Page 130 of Diamond Kisses

He nodded. “Henri.”

“And I’m not lying. I’m tired, and I want to sleep.”

“You just admitted you wanted to die.”

“Yes well, I didn’t, did I?”

“But you still want to.”

I narrowed my eyes. “Just leave, alright? You have my gratitude. If you agree to contact Paavak’s family and…Il…” Wiping my mouth with a shaky hand, I forced myself to be strong. “If you’ll contact Paavak’s and Ily’s family and give them closure, then I can rest easy.”

“You can die, you mean.”

“No, I—”

“I’ve already contacted Ilyana Sharma’s family. She gave me her name months ago, remember?” His green eyes glinted in the gloom. “On the phone?”

“Yes.” My voice cooled even further. Any colder and he’d be chipping icicles off his floor. “I remember.”

I remembered cradling her close after Victor backhanded her to the floor.

I remembered Victor claiming I had a silly crush when the truth was, I was already unbearably in love with her.

“I contacted her father at the hospital she mentioned that very day,” Q said. “I know I shouldn’t have, but I promised him I would return his daughter.”

“So he’s expecting her coffin to arrive any day now?”

Fuck me, the pain.

The sheerunsurvivablepain.

“I’m hoping it won’t come to that.” He slapped his thighs and stood. “Are you strong enough to walk? I think I’ve made yet another mistake.”

I narrowed my eyes. “What mistake?”

“I need to show you something.”

The thought of getting out of bed…of walking and living when I was so close to being free.

Not interested.

I forced a yawn. “I think I’m just going to sleep for a bit, if it’s all the same to you.”

“Sleep? Yeah right.” He crossed his arms. “I know exactly what you’re planning to do the moment my back is turned.”

I froze.

He towered over me, his sheer presence shoving me against my pillows. “I see it as plain as day in your eyes.”

“See what?”

“That you’re done.”

I jolted.

He’d stolen the words right out of my head.

Before I could deny, he sneered, “I don’t know how you’ll do it, but you will. Know how I know? I know because I’ve been there. I’ve suffered the loss of love. And it fucking butchered me.”

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