Page 40 of The Night Runs Red

He shrugged. “Perhaps this one would not have been ruined if you had listened to me.”

Well, he wasn’t wrong.

He placed his hand on my back, guiding me out of the room and into the open space where my uncle and aunt spoke in hushed tones. They quieted as we approached.

My aunt threw her arms around me. “My darling girl,” she said, pulling back and cupping my face. “Are you alright?”

I nodded. “I’m fine now. Just a bit shocked.”

No one ever expects to be in a situation like that. Still, the evil of the world has a way of touching everyone and everything, eventually. It could have been worse, and I knew that. Respected it, even.

“What happened to the other women who were here?” I asked, turning to Rion.

“Most were homeless. Von undoubtedly trapped them with the offer of a better life, only to take it back once they signed their contracts to be in his employ. We ensured they were taken to one of your aunt’s shelters so they would be safe. It is a temporary fix until we can find something more concrete.”

My heart clenched at his words. It was difficult to rationalize the killer I’d seen half an hour ago, with the man who helped children obtain service dogs and sheltered women in need. But as each layer was revealed, I wanted to learn more. No matter how terrible or frightening it might have been.

“We should get home,” he said, draping his tuxedo jacket over my shoulders.

We said goodbye to my family and left the building. Hendrix was already waiting outside with the limo.

Rion sat on the opposite side of me and began loosening his collar roughly. His hands trembled with barely contained anger, reaching for a bottle of whiskey which rested in ice between us. He uncapped the bottle and took a large sip, stretching the silence between us.

“Let me explain—” I began, but he held up a hand to stop me.

“I asked you to do one thing,” he said, his voice carefully controlled. “One fucking thing, Calia, and you could not do it.”

I pulled his jacket tighter around my body, searching for warmth and finding none. “It’d been a long time, and I was worried. I didn’t know what you were doing, who you were with—”

“Regardless of the situation, I can handle myself. You, however, could not. You walked into their den without knowing what to expect, and you were nearly raped!” He leaned closer, nostrils flaring. For a moment, I saw a glimpse of the monster hiding beneath his skin. “Do you know what I would have done if that had happened? Do you realize the damage it would have created?”

“No,” I said, dropping my gaze to my lap.

He gripped my chin and tilted it up, meeting his glowing eyes. “I would have destroyed everything. I would have ripped the world apart and even then, it would not have been enough to temper my need for revenge because you would still be gone.”

“Why?” I couldn’t stop the question because I didn’t understand what this was between us. How had we gone from such indifference to whatever this was in such a short time? The most confusing aspect was that it felt right, like this was how we were always supposed to be. I hated that more than anything because it made me feel dependent on him in a dangerous way.

To my surprise, Rion whispered, “I do not know. I only know that I can no longer imagine a world where you do not exist.”

I leaned into his touch as his hand slid to my cheek. His thumb brushed along my cheekbone, pulling me into a kiss different from all the others. Those had been born out of lust, a maddening need for one another we couldn’t stifle. But this was softer. Sweeter. It was a promise we hadn’t yet voiced, binding our two souls as one. It was a subtle longing for which there was no cure.

It was something born of… love.

The thought was fleeting, but it was there all the same. I didn’t love him, did I? No, it was far too soon. But maybe this was what falling felt like—an absolutely maddening sensation of not knowing which way was up or if my feet were on the ground.

No, it couldn’t be. I wouldn’t let it be. Not yet, anyway.

Rion deepened the kiss, opening my mouth with his tongue. My toes curled at his gentle caress, causing heat to pool low in my belly. I wanted him, needed him, couldn’t live without knowing what it felt like for him to own me any longer.

I pulled back, brushing my nose against his. “Take me to your bed tonight,” I whispered.

His gaze softened, sweeping over my face as if memorizing every line. “I would not have let you go even if you asked me to,” he said.

The limo stopped, and Hendrix’s voice came over a speaker. “We have arrived, Mr. D’Arcy.”

Rion reached over and pushed a button. “Thank you, Hendrix.”

I pulled his jacket tighter before the door opened and stepped out. The adrenaline from earlier was fading, and coldness began seeping in to remind me of what I’d done.

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