Page 182 of Beautifully Ruined
He nods and gets to work.
Then he makes a call. “Zayne, got something for you…”
I tune Enzo out as I tilt Vi’s face to mine. It’s the most beautiful sight in the world.
A thousand things run through my head, like did he touch you, rape you, hurt you? But I don’t like the aggression because my Violet is delicate right now, and they all feel wrong. She’ll tell me and the only difference is if she answers yes to any of those is what I’ll do to Allistair and every other fucker who dared lay a hand on her, and how long and hard I’ll make them suffer.
I’m usually the one who causes pain and suffering and retribution from behind the keyboard. But for Violet, I’ll step out and hand it in the real world. I’ll be Gino’s right hand man if he lets me torture any motherfucker who touched her.
And she’ll tell me.
So, I settle on what feels right. “Are you okay?”
She nods. “I knew you’d come for me.”
“Christ, nothing could stop me.” I kiss her softly, and she clings, kissing me back and opening up for me the way that she’s always done, right from the first time I ever touched her.
She’s a fucking marvel, and I’m so head over heels in love it’s not even funny.
When the soft, sweet, long kiss ends, she looks up at me. “I’m sorry for going behind your back.”
I put a finger to her lips, silencing her. “It doesn’t matter right now. The only thing I care about is you’re okay.”
She nods. “I was so scared, Cade. There was a moment where I realized how badly things just might go. And…”
I tilt her face back up to mine and brush my lips over hers. “Just promise to come to me next time. I was doing it, and no matter how urgent it feels, you can trust me to listen to you, okay? No running off on your own. We’re a team.”
“I thought you were taking too long, I thought…” She swallows.
And I nod. “Maybe I was. But only because I wanted to do it right. We had to hit hard and get manpower. But, Vi? How about this? You don’t run off, and I absolutely promise to listen and really consider what you’re saying. Okay?”
“Okay.”
“Because if I lost you…” I squeeze my eyes shut for a moment. “I couldn’t bear it. I love you more than anything in this world.”
Violet smiles through her tears, and it’s like the sun coming out. “I love you, too. More than I ever thought possible. Who knew having a stranger fulfill my dirty fantasy would lead me to finding my soulmate?”
“I’m your soulmate?” My heart soars.
“Yeah.”
“Good, because you’re mine, Vi.”
After that, I just hold her.
When Zayne arrives to help get the other girls to a safehouse he has, the still living guard cuffed is taken, and Zayne comes up to us.
He glances at me and Violet and then at Enzo. “This Ivan. Is he still causing problems?”
“Ivan’s been taken care of,” Enzo says.
Zayne nods and then takes a step closer. “Enquiring minds…mine, wants to know if the cast of a mafia movie in here are for show, or…was that really your uncle Gino I saw skulking around outside, keeping to the shadows?”
Enzo shrugs.
Then he zeroes in on me. “Please tell me you’re not mixed up with Gino?”
Vi’s hands tighten on me.
