Page 48 of Truth (Wicked Empire 2)

“Now let’s try this again,” he said, showing a patience and calm that was nearly heartbreaking.

“I know what you’re capable of,” I said in a quiet voice.

“What does that mean?” he responded.

“I know that, and I still…”

I was talking to him, but not really. I was mostly talking to myself, verbalizing the things that I had known for months but hadn’t allowed myself to accept.

“I knew what you were, and I gave myself to you. You killed without remorse. Had done it before. You’ll do it again. I deserve this,” I said.

The truth of that, the finality of it, hit me like a ton of bricks.

But I shook my head, trying to clear my thoughts.

I met his eyes, dark, glittering, uncertain in a way I had never seen before.

“I deserve this, Davit. But the baby doesn’t,” I said.

“What are you talking about?” he said.

His voice was so calm, so earnest, that I had to answer.

“You have to understand I did what I thought was best,” I pleaded.

“Keeping my child from me is not best,” he countered.

“Maybe not. But I had to protect us. Protect myself,” I said.

He leaned back, his eyes narrowing.

“From me?”

“I know what family means to you,” I said without answering.

“Everything,” he responded.

“Yes. So I needed to protect the baby, and myself.”

“Amethyst, you’re not making any sense,” Davit said.

I found myself reaching for him, and I wrapped my hands around his, squeezed them.

I worried I might hurt him, but then laughed at the thought, knowing that wasn’t a possibility.

“Davit, please…”

I could feel my eyes starting to tear, but I pushed those down, kept focused on him.

Kept my hands tight on his, squeezing, unwilling to look away.

I had to say this, had resisted before, but knew that I needed to try.

“Please don’t…”

I swallowed thickly, my voice garbled with tears.

Breathed in, breathed out, waited until I was calm enough to try to speak again.

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