Page 43 of Final Vendetta

The late afternoon light cast shadows across his face, making him look sharper. Colder. As if some part of him had been carved away, leaving only his rough edges.

He opened one of the cabinets and retrieved a bottle of scotch, pouring several fingers and taking a long gulp. He set the glass on the counter, staring at it for a moment before he finally looked up and noticed me studying him.

“What are you doing?” he asked, his voice flat.

“Enjoying the sunset. Or as much of the sunset Icanfrom in here.”

He took another long sip from his drink, then made his way toward me, lowering himself into the chair beside mine and focusing his gaze on the horizon.

After several silent moments, his eyes shifted from the window, floating over me like he was assessing me for damage.

“How’s Melanie?”

“She’s good. Just worried.”

His jaw tightened, but he said nothing. Simply turned his gaze back toward the horizon, the sky darkening with every second.

Lately, every glance, every word seemed like a version of someone I barely recognized. This man in front of me wasn’t Gideon Saint. But he wasn’t Samuel Tate, either. The space between us felt wider than ever, a divide that threatened to swallow us whole.

“Why don’t we get away?” I suggested after several more moments, unsure how much longer I could stand this tension between us.

While I hated Liam for breaking into my house and destroying all sense of security, I hated him even more for this. For creating this unbearable rift between Gideon and me.

“Get…away?”

“Exactly. Let’s get out of this place for a few days. Go somewhere without all of this hanging over us.” I linked my fingers with his, savoring in the feel of his skin on mine.

His expression softened, the turmoil and frustration that had been plaguing him momentarily disappearing.

“We could go to Hilton Head like we used to. We can go to that hole in the wall restaurant where we both ate all those oysters and clams. Get drunk on cheap beer. Forget about life for a minute.”

“That sounds amazing,” he sighed, a smile teasing his lips. It was the first genuine smile I’d seen since the break-in. But in mere seconds, his expression fell and he pulled away from me, standing. “I don’t think it’s a good idea.”

I blinked repeatedly, feeling like the rug had just been pulled out from underneath me.

“Why not?” I shot to my feet.

“Because it’s not safe.” His voice was calm, but there was a hardness there, making it clear this wasn’t up for discussion. “I can keep you safe here. In these four walls. The security is state-of-the art. There are cameras and sensors. I know that no harm will come to you here. But anywhere else?” He shook his head. “I can’t risk it.”

“So…what?” I bit out, my frustration bubbling up. “Are you just going to keep me locked up here forever?”

He reached for my hand in an attempt to soothe me. “I’m just trying to protect you.”

I ripped my hand from his. “Protect me?” The words came out sharper than I’d intended, but I didn’t stop. “You’re treating me like I’m made of glass. Like I might break. Hell, you won’t even fuck me like you used to when you were?—”

I stopped short, inhaling a sharp breath.

“When I was…what?”

I hesitated, my words stuck in my throat. I hadn’t expected to have this conversation with him when I proposed going away on a romantic weekend together.

I could have dropped it. Hell, that was probably what I should have done. But I couldn’t deny how much I missed the dark parts of him.

“When you were Gideon,” I finally confessed. “When you were wild and rough and hungry.” I stepped toward him, closing the gap between us until there was barely a breath separating us.“When you touched me without hesitation. Without treating me like you’re worried I might break.”

“Imogene,” he begged, his jaw tense, as if struggling to reconcile the two parts of himself.

“I love you,” I continued, placing my hand on his cheek. “I willalwayslove Samuel Tate. But I miss Gideon Saint. I miss his hunger and passion. Miss the darkness that matched my own.” I hoisted myself onto my toes, my lips hovering near his. “I miss how alive he made me feel.”

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