Page 136 of The Heart of a Villain

As I get out on my balcony, I lean on the railing, watching my daughter walking down there, deep in her thoughts as she buries her face in her coat, and Levi hugs her, whispering something in her ear.

She gives him a weak smile but then sighs heavily once again.

Probably thinking about a man who snuck inside my castle like a thief and stole her heart—and with this, my sanity.

A hunter always knows when an intruder enters his territory. They have a certain smell that announces their arrival and in this awakens every protective instinct inside me.

A smile curves my mouth when I think about her face all flushed as both of my kids lied through their teeth and really thought they convinced me of their bullshit.

They couldn’t lie worth a shit when they were kids, and much less now.

Aileen looks up at our room and notices me. She waves at me, but then sadness crosses her face, and she spins around.

Ah, conflicted child of mine.

She can’t stand lying to me, but apparently it doesn’t stop her from inviting an enemy into my home.

My hands fist on the railing as familiar anger slides through my veins and sends gasoline to the burning fire that is my rage at the thought of Rush putting his hands on Aileen.

Corrupting her.

Making her fall in love with a monster, when she deserves better.

My whole life, I wished for only one thing.

For my children to be free of the burden that’s my world. But instead, they both soaked in it.

Aileen deeper than Levi.

A soft voice speaks from behind me, temporarily calming the storm inside my soul. “She’s in love with him, Lachlan.”

I turn around to face my beautiful wife who has the ability to make my heart beat faster, even after all these years and despite all the shit I had to live through.

She pads toward me, the wind billowing her dark hair back, and the scarf slides from her shoulders, opening up her nightgown-covered body that knows me so well.

Leaning on the banister, I wait for her as she places her splayed palms on my chest, and we silently stare at one another.

The dark circles still mar her skin beneath her breathtaking eyes, and I barely control the desire to hug her close to wipe away the fear still present in her gaze whenever she looks at me.

She’s afraid to lose me or maybe thinks all this is a dream, and the idea of her suffering so much without me unsettles me in more ways than one.

However, I chose this path a long time ago, and never once did she ask me to stop because she knows how important it is to me.

And that’s the problem, isn’t it?

No matter how much we love our women, the likes of us cannot stop what we do, for we are unable to sleep knowing that vile demons exist on this earth.

“She almost got killed because of him,” I say, palming her head and rubbing her cheeks with my thumbs. “If I allow this… she’ll never have peace.” I kiss her on the lips, and we share a breath. “She’ll live your life.” I tilt her head back and wipe away a single tear sliding down her skin. “And I know you love me and don’t regret anything. But I don’t want my daughter to live on the dark side. She deserves better.”

Never once in all these years have I regretted my decision to do what I do. My methods are horrific and unacceptable to some, but they heal the souls of those who cannot control their evilness.

Darkness was my solace, and even after marrying Valencia, I never turned my back on it.

Valencia.

What brought us together made it impossible for her to shy away from the monsters of this world, and Levi saw firsthand what it was like to be at the mercy of their cruelty.

Aileen, though… my one bright ray of sunshine, the only pure thing of mine… she is innocence and naivety all at once, for she had something I was denied in this world until I met my wife.

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