Page 182 of Inferno

I feel like I’ve been hit by a truck.

Her body shakes in my arms. Her tears soak through my shirt, and I can barely breathe through the pressure in my chest.

“Your daughter,” I echo. “Vlad hurts her?”

The thought alone ignites something murderous in me.

She shakes her head. “Not yet. I need to go home. Please. Let me go home.”

She clutches me like she’s drowning.

“Does he hurt you?” I whisper.

She pauses, then nods. Just once.

“Yes.”

I pull back and gently lift her chin. I need to see her. I need to see her eyes.

“Is he the one who haunts you?”

Another nod. Slower. Her lips quiver like she’s trying not to fall apart all over again.

And suddenly, I don’t know what the hell I’m doing anymore.

I’ve seen her fierce. I’ve seen her break bones and spill blood. I’ve seen the chaos inside her.

But this. This shattered version of her, raw and exposed and trembling in my arms, is my undoing.

How can someone be so powerful and so broken at the same time?

I trace her cheek with my finger, then down to the curve of her neck, settling my palm over the center of her chest.

Her heartbeat is erratic. Wild. Like it’s trying to escape her ribcage.

And her eyes... that spark is gone.

She’s fading right in front of me.

I should let her. I should break her all the way. That’s what I wanted? But I can’t. I don’t think I ever would have.

For the first time in a long time, I follow my heart.

I study her face, her breathing, every tremor in her muscles. I need to bring her back, quiet the storm inside her.

I need to understand.

Because whether I like it or not, my soul is tied to this woman.

And I don’t think I could sever that bond even if I wanted to.

“Do you trust me?” I whisper, brushing the damp hair from her forehead.

Her eyes narrow.

“No. I trust no one.”

A small, dark smile tugs at my lips.

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