Page 84 of Virtue & Vengeance

At least not yet.

And Zander was there.

How was Zander there?

“You’re here,” I croaked, my voice sounding broken and harsh.

He nodded. “I’m here.”

“You followed me,” I said.

I wasn’t accusing him.

I’d never been so thankful to be followed in all my life.

“I did.”

Then I remembered there was a higher up than Winston and Rodger. A man they referred to as Monty who was waiting for his money and who had, had no problem having his men kill me and threaten the life of the people I loved.

If Monty had Winston and Rodger working for him, I was sure there were others who would be more than willing to jump on the job of taking me out and retrieving his money.

Fight or flight kicked in, and I began to move.

“Where are you going?” Zander asked when I climbed to my feet.

“I have to get out of here. There’s a man named Monty. He wants his money. If those guys don’t take it to him, he’ll come for me. He’ll kill me and everyone I love. I know he will.”

Quickly, Zander moved to me and pulled me into his arms. I felt safe there. Zander had saved my life, but I couldn’t help but feel like he had done so more for Kennedy than any other reason.

He didn’t love me.

He had made that more than clear to me, but that didn’t mean I was going to stick around and put him in danger.

“You’re not going anywhere,” he said, his voice thick and stern.

I shook my head, emotion heavy in my throat. “I have to. If I don’t, he’ll come. Zander, he’s dangerous.”

Grabbing my face in his hands, he ran his thumbs across my cheekbones. “Look at me, Eden.”

I looked up, my eyes getting caught in his.

“This isn’t the first time I’ve killed, and if this man you speak of comes around here, it definitely won’t be the last. I promise you; I’m more dangerous. And if anyone even thinks about touching the woman I love, I’ll rip their heart out.”

My heart skipped a beat.

Surely I was hearing things.

“Excuse me?”

The side of his mouth tilted into a grin.

“You heard me. I said I love you, Eden Vaughn. You’re mine from this moment on, and no one fucks with what belongs to me.”

Then he moved in and kissed me, scattering the last of my fears and soothing the aches in my body from the beatings I’d taken over the previous few days.

I lost myself in his kiss, taking in the moment and capturing it in a new happy memory.

Zander Hale said he loved me, and I knew him well enough to know he would never say something he didn’t mean.

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