Page 70 of Killer's Obsession
“I didn’t know you were coming back,” I admit. “The last time we spoke…” I swallow the lump in my throat.
Something dark flashes behind her eyes. “We fought.”
I nod. We fought, and she walked out the door, leaving my heart cut wide open. My eyes trace every line of her face, committing it to memory.
“What happened here?” I ask, gently touching the bruise at her temple.
She sighs, sitting down beside me on the bed. “One of Nikolai’s men. He grabbed me at Jade’s.”
My jaw clenches. “Did he hurt you anywhere else?”
She shakes her head. “No. Just this.” She points to the mark on the side of her face before looking down and picking at her chipped nail polish. “I tried to fight, but he was too strong.”
She should never have been at Jade’s. If I hadn’t lied to her, Nikolai would have never gotten his hands on her.
I wrap my arm around her, pulling her against my side despite the pain it causes. “I’m sorry I wasn’t there to protect you.”
“You came for me,” she says, leaning her head on my shoulder carefully.
“I’ll always come for you, babe. Always.”
We sit in silence for a moment, just breathing each other in. There’s so much I want to say to her, but I don’t know where to start.
Carefully blowing out the breath I feel like I’ve been holding since she walked out the front door a week ago, I dive right in. “I need you to know something.”
She lifts her head, giving me those green eyes I want to see every day for the rest of my life. “What I did—keeping the truth from you. Claiming you without asking. It wasn’t because I don’t respect you or think that you aren’t the master of your own universe.”
Her lips twitch. “I know I fucked up with all that, but baby, everything I did was to keep you safe. I know you don’t understand.” I shift my gaze, trying to find the right words to make her understand.
“The moment I saw you in that cage,” I shift my stare back to hers, “all the scattered pieces inside me snapped together. You changed me, baby. I knew the second these big, green, beautiful eyes looked up at me that I’d give my last breath to keep you safe. And the thought of you finding out about your father, about why you were taken... I was afraid it would break you.”
“You almostdidgive your last breath to keep me safe.” Her fingers go to the bandage on my chest. “What you did… It hurt,” she admits quietly.
“I know.” I take her hand and lace our fingers together. “And I swear to you, Memphis, I will never keep anything from you again. No matter how painful, no matter how much I want to shield you from it. You deserve the truth. Always.”
She squeezes my hand. “And what about me being your ol’ lady?”
I take a deep breath, wincing at the pain it causes. “I should have asked you. Explained what it meant in my world.” I look into her eyes, needing her to understand. “But I don’t regret it, Memphis. I meant it when I told Nikolai you’re mine. Youaremine! And I am yours.”
Her other hand comes up to cup my cheek. “I’m still mad at you.”
My heart sinks to the floor.
“But,” she continues, her voice softening, “I almost lost you. And that put things in perspective.” She leans in, pressing her forehead gently against mine. “I love you, Manu Tuiasosopo. God help me, but I do.”
“Baby…” I cup her chin and demand, “Say it again.”
A small smile curves her lips. “I love you.”
I dip my head, pressing it against hers. “Again.”
“I love you.”
I capture her mouth with mine, kissing her deeply, pouring everything I feel for her into it. When we finally break apart, we’re both breathing hard.
“I love you too, Memphis,” I whisper against her lips. “More than anyone or anything in this life.”
Tears gather in her eyes again. “Promise me you’ll never risk your life for mine again.”
