t expect you to do nothing. Make me a sandwich to go.”

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