Page 46 of No Mercy In Red

“You lied to me,” I cried, pounding my fists into his chest over and over. “You broke into my apartment. You stole from me! Connor, you took my fucking panties, my lipstick—what the fuck is wrong with you?”

I tried to push away from him, to create some distance. But he only pulled me in closer, his grip on me firm and unforgiving. I could feel the tremble racking through his body as he pulled my face to meet his, the blood splattered across it not taking anything away from his perfection.

His face crumpled, eyes filled with raw pain and regret. “Max, I’m sorry. God, I’m so fucking sorry. I was obsessed—I still am. I can’t explain it. I needed pieces of you to keep close. I watched you long before you knew my name. I would have watched you forever, even if you hated me for it. It was wrong, fucked up—but I couldn’t stop.”

I pulled back, my breath shaky. “Why didn’t you tell me? Why didn’t you tell me the full truth when I asked you?”

“I was afraid,” he whispered, raw emotion filling his eyes. “Afraid of losing you. Afraid you’d realised how fucking twisted and broken I was, and you’d leave.”

I exhaled, gripping his hands, feeling his blood-slicked fingers trembling beneath mine. “But that’s exactly who I am, Connor—twisted. That’s exactly why I kept you around, even after you admitted to stalking me. Because I never needed a hero, I needed someone willing to walk through hell beside me, and you’re the only one I’d trust”

His breathing hitched, his eyes burning into mine.

“Even after that time when I came back from my trip with Lara, when you caged me in, told me you wanted to punish me, you—” I took a shaky breath. “ It was like my ex all over again. He used to hurt me, punish me for things that weren’t my fault. He even broke my wrist once. I almost panicked that night, when you were so angry. But then I remembered that you weren’t him, nothing like him. There was something about you. You didnt scare me, Connor. Not truly.”

His jaw tightened, self-hatred etched deeply onto his face. “Max, if I’d known... God, I’m so fucking sorry. I’d never have touched you like that if I’d known. I’d never have—”

“No, stop,” I interrupted, cupping his blood splattered face in my hands. “You didnt know. And despite everything, I trusted you, even then. I don’t know why, but I did. I felt safe with you, even when I shouldn’t have. Even now, when I should be fucking terrified of you, I’m not.”

Connor pulled me tighter into his embrace, his body trembling. “Joe saved me from my father, Max. He was the only family I had. He was my brother, and I killed him—I fucking killed him. That should terrify you, I’m a monster.”

“You’re not a monster, Connor” I whispered, holding him tightly, my heart breaking at his pain. “Connor, I need you to listen to me. Joe was going hand me over, fuck, I think he might’ve even killed me. He was going to take me away from you, forever. You did what you had to.”

His body shuddered, holding me as though I was the only thing keeping him grounded to reality. “Max, I’d do it again,” he whispered, voice thick with pain. “I would kill anyone who tried to take you from me. You’re mine—nothing else matters anymore.”

My breath caught, and I lifted his chin to look directly into his eyes, tears blurring my vision. “Connor, I need you to understand why. Why I became who I am, why I do what I do. I’m not a monster. I promise you, I’m not”

He held my face as he looked into my eyes, “I know you’re not Max, I know.”

I told him everything. My father’s legacy, my obsessive need for control, the abusive ex I’d hidden, even from Lara. How my father had died protecting me. The darkness that continuously consumed my life before he showed up, and how badly I’ve wanted to leave it all behind, but couldn’t due to the guilt consuming me. My desperation to make my father proud. With every secret I confessed, the weight lifted a little more. Connor didn’t recoil. He didn’t flinch. He just listened, holding me tighter with each revelation, his face etched with understanding and pain. He understood my darkness, because he matched it with his own.

“I’m sorry, Max,” he whispered softly, fingers brushing the tears from my cheek. “You never deserved any of that pain. And you certainly didn’t deserve me barging into your life like this.”

“No,” I murmured, voice steadying with newfound strength. “You’re exactly what I needed. You saved me. Maybe not in the conventional way—but you did.”

He pulled me close again, his lips brushing tenderly against mine, both of us trembling from the intensity of everything we’d shared. Somewhere across the basement, my phone buzzed, breaking the spell. I got up, hissing through my teeth at the pain radiating from my leg where Joe had hit me, and limped over to my phone, trying my best to ignorethe lifeless body on the floor. A message from Lara flashed on my phone’s screen sending fresh panic clawing through me.

‘Please come home. I need you.’

My blood ran cold. Something was very, very wrong. I showed my phone to Connor, his eyes meeting mine, understanding instantly. “Go,” he whispered. “I’ll handle this. Can you get yourself up the stairs with your leg?”

I stared back at Joe’s lifeless body, nausea threatening again, and nodded. Whatever waited at home was urgent. Lara never, ever told me she needed me. With one last look, I pulled myself up the stairs, leaving behind the blood, pain, and destruction—praying to a god I didn’t even think existed, that Connor could truly handle what we’d done.

Because Joe was a cop. Which meant the search for me, was going to go fucking crazy once they realised that he was missing. And because there was no going back now. Not for either of us.

Chapter 34

Max

Icalled Tony on my way out of the basement, having him pick me up to take me back to my apartment. The entire drive back had been a blur of nerves and shock, the trembling never quite leaving my hands, no matter how hard I tried to keep them still. I could see him glancing at me through the rearview mirror, his eyes filled with silent questions.

“Don’t ask,” I said, my voice rough, the tremble betraying my own fragility.

“I won’t,” he’d replied softly, his voice steady and reassuring. “Just say the word, kid. Whatever you need.”

The silence that stretched between us spoke louder than any words could have.

When the car pulled up outside of my apartment building, I hopped from the car, dragging myself to the elevator, my leg screaming in pain as I moved. I nearly fell to my knees when my eyes landed on Lara, curled up against my door. My heart shattered at the sight of her. Her makeup was smudged, her beautiful golden dress was now a torn up, filthy mess. She had knees pulled up to her chest, her red, swollen eyes meeting mine, raw pain swimming in them.

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