Page 12 of Assassin's Prey
OceanofPDF.com
Chapter Six
I was lying on the bed when Abby came out of the shower. An ambush, she’d probably call it, though I’d say she ambushes me every time I see her like this. The towel around her body hid the details, but knowing what was beneath it with aching familiarity—it didn’t matter how much she hid, I’d always want her.
But now wasn’t the time for that. Now was the time to face reality.
She hadn’t spoken to me since we’d arrived. The blank look in her eyes, like the entire day had been too much and she’d had to retreat for her own sanity, sliced through me like a KA-BAR every time I caught a glimpse of it. I needed to protect her—that thought went through my head on a continuous loop I couldn’t seem to stop. I should be out there fixing this, hunting down the bastards who’d taken her home from her, erasing that guarded look from her eyes, but I couldn’t. All I could do was rage inside and wait. I shouldn’t be waiting while the woman I loved was in danger.
That’s right. Love. I was in love with a woman who wanted to leave me behind.
Made perfect sense.
My breath hitched as an image of my parents the last time I saw them flashed in my mind. Dead. Covered in blood. That’s what love led to.
And yet something inside me—a heart? A soul?—something deep refused to let go of the word as I watched Abby cross the room to her suitcase. I couldn’t protect her from her attackers—yet—but I could keep her head out of the sand. It was the only way to save her right now.
“We need to talk.”
I hated how everything that came out of my mouth sounded like I was barking orders. Some pansy-ass prince charming could probably soothe her, croon in her ear; I sounded like a drill sergeant whipping her into shape.
Abby ignored the demand and dug into her clothes. When she pulled out a pair of panties, a growl ripped from my chest.
“Save it, Levi.”
I pushed to my feet. “Ignoring what happened won’t make it go away. We have to deal—”
“What if I don’t want to?” she snapped. Pajama bottoms came out next. “Maybe I just want to live in a fantasy world for one night. Reality is calling insurance companies and finding a new place to live. Reality is knowing someone hates me enough to bomb my house, and that you don’t love me. Why would I want to face all that?”
She stood up, her pajamas gripped tight in one hand. Every line of her body rejected me, but I couldn’t let it go. I couldn’t let her go on believing…
“I never said I don’t love you.”
Abby scoffed. “You never said you do, either. You never said you want to build a life together. You never said you wanted a future.”
Because a man like me doesn’t have a future.“I’m an assassin,” I pointed out. “I kill people for a living. What kind of future is that?”
Abby refused to look at me. “Exactly. No future.” A sad grin pulled at her lips as she ran a hand through her wet hair. “Forgive me for finding that a little hard to face at the moment. I’ll pick up my sword again tomorrow.”
“Abby, I…”
But what could I say that would make it better. Hell, I couldn’t even fault her for wanting to do nothing but forget for tonight. And she could do that better if I wasn’t here—but fuck if I could make myself walk out that door.
Abby put a hand up, stopping me from saying anything more. “Forget it, Levi. I understand.” She dropped her towel right where she stood, her creamy skin and rounded curves stopping my heart in its tracks. “I’m good enough to fuck, but not good enough to love. And don’t deny it.” She stepped into her pajama bottoms, her breasts swaying as she bent over. “If you loved me, we would be finding a way to make this work, not just finding a way for you to get me back into bed.”
I stood, stunned, watching her pull her tank top over her head. I did love her; I knew that even if she didn’t. Even if I had no practical idea of how it worked, what I felt couldn’t be denied: This agony that exploded inside me every time I thought about her leaving, thought abouther. The hunger that drilled through my marrow when I caught sight of her, saw her smile, forced her beneath me. The need to put her safety above my own—hell, above my own brothers. Damn it, of course it was love.
Which meant I was fucked no matter how this turned out. Damned if I do, damned if I don’t.
So why deny myself?
My body went rigid as I stalked around the end of the bed. Abby’s head came up fast, eyes wide, a doe about to be eaten. Sensing that she’d snapped some kind of leash that had held me in check so far. But no more. My body wanted what it wanted, and I would have it.
“Take those off,” I said, nodding toward her clothes.
“No.”
My expression told her exactly how long I’d allow that no to stand. Abby swallowed hard. Stepped back.
