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Next came his shirt that had been white in a previous life, but was now crimson and stained in secrets. It was only when his jeans and boxers were lying in a pile at his feet, and he stood before me naked, that I realized what I was dealing with.

Someone dangerous.

Someone a woman like me should run from.

I didn’t.

The stench of death all around us, and the blood splattered on his body –on his hands– wasn’t enough to stop me from goingtohim.

His eyes never left mine as he carefully peeled his hoodie over my head before brushing my hair back over my shoulders.

Reaching out, I pressed my hand to his chest, feeling his heart hammer violently against his tattooed flesh. Instantly, he flexed and stiffened beneath my touch.

Stepping backwards into the shower, I willed him to follow me.

The bite of the piping hot water on my skin was a welcoming sensation.

"I shouldn’t be doing this," Hunter choked out, voice tight and low. His big body sagged as he exhaled a ragged breath, head bowing. "You shouldn’t be here…withme–"

Taking a hold of his hand, I tugged him inside the shower, then closed the space between us so that my body was flush to his, water cascading down on us. "This is where I want to be," I whispered.

My response caused another sigh of pain to escape him. "I need to take you to –"

"Thisis where I want to be," I repeated, interrupting his plea. I wasn’t leaving him. Not tonight. "Don’t send me away."

I heard his stifled groan seconds before he began to wash me, his urgency proof of his desperation to clean me…to wash this away for me.

To make thisbetter.

Thing was, I didn’t want it gone for me if it wasn’t gone for him, too.

His hand cupped my neck, his eyes burning with heat as he stared hard at my cheek. "I am going to hunthimdown," Hunter promised, his voice low and deceptively soft.

Blood dripped from his flesh as he stood motionless beneath the shower head, water cascading down his impressive naked form. He kept his eyes on me as the water washed away the evidence of his crimes – the proof of his love for me.

"Him and every last person involved inthis." He trailed his finger down my cheek for emphasis. "And when I find him?"

Leaning down, Hunter pressed a soft kiss to my bruised eyelid. "When I flush him out?" His lips moved to hover over my cheek. "I am going to kill him slowly."

Hunter's threat sent a shiver down my spine.

Because I believed him.

Every word.

He paused to press a tender kiss to my bloodied flesh. "He will knowexactlyhow you felt tonight."

Lovingly, he trailed kisses down my marred cheek; his gentle touch a stark contrast to his violent promises. "He willdieroaring and begging me for mercy."

His hands came around my middle, caressing my naked skin with such tenderness I could hardly stand it. "And he will receive from me the exact same mercy he showedyou."

A pained sob tore from my mouth, the memories and vivid images of what happened tonight too much to bear.

Hunter soothed my pain with his lips, taking my breath away with a kiss so fierce, it ricocheted right down to my core.

Trembling, I poured all that was left of me into our kiss, intohim, sealing my fate with his – joining oursouls.

His hands were on my face, fingers knotted in my hair, as he kissed me like it was the last time he ever would. Hungrily, I accepted his passionate onslaught, needing the feel of him just as desperately as he did.

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