Page 61 of Her Filthy Reverse Harem Romance Collection

My gut churns with disgust. She deserves better than men like us, but I’m a bastard and can’t help myself. “Mo chroí.”

“Why do you keep calling me that?”

I want to tell her because she stole my heart, but I hold my tongue and wait for a better moment. If I tell her the truth now, she’s likely to think I’ve lost my good sense. Truth be told, she might be right. What sane person falls for someone with a single kiss? She stands there in my jacket and stares at me. Despite the heaviness of the early morning events, I smile down at her and it provokes the same reaction.

“Your father signed a contract after getting indebted to me. Us,” I correct. “He owed us ten million dollars. In a show of good faith in uniting our families, he offered a deal. Pay us back with something more valuable.”

Her eyes widen with surprise and understanding. “Me. Why does that not surprise me? Of course, he would throw me away like that. A freaking pawn so he can get what he wanted?”

“Yes.”

“And then he reneged.”

I take her chin in hand. “Yes.”

Hurt fills her eyes and I move on quickly before she gets the wrong idea.

I drop my hand from her chin and gesture for her to take a seat, but she refuses.

The side door from the home office opens and Katriona turns.

Drake and I look on as surprise fills her expression but it’s quickly replaced with an injection of anger and then it’s right back to surprise.

“No. You’re dead.” Her voice drops to a whisper. Like she’s seeing a ghost.

Katriona

My eyes and heart are sending mixed messages. It can’t be. My heart screams for it to be true. But my head says I saw his body fall to the ground.

Didn’t I? Tears wet my lashes and I can’t seem to take a breath.

“Grey? Grey, is that really you?” I fist the front of Sylan’s shirt and he wraps his protective arms around me, lending me his strength. And I need all I can get.

Sylan leans down until his lips are by my ear. “Go to him,mo chroí. Go to him. He’s waited so long to see you again.”

As soon as Grey steps from the darkness, my knees became rubber and unreliable.

I take several uncertain steps. But the closer I get the more I come to terms with the fact I’m not seeing a ghost.

“It’s you.”

I practiced a million things to say to Grey—to all of them actually—but nothing comes out when my mouth opens.

I exchange glances with Drake and Sylan before turning quickly back to Grey fearing he might disappear.

My heart races so fast I’m having a hard time catching my breath. Seeing Drake and Sylan again was a rush, but to know Grey hadn’t died trying to save me changes my whole outlook.

Grey’s mouth widens with a big smile and the little crinkles along the edges of his eyes deepen.

“Come here, sweetheart. God, I missed you, baby. Let me feel you in my arms. Are they giving you hell in here?”

I turn to look at Drake and Sylan over my shoulder and feel a surge of warmth through my body when our eyes connect.

“I wanted to come with Drake tonight but business kept me here.”

Grey wraps his strong arms around me and I throw mine around his neck. I inhale several times, filling my memory with his scent. Last time I was like this all I could smell was blood. His blood. Copper and gunpowder.

I rise to my tiptoes, gliding my fingers through his hair.

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