Page 14 of Crown of Thorns
“Then what is it?”
“I’m scared.”
“I won’t let anything happen to you,” he promises.
“They already killed one person. You won’t be able to stop it, Rhys.”
“I can damn well try,” he roars, waking the kitten who lifts his furry head with a soft mew.
I lift him up into my arms. “Please don’t fight with me,” I beg. “Not today. Today is the first good day in a long time. Let’s not spoil it.”
“All right, hen,” he says gently.
“Thank you for the kitten.”
“You don’t have to thank me. You have to know I’ll give you anything.”
“I don’t wantanythingandeverything,” I tell him. “I just… I don’t know. It’s been a lot to take in and I feel like every time I get my feet underneath me, I get knocked over again. I just want…”
“What?”
“To be loved, to be safe. To see my family again.”
“Do you know what I want?”
“No, what?”
“I want you to know that you are safe, as safe as you’ve ever been. The blindfold has been ripped off and you see dangers that were always there, you just didn’t know it, and for that I am sorry. I want you to realize how much I love you and that I will give you agood life.” He runs a frustrated hand through his hair and lets out a heavy breath. “Dammit, hen. I will make you happy.”
I open my mouth to reply but before I can get the words out, Rhys spears his fingers through the hair at the back of my head and crushes his mouth to mine. By the time he pulls back, I’m panting.
“What shall you name him?” he asks.
“Leonidas.”
“I’m sure Leo will be overjoyed to learn that he has a namesake when he returns to his post,” Rhys snarks, making me laugh.
“He’ll love it.”
“Aye, hen, he will,” he says, before pointing to a large shopping bag on the leather sofa on the other side of his office. “Now, would you like to see all of the toys and bits and bobs Ailsa and Craig’s husband picked out for you to play with your new kitten?”
“Yes.” I smile.
“Then off you go,” he says.
My shoulders slump at being dismissed. Only Rhys could make me big promises and then shove me out the door.
I hold little Leo in one arm and scoop up the bag with the other before heading to the door. He looks up from whatever had stolen his attention and snaps, “Where the bloody hell are you going now? Are you so determined to punish me?”
My breath catches in my throat. “You want me tostay?”
“Of course I want you to fucking stay,” he snarls. “I fucking love you and want you near me always.”
“I thought you were telling me to go,” I whisper.
He blinks slowly before clenching his eyes tight and shaking his head rapidly, then he looks at me again.
“I had thought you might want to stay here with me for the afternoon,” he says after a moment.
