Page 103 of Crazed

"The Maldives."

More worry appears on her.

I tug her onto my lap. "Listen to me, Katiya. In order for me to protect you, I need to know everything. Even if you think it puts you or me in more danger, I have to know everything. Why was Leo visiting you, and what did you mean when you said I wouldn't stop coming in?"

She takes a few shaky breaths then answers, "To the library. You kept coming to visit me and asking me out. Someone—maybe it was Alicia—told Leo. I'm unsure how many people Leo has watching me. But someone told him you were interested."

It feels like a claw is scraping my gut. "So he wanted you to spy on me?"

She nods.

The claw scrapes faster. I push, "And find out what?"

She bites on her lip. It's trembling again, as are her hands. I tighten my arms around her. She lifts her chin higher, admitting, "He wants to know who all your jewelry suppliers are and how to contact them."

Bile rises in my throat. My family has been in the gem business for years. No other crime family has been able to successfully tap into the market as we have. I swallow hard and try to stay calm, demanding, "And?"

She furrows her eyebrows. "What do you mean?"

As calm as I'm trying to stay, I fail. I belt out, "So you were going to try to find out and give him what he wanted?"

"I didn't want to."

"But you were?"

Her cheeks turn maroon, making her blues appear brighter. My cock twitches, and I hate myself for it. Even when she's telling me she'd betray me, I find her more beautiful than anyone I've ever met. She closes her eyes and says, "I didn't want to. I..." She licks her lips and swallows hard. Her eyes open. She squares her shoulders, asserting in her cold demeanor, "It doesn't matter, does it? Now that you know the truth, there's only one ending to this, isn't there?"

My pulse pounds between my ears. I ask, "Meaning what?"

Her chest rises and falls faster. She tries to maintain her cool exterior, but her voice cracks, and tears fill her eyes. She declares, "There's no more us."

My heart shatters into millions of pieces. The air in my lungs turns stale, like it's trying to suffocate me. The thought of her and I not existing as an us almost kills me. I shouldn't feel this way. Common sense tells me to turn her in to my family and let them deal with her, since there's no way I can. Maybe it means I'm weak, but I couldn't hurt her if my life depended on it.

Her next words don't give me any comfort. "It doesn't matter if I really do love you, does it?"

I continue to stay silent, fighting the emotions expanding in my chest.

Is it possible she does love me and just didn't know how to get out of Leo's grasp?

She was going to betray me.

She had no choice.

She could have told me at any time. I would have protected her.

Ludis and Leo abused her in some of the worst ways. She's petrified of them.

It doesn't excuse her willingness to betray me.

Or does it?

Is it possible we can get past this now that I know the truth?

My silence only makes things worse.

She straightens her back, sitting as tall as possible. With the cold voice she normally reserves for others, she asks, "Can I make a request?"

"What's that?" I question.

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