Page 69 of Ruthless Keeper
I run my fingers over the bed of flowers surrounding me. Cheerful daisies wink at me from their places, swaying calmly in a gentle breeze. I wish I could be as free, as careless as these happy flowers.
I barely hear the sound of approaching footsteps before a shadow falls over me. A familiar, dark, obsessive energy invades my senses, and I know without needing to look up that Monster has arrived.
Even though I’m unsure if he’s still the monster under my bed, he’ll always be Monster to me.
Maybe evenmyMonster…
“It breaks my heart to see you cry,” he says quietly. “I want to kill whatever’s causing those tears, but I know I can’t.”
“No. Killing my brother would not endear you to me,” I respond quietly. I swipe at the tears staining my cheeks, then reach down and stroke the petals of a particularly vibrant daisy.
Monster helps himself to a seat beside me, crushing the daisy I was playing with.How very appropriate.A soft sigh flutters out of my lips as I refocus my attention on a flower in front of me.
“Scarlett,” Monster says. “Scarlett, look at me.”
“Please don’t make me,” I respond softly. “I just need to be sad right now. You’ve just taken the last thing I had from me.”
“Your brother wasn’t taken from you,” Monster counters. “He said horrible things, yes, but at no point did he articulate that he intendedto leave you. No, Scarlett, he wasn’t taken from you. I could hear his love for you in every word.”
A light scoff escapes me. “Right. Did you hear the love when he was telling me that I’m a stupid girl? Or when he threatened to have me killed?”
“He didn’tthreatenanything. He was trying to articulate a point, and he did it very poorly.” Monster pauses. “Powerful men can be some of the dumbest ones, too.”
“You’re living proof of that,” I mutter.
When Monster doesn’t respond, I go tense. That might’ve been pushing him a bit far. I really need to learn when to turn off the sass—
I look up at him, only to see that he’s smiling widely, his eyes sparkling with mirth. I’m startled to realize that I like it when he smiles. He has perfect straight white teeth and full lips. His stern expression is handsome, but his smile is…stunning.
“Tobias thinks that you would cut your heart out of your chest if I asked you to.” My words are impulsive, fueled by emotion more than anything else. “Is that true?”
“Yes,” Monster answers immediately. “Of course, I’d first find a way to continue living without a heart… because I don’t intend on ever leaving you.”
I gaze at him for a few moments. “Why?” I finally ask. “Why are you so… obsessed with me? Why, of all the women in this world, did it have to be me who caught your attention?”
“I’ve never respected anyone the way I respect you,” Monster responds. “I’ve never admired a person so much in my life. You’re unique, Scarlett. Powerful but fragile. Durable yet delicate. Smart yet naïve. You’re a perfect mix of the traits that attract me… and to top it all off, you’resodamn brave.”
“Brave,” I repeat doubtfully. “When have I beenbrave?There’s a difference between bravery and a strong tolerance for life’s bullshit. I’m not brave… I’m just extremely used to pain—mentalandphysical.”
“It was your bravery that enabled you to look me in the eye when I first took you. When I was hurting you in ways I’ll never forgive myself for,” Monster says. “It was your bravery that drew me to you, repeatedly. It was your bravery that enabled you to boil tea out of the pretty flowers I got you and turn them into a deadly poison. And, Scarlett…” Greyson reaches out, tucking a lock of my hair behind my ear. “It was your bravery that made you give me the antidote.”
“Do you pull everything you say out of your ass?” I tilt my head to the side. “I try to search for the logic in your words, but I rarely seem to find any.”
His smile returns. “Dropping those flowers into a teacup must’ve been terrifying. You know what I’d have done to you if I found out. But you did it anyway, because sometimes, the ends justify the means. As for the antidote…” his smile begins to melt away, replaced with a searching expression. “I think you did that because you were brave enough to risk me coming after you, but not cruel enough to kill a man who loves you.”
“Whothinkshe loves me.”
Monster’s jaw clenches. He turns sharply away from me, but instead of getting up and storming off, he tugs on the neckline of his shirt, practically ripping it off himself. I wince at the sight that greets me; raised, angry red scars crisscrossing his spine like skewed train tracks.
“Would I have taken this for you if I didn’t love you?” he demands, turning back around. “Would I have combed the entire world for you if I weren’t in love with you?”
“You could be confusing love with obsession,” I whisper.
“I could be,” Greyson agrees, staring at me unblinkingly. “But I’m not. I think you know that, and I think that scares you.”
“Weren’t you just going on about how brave I am?”
“Bravery doesn’t exempt you from feeling fear, Flower. It just ensures you’ll never be a slave to it.”
